An increase in the number of mortgage approvals in September suggests that the ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, launched by the Treasury and the Bank of England, may be starting to give the property market a boost. According to Bank of England figures, the number of loans approved for house purchase increased by 2,103 to 50,024 [...]
Borrowers were more cautious in May according to figures from the British Bankers Association (BBA) which showed an increased focus on reducing debt. Mortgage repayments were higher than lending for the first time, according to the BBA’s figures. Net mortgage lending fell by £73 million in May, the first time it has gone into reverse [...]
Credit card lending contracted in April, representing the fourth time it has contracted in the past six months and suggesting that consumer confidence remains low. Repayments exceeded new borrowing by £118m last month, marking the biggest monthly contraction since August 2006, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England. Other types of personal [...]
Economists had expected mortgage approvals to increase to 34,000 in March but instead the latest figures from the British Bankers Association show they actually fell, to 31,888. This was significantly lower than 32,840 in February and the 25-month high in January, when 38,233 mortgages were approved. The slump in March represents an 11-month low and [...]
House prices have fallen for the first time in six months, with the decline attributed to changes in stamp duty. The average house price in March was £163,327, 0.9 per cent lower than in March 2011. It was the largest fall in house prices since June last year. Nationwide’s figures showed a fall in nearly [...]
Personal loan, credit card and overdraft borrowing is being repaid at the highest rate since January 2011. The British Bankers’ Association (BBA) reported net consumer credit repayments of £305 million in February. Consumers borrowed £7 billion on credit cards but £7.3 billion was repaid. The ongoing squeeze on household incomes is making consumers more careful [...]
Mortgage approvals have reached their highest level since December 2009 according to Bank of England figures. 58,728 home loans were approved in January 2012, a 30 per cent increase from January 2011, following increased activity among first-time buyers. A two-year stamp duty exemption on properties between the value of £125,000 and £250,000 will end in [...]
Gross mortgage lending fell to £10.5bn in January, 12 per cent lower than the total for December. However the figures represent a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent, the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) said. January was the sixth consecutive month of higher lending compared with the previous year. Home loan approvals also increased in [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed prices rose by 0.4% in October on a monthly basis. On an annual basis, house prices are now 0.8% higher than this time last year – representing the first yearly rise in six months – with the average UK home costing £165,650. However, [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today reported that the UK housing market is suffering due to fears over the economy. However, the Institution said the number of enquiries from potential new buyers increased marginally in the month, with 3% more surveyors reporting a rise rather than a fall. First-time buyers, in particular, [...]
Official data from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) today revealed UK house prices rose by 0.6% in August compared with July. However, on an annual basis, house prices are 1.3% lower, taking the average UK house price to £208,476. The data from the DCLG is based on mortgage completions figures collected by [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed prices rose by just 0.1% in September on a monthly basis. On an annual basis, house prices are now 0.3% lower than this time last year with the average UK home costing £166,256. Meanwhile, when comparing prices in the three months to the [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed prices fell by 0.6% in August on a monthly basis – the fastest pace since October 2010. On an annual basis, house prices are now 0.4% lower than this time last year with the average UK home costing £165,914. The latest figures suggest [...]
The UK’s High Street banks approved 74,590 mortgages in July, with the figure up from 71,521 in June and ahead of the previous six-month average (69,803). According to the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) house purchase approvals came in at 33,417, activity having gathered pace since June (32,123) and exceeded the previous six-month average (30,695). At [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed house prices crept up by 0.2% in July. On an annual basis, house prices are now just 0.4% lower than this time last year with the average UK home costing £168,731. The housing market remains subdued as a lack of buyers, together with [...]
The latest house price index from the Nationwide Building Society has revealed house prices remained unchanged in June after a 0.3% rise in May – in line with expectations. On an annual basis, house prices are now 1.1% lower than this time last year with the average UK home costing £167,208. The housing market remains [...]
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has today revealed a slight rise in the number of homes sold in February in the UK. According to HMRC, 57,000 homes worth at least £40,000 or more were sold in the month – 4,000 more than January‘s levels. The figures come as the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) revealed a [...]
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed a slump in the number of homes sold in January in the UK. According to HMRC, just 54,000 homes worth at least £40,000 or more were sold in the month – the lowest number since January 2010. The figures are revealed as the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) reported [...]
According to housing intelligence group, Hometrack, house prices in England and Wales fell for the seventh consecutive month in January. According to Hometrack, house prices fell by 0.5% on the month to £153,600. On an annual basis meanwhile, house prices were 2.2% lower in January. Hometrack believes that house prices will continue to fall, in [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has today indicated house prices could fall by around 2% in the next 12 months. However, the Institution highlights that the fall could be much more severe if the Government’s austerity measures hamper the economic recovery. Many reports have pointed to a cooling housing market with continuous falls [...]
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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