Accountancy firm BDO has warned Britain’s retailers should prepare themselves for some tough times as pressure builds on consumers in the run-up to Christmas. According to the firm’s High Street Sales Tracker, sales figures for August fell 2.2% among mid-market retailers, attributed to the riots and cooler weather during the month. The riots, in particular, [...]
According to research from helpline charity, the Samaritans, 30% of people said 2010 had been one of the worst years ever – up from 24% who felt the same way about 2009. The annual survey of the nation’s happiness revealed the most common worries over the last 12 months were money, relationships, job security, domestic [...]
Recovery and restructuring company, Begbies Traynor, is forecasting a difficult time for businesses next year. Its report titled ‘Red Flag Alert’ is a monitor of early warning signs of company distress and its latest report reveals that during the July to September 2009 period, 134,000 businesses still showed “material signs of distress” with the engineering [...]
According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the worst of the recession may be over for Britain. The OECD has gathered its evidence by measuring a range of statistics, including trends in stock markets and business surveys. The influential think tank said while output is still shrinking, there have been some green [...]
The CBI said today that the worst of the recession is over since it took a deeper grasp than expected in the first quarter of 2009. However, the expectation is that the economy will slow more gently in the second part of the year. The group was keen to stress that despite the worst being [...]
The world’s second largest economy has suffered its worst ever decline in 35 years the Cabinet Office said in Tokyo today. In the period October to December, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 3.3% – the third consecutive quarter in which GDP declined. In comparison, the euro zone suffered a 1.5% decline while the US, which [...]
With the global financial crisis and countries entering recession, it’s no wonder world stock markets have suffered their worst year on record. In London, the FTSE closed yesterday at 4,434 points, at the same point in 2007, it closed at 6,457. The annual decline was the worst since the FTSE was established in 1984. In [...]
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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