US consumer confidence remained weak in September, the Conference Board has reported. The closely-monitored Consumer Confidence Index from the Conference Board edged higher to 45.4 this month from August’s upwardly revised reading of 45.2. However, not only was the reading less than forecasts of a level of 46.6, it was the lowest since April 2009 [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK retail sales fell by 0.2% in August after riots earlier in the month affected trade. The fall followed slower growth in the previous two months after sales rose just 0.2% in July and 0.8% in June. In the meantime, food sales were also down – [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK unemployment rose sharply in the three months to July – the biggest rise in almost two years. The ONS said unemployment rose by 80,000 in the three month period to 2.51 million – far higher than the 70,000 expected by economists. The latest figures take [...]
The Commerce Department has revealed US exports hit an all-time high in July, while imports fell. According to official figures, exports surged 3.8% to $178 billion (£111 billion) after two months of declines. The rise in exports was attributed to strong overseas sales of manufactured goods, particularly to countries in Central and South America. Meanwhile, [...]
The latest Beige Book report, published by the Federal Reserve today, has revealed widespread signs that US economic growth continues to slow. The Fed said: “Economic activity continued to expand at a modest pace, though some districts noted mixed or weakening activity.” The economic recovery of the US remains sluggish in the face of higher [...]
According to the Labor Department, the world’s largest economy added no new jobs last month, which was a surprise after markets had expected 70,000 new jobs. This represented the first time since 1945 that there has been a zero payrolls figure after 17,000 jobs were added in the private sector last month but these were [...]
There have been fears of late that the US economy could fall back into recession this year but the Obama administration does not envisage this and is predicting growth of 1.7% this year – albeit 1% less than its forecast earlier this year. Official data from the Commerce Department show the economy grew by just [...]
Brazil’s central bank has cut the country’s key interest rate to 12% from 12.5% – a move which surprised economists. However, the bank said there had been a “substantial deterioration” in the outlook for the global economy and that was its reason for the rate cut. One analyst said the rate cut is a “huge [...]
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today revised its growth prospects for the UK economy. The lobby group is now forecasting growth of just 1.1% this year, down from its 1.3% forecast in June and much lower than the 1.9% it estimated at the start of the year. Meanwhile, it is expecting growth of [...]
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas fell in June on an annual basis, by 4.5% – albeit slower than the 4.6% drop in May. The figure was slightly better than the 4.6% decline expected by the market. The US housing market has remained subdued for some time now and many have [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK unemployment rose in the three months to June. The ONS said unemployment rose by 38,000 in the three month period to 2.49 million. The latest figures take the unemployment rate from 7.7% to 7.9%. Economists had expected the rate to stay flat at 7.7% Meanwhile, [...]
Figures today revealed Australia’s unemployment rate jumped to 5.1% in July – the highest rate since November 2010. The latest figures suggest the economy is struggling after being hit by flood and cyclone disasters earlier this year. Australia, dubbed the “wonder from Down Under”, is one of the few developed economies not to have fallen [...]
The Labor Department has revealed the unemployment rate in the US dipped in July to 9.1%, down from 9.2% in June. The world’s largest economy created 117,000 jobs last month – much better than forecasts. Analysts had been expecting an increase of 85,000, while the unemployment rate was expected to remain at 9.2%. Manufacturing, retail, [...]
The latest Beige Book report, published by the Federal Reserve, has revealed widespread signs that US economic growth is slowing. The Fed said: “Economic activity continued to grow; however, the pace has moderated in many districts.” The economic recovery of the US remains sluggish in the face of higher unemployment and a depressed housing market, [...]
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has today provided an assessment for the UK economy. It has revised its growth forecasts to 1.4% for the 2011 year, down from its previous estimate of 1.6%. The estimate is roughly in line with other forecasts after the International Monetary Fund recently said the UK economy [...]
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today revealed UK unemployment fell further in the three months to May. The ONS said unemployment fell by 26,000 in the three month period to 2.45 million. The latest figures means the unemployment rate remained flat at 7.7%. However, the number of Britons claiming jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) surged [...]
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has today revealed the unemployment rate in the US rose in June to 9.2% from 9.1% in May. According to the Bureau, the number of new jobs created in the world’s largest economy last month represented the lowest in 9 months. The economy created just 18,000 jobs in June – [...]
Retail sales in the 17-member euro zone fell in May as consumers cut back on spending in the face of higher inflation and rising unemployment. According to the European Union’s statistics, Eurostat, sales in the euro zone fell 1.1% in May on a monthly basis – the biggest fall since April 2010 – with the [...]
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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