A survey from BDO, published today, has revealed a fall in business confidence, while a separate survey has revealed employers plan to axe jobs in the third quarter. According to the Business Trends optimism index from accountants BDO, business confidence fell to 95.1 in July from 95.6 the previous month – the lowest level for [...]
Manufacturing activity in China eased last month, two separate surveys have revealed today. Firstly, the official China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said its purchasing managers index (PMI) dipped to 52 in May from 52.9 in April. While the reading was better than expectations of 51.6, it represented the lowest for nine months. Secondly, [...]
Manufacturing activity in China slowed in December, two separate surveys have revealed. Firstly, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) said its purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 53.9 in December, from 55.2 the previous month. It was the first time in five months that the index had fallen. However, the index remains above [...]
Manufacturing activity in China continued to improve in October, two separate surveys showed today. Firstly, a survey released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) showed the manufacturing activity index rose to 54.7 in October from 53.8 in September. The reading beat forecasts of a level of 52.9. A separate survey from HSBC [...]
Manufacturing activity in China improved in September, two separate surveys showed today. Firstly, the HSBC China Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) edged higher to 52.9 in September, from 51.9 in August, due to growth in production and new orders. In the meantime, a separate survey released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) [...]
There is further evidence today that China’s economy is cooling after two official independent surveys revealed a slowdown in manufacturing activity. Firstly, the HSBC China Manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI), fell to 49.4 in July from 50.4 in June. As a result, manufacturing contracted for the first time in 16 months as any reading below [...]
Surveys by the Chinese Government and HSBC have today revealed China’s manufacturing activity continued to grow in February, albeit at a slower pace. The HSBC China Manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) dipped to 55.8 in February from 57.4 the previous month. However, a reading above the crucial 50 mark means the sector is expanding. In [...]
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 [...]
A survey by pension advisers MGM Advantage has revealed that around 35% of people over 55 who are still working said they would put off plans to retire. Meanwhile, a further 23% of people in this age group are expecting to work past the state pension age of 65, while a third (32%) confessed to [...]
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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