Eurogroup of finance ministers confirms it will grant a three-year bailout loan to Greece as European Central Bank hikes bank liquidity assistance July 16, 2015 The Eurogroup of finance ministers today confirmed it will grant Greece a three-year bailout loan – just as European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi confirmed it will increase the amount of liquidty assistance available to banks by €900m in one week. At a press conference today, Draghi said the approval of bridge financing, plus [...]
Europe still has a problem with low inflation July 16, 2015 While consumers may be happy to see prices rising more slowly, central bankers and politicians around Europe are a little more nervous about how they are are behaving across the European Union and Eurozone. The European Union experienced annual inflation of just 0.1 per cent in June and the Eurozone only did marginally better with [...]
Entrepreneurs beware: The Entrepreneurs Networks parliamentary snapshot reveals just how little MPs know about EIS, SEIS and other startup policies July 16, 2015 How much do MPs know about the real business world? A new survey suggests it might be even less than you think (and we're assuming you had pretty low expectations already). The Entrepreneurs Network's annual parliamentary snapshot has exposed a “worrying lack of knowledge” about existing policies that are designed to support entrepreneurs. [...]
Mortgage lending up by 29 per cent in June as political uncertainty ends July 16, 2015 The amount of money lent to UK home buyers in June showed a significant rise compared to May as political uncertainties waned, according to new figures Read more: UK house price growth slows to lowest rate in over a year Gross mortgage lending rose 29 per cent compared with May, climbing to an estimated £20.5bn, according [...]
German finance minister Wolfgang Shaeuble on Grexit: Perhaps temporary exit from the Eurozone would be better for Greece July 16, 2015 Never one to mince his words, German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has suggested that, despite the Greek parliament's overwhelming support for its creditors' reform proposals, a "temporary Grexit" might be a better option. Read more: IMF slams Greece deal This morning Schaeuble told Deutschlandfunkradio that "perhaps [Grexit] would be the better way for Greece". Given [...]
Markets rise on Greece hopes – but euro falls to eight year low against sterling July 16, 2015 If you're off to soak up some rays in one of Europe's sunnier climates this summer, get euros now: the currency dipped to just over 69p against the pound this morning, its lowest in eight years. Meanwhile, the currency dipped below $1.09 against the dollar for the first time since March. That's largely thanks to [...]
Moody’s sounds alarm over rising UK credit card debt leaving consumers unprepared for interest rate rises July 16, 2015 Credit ratings agency Moody's has sounded the alarm over the rising level of UK consumer debt saying it leaves borrowers increasingly vulnerable to economic shocks. The new report on the risk of rising consumer debt in the UK, found unsecured lending such as credit cards and personal loans jumped to nearly seven per cent year-on-year [...]
Central bankers scent interest rate hikes: Federal Reserve prepares for rise with UK expected to follow later July 15, 2015 An unprecedented era of easy money, seen on both sides of the Atlantic since 2008, could be over by the end of the year, with the Federal Reserve preparing to hike rates and some analysts expecting the UK to follow suit in subsequent months. “If the economy evolves as we expect, economic conditions likely [...]
Electricity bills set to climb this winter as National Grid increases capacity to avert blackouts July 15, 2015 Electricity bills are set to rise, after National Grid was forced to fork out £36m to guard against possible power outages across the UK this winter. The company, which manages the UK’s power transmission network, has bought 2.56 gigawatts of extra power, after power station closures left the country at risk of blackouts. Before [...]
Npower, EDF Energy, E.On UK, Scottish Power and SSE to follow British Gas price cuts July 15, 2015 Analysts forecast last night that Britain’s remaining big five energy groups will quickly follow British Gas and cut gas prices for a further 28m households. British Gas, owned by Centrica, yesterday cut gas bills by five per cent – the second reduction in six months. The cut will come into effect for its [...]