Economists have warned that interest rates could rise sooner than expected – and the warning came hot on the heels of a double dose of good news for the UK economy. Yesterday, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed UK economic growth for the third quarter slowed to 0.8%, albeit double the rate analysts had [...]
Wall Street’s main Dow Jones index closed up 2.3% yesterday at 10,250 after good news boosted investor confidence. The pending home sales index and demand for cars boosted stocks in the world’s largest economy. “A positive housing report and better-than-expected auto sales are giving the stock market a lift,” according to Wells Fargo senior equity [...]
The world’s largest economy received a further boost today after the services sector posted better than expected growth in March. The massive services sector, which makes up around two-thirds of US economic activity, grew at its fastest pace since May 2006. According to analysts, the expansion within the sector suggests strong future growth in consumer [...]
Pub chain JD Wetherspoon brings some good news to the economy today by announcing it is to open 250 new pubs and create 10,000 jobs. The new pubs will be located in Sheffield, Livingston, Leominster, Otley, New Malden, Liverpool, Haverfordwest and Newcastle and are part of a £250 million investment over a five-year period. JD [...]
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has today elected to keep UK interest rates on hold at the record low of 0.5% for the sixth month in a row. The move was widely expected after a raft of positive economic news this week, suggesting that the UK is beginning to emerge from recession. Meanwhile, [...]
The Bank of England has elected to keep interest rates unchanged at 0.5% today for the fifth month in a row. Rates currently stand at the lowest level since the Bank was established over 300 years ago. Meanwhile, the Bank has announced plans to increase its quantitative easing (QE) programme to £175 billion – a [...]
Sterling is continuing to climb against the US dollar on the back of renewed optimism within the UK economy. News released today sent the pound back above the $1.70 mark – its highest level since October last year. According to the Office for National Statistics, industrial output rose unexpectedly in June by 0.5% compared with [...]
With suggestions that the UK recession may be coming to an end, sterling hit a 2009 high against the euro today. According to Reuters, sterling rose to 85.10 pence against the euro – its best performance since December. Sterling was also up against the US dollar, rising one cent to $1.6429. Sterling has been boosted [...]
Sterling rose to its highest level against the US dollar today in three months after the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) announced that housing market activity is picking up after new enquiries increased for the fifth month in a row. At one point, sterling reached as high as $1.5037 and also hit a six-week [...]
M&S Money launches 3% cash ISA
M&S Money has launched an Advantage Cash ISA paying 3 per cent, and which allows transfers in from other ISAs. It can be opened with a minimum deposit of £100 lump sum followed by minimum monthly deposits of £25. The 3% rate is variable, but there is no short-term bonus so the return won’t plummet [...]
Google suspends UK Compare Mortgages site
Google has closed its UK mortgage comparison site which it launched in July last year, after it proved to be less popular than expected. Mortgage comparison sites are designed to allow visitors to compare mortgages quickly and easily without having to visit each lender’s individual site. Google was competing with several well-established comparison sites, including [...]
AA launches ‘black-box’ policy for young drivers
The AA is launching an innovative car insurance policy called Drivesafe which could help younger drivers save up to £850 a year. Younger drivers already pay substantially higher premiums than other motorists and these costs are increasing. A new study by Confused.com suggests insurance costs for younger driver have gone up by 5.7 per cent [...]
ATOL scheme updated to protect online bookers
ATOL, a financial protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority, is being extended to protect up to six million more holidays a year. The scheme ensures that holiday makers do not lose out financially if a travel company collapses, and that they are not stranded abroad. An increase in the number of holidays booked [...]
Home repossessions lowest for four years
The number of UK homes repossessed fell to 36,200 in 2011, significantly below the Council of Mortgage Lenders’ forecast of 40,000, and lower than 2010 when 37,100 homes were repossessed. With interest rates remaining low and lenders adopting a sympathetic attitude to customers in financial difficulty, repossessions fell to their lowest level since 2007. However, [...]
Monthly pay lasting just 17 days
Workers are running out of money just 17 days after receiving their monthly pay, according to new research by the Halifax bank. This means that the average UK worker spends half the month worrying about money. The study, based on the responses of more than 2,000 adults, found that 10 per cent of workers start [...]
Women disadvantaged by auto-enrolment changes
Government proposals to increase the auto-enrolment threshold to £10,000 could put 1.8 million women at risk of missing out on a pension, the TUC has warned. Under the auto-enrolment scheme, which will be phased in from October, private sector employers will automatically enrol workers between the age of 22 years and the state pension age, [...]
Emergency household repairs company Homeserve is taking longer than expected to get back on track after its operations were suspended last October. The company expected customer numbers to fall by 5% this year but it has increased this estimate to 8% and announced the loss of 200 jobs. It estimates that renewal revenue in 2013 [...]
Sale rumoured for Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks
There is growing speculation that National Australia Bank (NAB) may sell Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale Bank after the Australian parent company announced a strategic review of the two banks’ operations. The Australian economy is performing well and NAB reported strong profits for the final quarter of 2011 but with the UK economy at a virtual [...]
More women experiencing debt difficulties
Women in Debt, which offers female-focused debt advice, has warned that the number of UK women facing serious debt has grown significantly over recent years. The organisation believes that more women will need advice on solving debt problems in the future because they are building up an unsustainable level of indebtedness. Women in Debt’s director, [...]
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