A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has revealed factory orders slumped in October at their sharpest pace since April. The industrial trends survey’s total order book balance fell to -28 this month, from -17 in September – lower than expectations of a reading of -19. In the meantime, the output expectations balance [...]
The Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI) monthly industrial trends survey has today provided a positive outlook for the manufacturing sector. The CBI’s order book balance rose to -14 this month from -16 in July. While this indicates that orders are still declining, it represented the slowest pace in two years. Meanwhile, the export order book [...]
The UK’s recovery from recession was at a snail’s pace in the first quarter of 2010, with GDP growing by an estimated 0.2%, or just half analysts’ expectations of 0.4%. According to the Office for National Statistics, progress was also half that made in the final quarter of 2009, when output increased by 0.4% once [...]
Figures published by the Federal Reserve today revealed a marginal rise in US industrial production in February. According to the US central bank, industrial output rose by just 0.1% in the month and followed a 0.9% increase in January. However, the small rise was better than the zero percent that analysts had forecast after severe [...]
The world’s second largest economy received some good news today with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announcing that industrial production was up 5.9% in May from a month earlier. The gain was the third consecutive monthly rise with manufacturers predicting that output will rise 3.1% in June and 0.9% in July. However, despite [...]
Figures from Eurostat have revealed a sharp fall in European industrial orders for the month of December. The official figures show that new industrial new orders in the euro zone fell 5.2% compared with November and 22.3% compared with December 2007. The drop was attributed, in part, to fewer orders for machinery and electronic equipment. [...]
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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