The London Stock Exchange (LSE) has launched a new website aimed at better addressing the needs of private investors and the retail community generally. The portal now includes: New data on International markets and share of trading. Daily news updates through live newsfeeds from Dow Jones and Digital Look. A personal finance news page that [...]
Stock markets in Asia were down today after Standard & Poor’s (S&P) cut Greece’s credit rating to BB+ from BBB- yesterday. Greece has become the first euro zone nation to have its debt downgraded to “junk” status. According to S&P, the downgrade comes amid worries that Greece is not able to take the necessary action [...]
The price of gold has ended its run of all-time highs after positive economic US data sent the dollar higher. On Friday, the Labor Department revealed that the US economy lost fewer jobs in November with the unemployment rate falling to 10% from a rate of 10.2% in October. Figures show that US employers cut [...]
Today the world’s largest economy received a boost after the Commerce Department revealed that the US economy shrank at a far slower rate in the second quarter than previous estimates showed. According to the Commerce Department, the US economy contracted by 0.7% between the April and June period rather than the 1% previously reported and [...]
US light crude hit $74.49 (£45) a barrel by afternoon in Europe today – after reaching $74.81, its highest intra-day price in ten months, on the back of increasing demand. Meanwhile, London’s Brent crude was 16 cents higher to $74.35 a barrel. This resulted in stock rising in BP, Royal Dutch Shell, BG Group and [...]
Positive economic news and hopes of a global recovery boosted the FTSE 100 again today after the index soared to a ten-month high and smashed through the 4,900 mark. The gains followed those seen in Asia earlier today, which were spurred on by Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke’s comments last Friday. Mr Bernanke’s comments came [...]
Following Chancellor Alistair Darling’s grave assessment of the British economy, the pound has fallen to a record low against the euro and also fell against the dollar. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Chancellor Alistair Darling said the UK is facing the worst economic downturn in 60 years and it will be ‘profound and [...]
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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