Spending on credit and debit cards increased 9.2% in March compared to March 2009, new figures from Barclaycard show. This continues a trend highlighted in February, when spending on plastic increased 7.1% on year. Compared to February, credit and debit card spending increased 18% in March for high street and online purchases. This is a [...]
Rightmove has reported that its initial statistics for 2010 show increases in both seller confidence and buyer interest. According to the property portal, sellers who have come to market so far in January are asking more for their properties “causing a big turnaround in figures that were on course for a third consecutive monthly fall”. [...]
For every property on the market there are five potential buyers looking to snatch it up, new research has discovered. A study by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) found estate agents had an average of 287 prospective buyers on their books in October. The average number of properties available at estate agents was [...]
Investment in ethical funds has recovered to pre-credit crunch levels, new research has discovered. During the third quarter, investments in ethical funds reached more than double the total of ethical investments in the same period last year. Net sales of ethical funds between July and September were £59 million, compared to £21 million in the [...]
The recession has made people think before they spend, according to financial advice site Moneynet.co.uk. Andrew Hagger, Moneynet.co.uk spokesperson, said since the credit crunch consumers are being smarter with their money. He made the comment after the Office for National Statistics revealed the household savings ratio increased to 5.6% in the second quarter of this [...]
Consumers are increasingly struggling to pay off debts, according to figures released this week by the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Debt enquiries to the Bureau increased 11% on year between April 2008 and March 2009, with the CAB advising 1.93 million people struggling to pay back debts. Redundancy enquiries during the same period soared by [...]
First time buyers are taking advantage of plummeting house prices, according to figures released this week by mortgage experts John Charcol. A fifth of mortgage applications during the first four months of 2009 came from first time buyers – an increase of 350% compared to the final four months of 2008. A significant proportion of [...]
House building figures for the three months to the end of September have been released by the Department of Communities and Local Government. The statistics show that new housing starts in England stood at an estimated 22,200, with the seasonally adjusted figure down 33% of the previous three months and 48% lower than a year [...]
Monthly residential property statistics published by the Government will not be appearing in August because errors have come to light. Under stamp duty requirements, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is advised of completed UK property transactions where values are £40,000 and above. The latest update on house sales was scheduled to be published on 21st [...]
The Department for Communities and Local Government has released statistics for housebuilding in England during the first quarter of 2008. New housing starts were down 21% on the final quarter of last year (to 32,100) and 24% below the level recorded in the first quarter of 2007. Meanwhile, housing completions for all dwellings in England [...]
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, [...]
About | Privacy | Disclaimer | Resources | XML Feeds | Press Releases | Directory | Contact us
