Today’s budget, which represents the tightest in 3 decades, is likely to bring painful tax hikes and harsh spending cuts. The tough measures are designed to deal with Britain’s record deficit of £155 billion and will be delivered today by Chancellor George Osborne at 1230 BST (1130 GMT). According to Mr Osborne, the massive spending [...]
Nearly half of UK consumers are failing to save any of their monthly income, research by Abbey found. Two in five Brits are not putting any money aside. However, those who are saving are managing to bank more cash than they were at the start of the year. The average amount saved has increased 26% [...]
Millions of Brits have made drastic cuts to their holiday budget this summer, new research has discovered. Santander Cards found that a quarter of Brits taking a well-earned break in the sun this year plan to reduce holiday spending. Eating out is the biggest target of cutbacks, with 54% of those reducing their budget planning [...]
Three quarters of Brits have settled for second best in at least one area of their life, research by Abbey Bank Accounts has discovered. Nearly half (47%) of those surveyed blamed the failure to pursue their dreams on money troubles. Around a third (30%) of Brits have forsaken their dream job, settling instead for a [...]
As the recession continues through the summer many British holidaymakers are choosing to stay in the UK rather than travel overseas. Research by insurance provider LV= found that Brits choosing UK holidays are planning to save an average £247 per person by ditching their trip abroad. A quarter of the working population will take their [...]
Recession hit Britons who have abandoned eating out have boosted Domino’s Pizza’s sales, with profits at the pizza delivery group rising 25% to £13.6 million. Fast food chains appear to be one of the few industries that are thriving during the recession with the nation’s enthusiasm for takeaways showing no signs of abating. Total sales, [...]
British holidaymakers are being misled into believing that a ‘commission free’ exchange means they are getting the best deal for their holiday money. Online currency provider FairFX said many Brits are unaware that the exchange rate is just as important as the commission fee in determining how much of a foreign currency they’re getting for [...]
Figures published by the Building Societies Association (BSA) revealed a record in net receipts for February after savers sought a safe haven for their cash. The BSA said net receipts into building societies were £1.6 billion in February 2009 - which represents an increase of 18% compared with February 2008. Brian Morris, Head of Savings [...]
Five million Brits plan to reduce outgoings by cutting back on insurance cover, LV= found in a recent survey. Most popular for cutbacks was home insurance. LV= discovered that 2.2 million households plan to reduce or cancel their home insurance policies to reduce spending. Flood risk insurance is the most likely to be cut, with [...]
UK consumers are planning to save more money this year to help them through the recession, internet bank smile.co.uk has revealed. Research by the online subsidiary of the Co-operative Bank found that Brits are planning to save 35% more in 2009 compared to last year. Brits are intending to save an average of £2,605 this [...]
Almost three quarters (73%) of UK consumers believe the benefits of saving have fallen over the last year, according to new research by the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Only 7% of those questioned felt the benefits of saving have increased, down from 15% when the survey was conducted three months earlier. Rebecca Driver, the [...]
A year has passed since the government replaced Child Trust Funds with Junior ISAs (JISAs) but more than half of parents are unaware that they exist, according to research by friendly society Family Investments Children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 were eligible to open a Child Trust Fund and to receive [...]
PPI costs increase for Lloyds and Barclays
Lloyds Banking Group has set aside a further £1 billion to cover compensation costs for customers who were mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI). Yesterday, Barclays revealed £700m of PPI costs in the 2012 third quarter increasing its total provision to £2bn. Lloyds Banking Group, which has made the largest PPI provision out of all the [...]
Bonfire Night worst day for burglaries warns Aviva
Insurance group Aviva is warning households to be vigilant over security at this time of the year, as burglaries tend to increase signficantly between Halloween and Bonfire Night. On Bonfire Night the number of burglaries increases by around 25 per cent compared with an average day, according to the company’s research. Aviva also reported a [...]
Consumer confidence hits six-month low
Although the UK has officially emerged from recession, consumer confidence fell to -30 in October from -28 in September, according to market researcher company GfK NOP. This is the lowest level of consumer confidence since April when the UK was in an economic slump. Analysts had expected the index to remain stable at -28. Respondents [...]
100,000 mortgage holders escape negative equity trap
New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) reveal that the number of borrowers in negative equity fell 13 per cent to 719,000 between the first quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The number of borrowers paying a mortgage greater than the value of their property fell despite a further small [...]
Banking commission appoints counsel to cross-examine witnesses
The Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards has appointed counsel to cross-examine witnesses during its inquiry into the collapse of Halifax Bank of Scotland. Barrister David Quest has been appointed to question witnesses in a public evidence session, as part of a sub-committee panel inquiry into the bank. Andrew Tyrie, chairman of the Commission said: “This [...]
Mortgage approvals increased in September
An increase in the number of mortgage approvals in September suggests that the ‘Funding for Lending’ scheme, launched by the Treasury and the Bank of England, may be starting to give the property market a boost. According to Bank of England figures, the number of loans approved for house purchase increased by 2,103 to 50,024 [...]
Five million paid less than living wage
Five million people in the UK are paid less than the ‘living wage’ of £7.20, or £8.30 in London, according to a new report by KPMG. In Northern Ireland, 24 per cent of workers receive less than they require in order to pay for essentials and the situation is little better in Wales where 23 [...]
Commission calls for radical change in housing market
A new study by the Future Homes Commission suggests that the way homes are built in the UK is dysfunctional and needs a radical overhaul. The organisation, which was established by the Royal Institute of British Architects, believes that 300,000 extra homes could be built every year without any input from Government funding. Instead, the [...]
The UK economy emerged from recession yesterday and now leads the way in Europe according to research group Capital Economics. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by one per cent in the third quarter from July to September, the biggest rise for five years, the latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show. [...]
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