The International Labour Organization (ILO) has warned that the world economy is heading towards a new jobs recession, which could trigger social unrest in some countries. The recent slowdown in the global economy is “dramatically” affecting labour markets and it is expected to take at least five years for employment in developed economies to return [...]
According to Spencer Dale, the Bank of England’s chief economist, UK inflation is set to accelerate due to soaring energy bills. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed UK Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rose to annual rate of 4.5% in August from July’s rate of 4.4% – more than double the [...]
The Independent Commission on Banking’s (ICB) final report has been published today and is recommending that UK banks should ring-fence their retail banking operations. According to the report, ring-fencing would protect banks from riskier investment banking divisions and would “make it easier and less costly to resolve banks that get into trouble”. The ICB, which [...]
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has warned that the riots will cause significant harm to British businesses as they count the costs of stolen and damaged goods. The weekend riots in London have already spread to other parts of the UK and the BRC warned that retailers of all sizes had suffered damage. Prime Minister [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned euro zone policymakers to take immediate action to prevent the debt crisis spreading outside Europe. The warning comes as Spain’s borrowing costs rose to a 9-year high today as fears continue to grow over the debt crisis in the euro zone. There are fears that Spain, which is [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging Italy to introduce austerity measures to lower the country’s debt. Its warning comes as there are fears that the euro zone’s third largest economy could be dragged into the euro zone’s debt crisis as it has the second highest sovereign debt ratio in the region. As a result, [...]
In its annual report, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has warned that global interest rates need to rise in order to tame inflation. The report also said low interest rates are a threat to world financial stability. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, central banks opted to slash interest rates in an effort [...]
Consumer group Which? has warned homeowners with SVR mortgages that they will be financially squeezed once interest rates are lifted. A Standard Variable Rate (SVR) is a mortgage in which the rate of interest is varied from time to time by the lender but it is usually set at about 2% above the Bank of [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned the Spanish Government to continue with its efforts of cutting public spending and reducing unemployment. Like many other Governments across the globe, Spain is taking steps to reduce the deficit but the IMF warned the economy still faces “considerable” risks. In an annual report, the Washington-based Fund said: [...]
The OECD’s chief economist, Pier Carlo Padoan, has warned that the UK may be forced to ease its pace of spending cuts if economic growth remains sluggish. Mr Padoan of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said if growth worsens, the Government may need to reconsider its plans for cutting the deficit. In the [...]
Vince Cable has spoken of how bad the British economy has been hit after the global financial crisis. According to the Business Secretary, the crisis and the recession has meant the country is poorer and it has been a “challenge” for the Government to explain what a bad state the economy is in. Speaking to [...]
Official figures have today revealed the 17-member euro zone economy grew by 0.8% in the January to March period – up from 0.3% in the previous quarter. Germany, which is the largest economy in Europe, grew by 1.5%, while France reported growth of 1%. Other good performers were Estonia, growing by a staggering 2.1% but [...]
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has today warned that the euro zone debt crisis could still spread, despite bailouts for Greece, Ireland and Portugal. A report by the IMF said: “Contagion to the core euro area, and then onwards to emerging Europe, remains a tangible downside risk.” There are already further fears for Greece after [...]
Accountancy firm BDO has joined many other leading business groups by suggesting a premature interest rate hike could derail the economic recovery. According to the latest Business Trends report, BDO said a rise in interest rates would strengthen the pound and therefore, reduce export competitiveness, having a negative impact on manufacturing. The manufacturing sector, which [...]
New Zealand Finance Minister Bill English has today warned last week’s earthquake in Christchurch will impact negatively on economic growth. Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Mr English, who is also deputy prime minister, said: “June-to-June could be close to zero growth.” The disaster, which occurred on 22 February, is believed to have taken more than [...]
Australia, which is one of the few developed economies not to have fallen into recession like its counterparts throughout the world, could see its economy contract in the January to March period. The warning came from Treasurer Wayne Swan after the country has been hit by flood and cyclone disasters, which has led to a [...]
Employers’ group, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has today warned about the implications of breaking up the country’s banks. Its warning comes as the Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) continues to look into the possibility of splitting up the big banks – a move which could increase competition and choice among high street banks. [...]
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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