Figures today have revealed Ireland’s economy continued to see growth in the April to June period. According to the Central Statistics Office, the economy grew by a better than expected 1.6% in the three-month period and this follows a revised 1.9% growth rate in the first quarter. This represents the first time since 2006 that [...]
The Cabinet Office has today revealed the world’s third largest economy performed worse than originally thought in the April to June period. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 2.1% on an annual basis in the three-month period, compared with an initial estimate of 1.3%. The fall was attributed to a cut back on spending by [...]
The National Statistical Coordination Board has revealed the Philippine economy grew at an annual rate of 3.4% in the second quarter – slowing from an annual growth of 4.6% in the previous quarter. The expansion was less than the 4.4% expected by economists. Compared with the previous three months, the economy, which is South East [...]
Official figures have revealed a rise in consumer spending in the US for the month of July – boosted by an increase in car sales. According to the Commerce Department, sales rose by 0.8% in July compared with the previous month – the largest rise in five months and much better than the 0.5% gain [...]
According to the finance ministry, India’s economy expanded by 7.7% in the April to June period – much slower than the 8.8% growth in the same period a year earlier. It was the weakest growth in six quarters and was attributed to a slowdown in construction activity. Construction saw an increase of just 1.2% during [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed the UK economy grew by 0.2% in the April to June period – unchanged from a previous estimate published last month. A third and final estimate will be available next month. However, growth for the second quarter slowed from the 0.5% growth posted in the first quarter. [...]
Germany, which is the euro zone’s largest economy, has today reported slower growth for the second quarter. According to figures from Destatis, the German economy grew by just 0.1% in the April to June period – much less than the 0.5% expected by analysts. The figures will undoubtedly be a disappointment since Germany has been [...]
Japan’s economy performed better than in expected in the second quarter, suggesting the country is slowly recovering after the earthquake and tsunami, which struck in March. According to the Cabinet Office, the economy contracted by 0.3% in the April to June period – less than the 0.7% expected by analysts. On an annual basis, meanwhile, [...]
Figures published by the Insolvency Service have revealed personal insolvencies rose 1% in the April to June period. According to the Insolvency Service, there were 30,513 personal insolvencies in the three-month period – up from 30,162 in the three months to the end of March. While this is a slight rise, the total is actually [...]
The Commerce Department has today revealed the world’s largest economy grew by 1.3% on an annual basis in the April to June period. The figure was far short of expectations of a reading of 1.8%. However, today’s reading is the first estimate and could be revised up or down in the coming months. Meanwhile, first [...]
Credit Suisse, which is Switzerland’s largest bank, has today revealed it will axe 2,000 jobs after unveiling poor results in the second quarter. The job cuts represent approximately 4% of its 50,700-strong global workforce. The Swiss banking giant has been hit by weak trading activity and the strong Swiss franc. Net profits dived to SwFr [...]
The UK’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by only 0.2% in the second quarter of 2011, following an increase of 0.5% in the preceding three months. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) highlights special events that could have curbed growth, including the additional April bank holiday, the royal wedding and the after effects of [...]
US banking giant Citigroup reported a 24% rise in second quarter profits as losses were reduced from bad loans. The bank, which is in the third largest in the US, reported net income of $3.34 billion (£2.07 billion) in the three month period to the end of June. The results beat market forecasts and represented [...]
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have today revealed output in the UK’s closely-watched service sector dived in April. According to the ONS, service sector output contracted by 1.2% in April on a monthly basis – the biggest fall since January 2010 – when the country was hit by a severe snowfall. However, [...]
The Commerce Department has today revealed the US economy grew by an annualised 1.7% in the April to June period – slightly higher than the previous estimate of 1.6%. This figure is the third and final estimate for the second quarter and the upward revision was due to a higher rate of consumer spending, which [...]
Official figures have today revealed the Greek economy contracted more than originally anticipated in the April to June period. The economy, which is still in a deep recession, contracted by 1.8% in the second quarter – rather than the first estimate of 1.5%. The contraction was worse than expected and follows the 0.8% fall in [...]
Latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show the country’s GDP growing by 1.2% in the second quarter of 2010, compared with 0.7% in the previous three month period. The spurt, which was driven by a 1.6% increase in household expenditure and an increase in exports of 5.6%, puts economic growth at 3.3% for [...]
The Zew economic sentiment index has revealed German analyst and investor confidence plunged in August, new data has revealed today. The index, which measures expectations of economic activity over the next six months, fell from 21.2 in July to 14 in August – the lowest level since April last year and the fourth straight month [...]
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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