Rescued banks are not out of the woods yet: New FCA rules to improve account transparency for customers July 23, 2015 The City watchdog put more pressure on the financial sector yesterday with new rules that could see banks and building societies named and shamed for paying poor interest rates to longstanding customers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that from next year, firms will have to provide clear information on how much interest savers are paid [...]
UK tills emptier despite purchases rising in June as shoppers enjoy falling prices July 23, 2015 Brits spent less money in shops in June as retail sales struggle to gain momentum, a new set of data shows. The amount of money spent dropped 0.1 per cent from May to June, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday. In the three months to the end of June, the [...]
US unemployment claims just hit their lowest point since 1973 July 23, 2015 The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits just dropped to its lowest level since the seventies, suggesting the economy is continuing to warm up. Jobless claims fell by 26,000 last week, down to 255,000, and this bullish picture comes on the tails of a report showing that the number of US jobs posted in [...]
The Financial Conduct Authority is going to help savers by making it easier for them to switch accounts July 23, 2015 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Britain’s financial regulator, has announced plans to introduce new measures to help customers switch cash savings accounts, following a review of competition in the industry. Read more: This chart shows how many current account switchers Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest have lost The regulator is proposing new rules which will make [...]
Strongest UK car production in seven years July 22, 2015 UK car makers are racing ahead this year, with sales to confident Brits steering production to a seven-year high. The number of cars rolling out of British factories jumped 5.4 per cent in June to 143,759, according to figures published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). So far this year, Britain [...]
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras fights to keep bailout deal on track July 22, 2015 Greece’s banks received a new cash injection from the European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday, ahead of a crucial vote on a third bailout for the country. The ECB’s governing council raised the cap on emergency assistance for the country’s fragile banking system by €900m (£630m), as Greek politicians debated ahead of voting on a second [...]
Interest rates could take off early as policy makers change tone: Will 2015 see the first hike since 2007? July 22, 2015 In April this year, Mark Carney became the first Bank of England governor to see deflation in Britain since Lord Cameron Fromanteel Cobbold experienced a bout of falling prices in 1960. But despite inflation undershooting its two per cent target by such a wide margin, Carney is preparing markets for a rate hike this [...]
Cost of London office space set to soar amid supply shortages July 22, 2015 Office space is in short supply, putting upward pressure on prices, a new survey of property surveyors reveals today. In central London, 60 per cent more surveyors are seeing a rise rather than fall in demand across all areas, the research undertaken by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said. As a [...]
Commodities plunge to 13 year-low dragged down by mining shares July 22, 2015 Commodity prices continue to plunge, as falling mining shares dragged a commodity index down to its lowest point since 2002. Bloomberg’s commodity price index, tracking gold, crude oil and other raw materials, has plunged by 40 per cent since 2011. Today the index fell to 95.5 points, its lowest point in 13 years. Mining shares [...]
Institute of Directors: Bank of England must raise interest rates now or risk being defenceless during the next crisis July 22, 2015 The Institute of Directors (IoD) has urged the Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) to start raising the interest rate "now" or risk being "defenceless" when the next financial crisis comes. Read more: Pound jumps as Bank of England moves closer to rate hike In a statement released after yet another decision to hold rates [...]