Although mortgages are at their most affordable for 15 years, approvals are at an all-time low. A new report from the Halifax reveals that payments on mortgage loans now account for around a quarter of take-home pay, due to record low interest rates of 0.5 per cent and weak house prices in many areas. The […]
National Savings & Investment is cutting the interest rate on its Direct Saver account from 1.75% to 1.5% with effect from today, because the account is too popular. Government-backed NS&I has already substantially exceeded its target to raise £2bn from savers in the 2011/12 financial year and now needs to slow the rate of deposits […]
UK households face a typical £780 drop in disposable income this year, the BBC has reported. A study by Deloitte, seen by the broadcaster, argues that tax rises, government spending cuts and higher commodity prices will force inflation above its current 4% level. The financial services firm therefore predicts that 2011 will see real earnings […]
As widely expected, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) has today left interest rates in the range of zero to 0.1%, in a bid to boost the economy following the twin disasters which hit the north-east part of the country last month. The country is battling to restore calm after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami […]
According to economists, yesterday’s services sector figures could result in the delay of interest rate hikes. Growth in the UK’s closely-watched service sector slowed in February, figures revealed yesterday. The sector accounts for around 75% of Britain’s economic output. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS)/Markit purchasing managers’ index (PMI) fell to 52.6 in […]
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has today left interest rates at almost zero, in a bid to boost the economy and continue its battle against deflation. The Japanese recovery has been faltering of late and exports, a crucial driver for economic growth, continue to slow. In addition, a strong yen could be damaging for the […]
The People’s Bank of China has today surprised markets after hiking interest rates – the first such move since 2007. The Bank has increased the one-year yuan lending rate from 5.31% to 5.56%, and the one-year yuan deposit rate to 2.5% from 2.25%. The move comes in a bid to fight stubborn inflation, as well […]
A higher education funding review is likely to see a shake-up in the way interest is charged on student loans. The review, by Lord Browne, suggested a variable interest rate on student loans was a favoured option. Currently, students pay back their loans when they earn over £15,000 a year, at a low interest rate. […]
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has today elected to keep UK interest rates on hold at the historically low level of 0.5% – where they have been since March 2009. Furthermore, the Bank opted not to inject any more funds into the economy via its quantitative easing (QE) scheme – introduced to […]
The Bank of England’s Quarterly Bulletin has revealed that High Street banks have not been passing on base rate cuts in full. Interest rates have been held at the record low of 0.5% since March 2009 (when the country was in the midst of its worst recession in decades), but despite this, banks are not […]
India’s inflation rate fell last month to its lowest level since January, Government data showed today. Headline inflation eased to 8.5% in August from a revised 9.8% in July – however, this partly due to a change in the way the index is calculated. The new index includes a wider range of consumer goods, such […]
Despite a rise in the number of mortgage deals on offer, a large deposit remains essential in securing a competitive loan, both for house purchasers and remortgagers. According to research by Moneyfacts Group for the BBC, the number of mortgage products available has risen 66% so far this year, to 2,351. However, the financial researcher […]
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised its key interest rate from 4% to 4.5% in a bid to combat rising inflation. It is the fourth such increase this year and economists had only expected a rise to 4.25%. Inflation rose to 10.55% in June and the latest interest rate hike is a fresh […]
Sainsbury’s Finance has boosted the interest rate on its Easy Saver account for new customers. Interest on accounts opened after 25th June 2010 will be paid at 2.7% Gross AER, an increase of 0.2 percentage points on the previous rate. The 2.7% rate will be paid to new customers for 12 months provided they maintain […]
A survey by Westpac bank and the Melbourne Institute has revealed that Australian consumer confidence has been hit by the recent hike in interest rates. The study, which questioned 1,200 people, found that consumer morale in May fell for the second consecutive month – by 7% to a reading of 108. This represented the biggest […]
The Russell Group, which represents 20 elite, research-intensive universities, has suggested that graduates may have to start paying back their student loans earlier and at a higher rate of interest, in order to prevent a major funding crisis. Following an official review of student finance and fees, the group warned that the financial sustainability of […]
ISA investors are “disillusioned” with the returns they are receiving on their savings, Barclays claimed this week. The bank blamed the frustration on historically low interest rates. The 0.5% base rate has caused many investors to rethink their approach to the financial marketplace, Barclays said. Research by the bank found more than two-thirds (72%) of […]
Figures published today show that people in the UK continue to repay debt as the incentive to save remains low in the current historically low interest rate environment. According to the Building Societies Association (BSA), its members withdrew more money than they saved for the ninth consecutive month in November. The BSA said there was […]
A study called “Precious Plastic” by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has found that while there has been a “cooling passion” for credit cards, bad credit card debts could jump as much as 9% of all outstanding balances by the end of 2010. According to Richard Thompson, a partner at PwC, over the last year, “there […]
Santander plans to discontinue the 6% current account at its UK banks. The 6% + 6% offer, which pays new Abbey and Alliance & Leicester customers 6% interest on their current account and on monthly savings, will close later this week. Savers taking maximum advantage of the offer could earn nearly £250 interest in the […]
Gender directive could slash men’s annuity payouts
The EU Gender Directive, which came into force today, could see men losing up to £10,000 from their annuity payouts, according to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Under the new rules insurers are no longer allowed to take gender into account when setting annuity rates and premiums on insurance products. Men previously enjoyed higher annuity rates than […]
Home rental costs down in November
The cost of renting a house in England and Wales fell by 0.4 per cent in November, its first dip since March, according to a survey by LSL Property Services. Average rent was £741m during the month, returning to the level seen in September. However, it was 3.4 per higher than in November last year. […]
Lloyds TSB halts sale of packaged accounts in branches
Lloyds TSB will stop selling packaged account in its branches from 1 January 2013, until its sales procedures are brought into line with those operated by sister bank The Halifax. Lloyds TSB is one of the main providers of packaged accounts in Britain, with around one in three of its customers choosing to pay fees […]
Housing market recovery to continue next year
Recent improvements in the housing market should continue into next year, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) Gross lending is estimated to have increased to £12.9 billion in November, helped by the Funding for Lending scheme which provides banks and building societies with lower-cost funding, which they are then supposed to pass on […]
Newcastle Building Society exits interest-only mortgages
Newcastle Building Society has stopped offering interest-only mortgages to new borrowers, following the lead of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, Co-operative bank and Coventry Building Society. The decision will not affect existing Newcastle customers and applications for interest-only mortgages received before 14 December will still be processed. Prior to the credit crunch, interest-only mortgages […]
Less than half of Brits considered creditworthy
Fifty-seven per cent of UK adults are at risk of having an application for credit turned down by a mainstream lender according to a new report. The ‘Mind the Credit Gap‘ report commissioned by aqua credit cards suggests that even people with a good credit rating and earning more than £50,000 could have a credit […]
Monthly incomes £22 lower in 2012
The average monthly income of UK households fell by £22 in real terms compared with last year, according to a survey carried out for the Bank of England (BoE) by NMG Consulting. People on lower incomes have seen their income eroded more than higher earners and households still have high levels of debt the BoE […]
Savers dig deep to fund Christmas
New research from the Halifax suggests that savers are funding their Christmas spending with money set aside for other purposes. Thirty-seven per cent of 2,138 savers surveyed by the bank at the end of November had withdrawn savings in the last three months. The average amount withdrawn was £1,186, more than double the average savings […]
Financial data at risk from unsafe passwords
According to a survey by the Payments Council the problem of having to remember a different password for several accounts means that many internet users are compromising the security of their financial data. Internet users have 22 password-protected accounts on average and many use the same log-in details for more than one account, even though […]
Wonga launches Paylater loans on retailer website
Payday loan company Wonga has launched a new Paylater service on furniture firm Cotswold Company’s website. The service, which allows customers to “buy now, pay later” will be introduced on other retailers’ sites in the near future. Although the Paylater branding is similar to Wonga’s, the Wonga name only appears in the small print. A […]
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