A survey by the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF), the manufacturers’ trade body, has revealed manufacturing output eased at the start of 2011, however, firms are optimistic about this year‘s prospects. The survey revealed a balance of 25% of firms reported an increase in output in the first quarter, down from 33% in the previous quarter. [...]
A survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has provided some optimism for the UK economy but the business group warns of a drawn-out recovery. According to the CBI, its survey found business volumes stabilising across the services sector over the last three months. Meanwhile, the survey found that consumer services, which include hotels [...]
The Dow Jones Industrial Average broke through the 10,000 barrier yesterday – for the first time in a year. The Dow closed up 144.8 at 10,015.86 – its highest level since October last year. London responded with the FTSE 100 rising by more than 100 points to close at a 13-month high at 5,256.1. Banking [...]
A survey by online property website Zoopla.co.uk has found that more than three-quarters (79%) of homeowners believe home values will rise in the next six months, while only 11% are expecting house prices to fall over the same period. In its quarterly survey of housing market sentiment, Zoopla found that overall, the 6,682 homeowners surveyed [...]
The latest CBI Industrial Trends Survey has revealed optimism within the manufacturing sector. Figures show that 27% of the 560 companies polled said they would increase output over the next three months, while 32% predicted a fall. The balance of -5 points was the most optimistic in over a year and a nine-point improvement on [...]
The latest Marketing Trends Survey from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has revealed that financial marketers are cautiously optimistic about the UK economy. The survey, conducted for the CIM by Ipsos MORI, the independent market research organisation, found that the number of financial marketers who believe the UK economy will worsen in the next [...]
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has warned that it would be ‘premature’ to assume that house prices are on the road to recovery after figures from the Halifax house price index showed an average house price decrease of 1.9% during the month of March. Halifax’s figure countered statistics released by Nationwide, whose house [...]
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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