Japan’s industrial output recovered further last month after a record drop in March due to the earthquake and tsunami. Disruptions caused by the twin disasters resulted in carmakers being forced to halt production as a result of parts shortages. However, it looks as if the situation is improving for manufacturers after output rose at a [...]
Japanese carmakers have been hit as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in March. Figures today revealed Toyota, the world’s largest carmaker, said production plunged 74.5% in April on an annual basis. Meanwhile Honda’s output fell 81% on an annual basis, while Nissan suffered a 48.7% fall as they were forced halt production as [...]
Wall Street’s main Dow Jones index closed up 2.3% yesterday at 10,250 after good news boosted investor confidence. The pending home sales index and demand for cars boosted stocks in the world’s largest economy. “A positive housing report and better-than-expected auto sales are giving the stock market a lift,” according to Wells Fargo senior equity [...]
Struggling Japanese carmaker Toyota is to suspend production at plants in France and Britain for two weeks from Monday amid safety recall problems. The carmaker has been suffering amid major safety fears and has recalled almost 9 million vehicles over concerns about accelerator pedals and brake systems. The problems have been blamed for almost 60 [...]
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association has today revealed registrations of new cars in Europe grew an annual 3.2% in February to 1,000,754 vehicles. However, a severe fall of 30% was noted in Germany as the country’s scrappage scheme expired, but the fall was offset by growth in Italy and the UK, which still have incentive [...]
Ford Motor company overtook its rivals last month by announcing sales surged 43% – outperforming its major rival, General Motors (GM). It also accelerated past Toyota, which has been suffering amid major recalls. Toyota has now recalled over 8 million cars over concerns about accelerator pedals and brake systems. Ford said US sales rose 43% [...]
The global economic downturn has resulted in a slump in demand for big-ticket items, such as cars and this is still the case for US carmakers after Chrysler reported a 48% decline in April sales compared with April 2008. Sales at Ford were down nearly 32% while General Motors (GM) sales were down 34%. The [...]
Official figures from the VDA have revealed that sales of new Germany cars rose by 22% compared with the same month in 2008 – the highest February sales for a decade. A total of 277,800 vehicles were sold in Germany during the month after a Government incentive scheme offered consumers €2,500 (£2,236) to scrap their [...]
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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