UK regions lift European real estate prices April 7, 2015 European commercial property prices grew by a record 7.8 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, fuelled by the ongoing recovery in the UK’s regional property markets. Figures out yesterday by property adviser DTZ show that prices rose by 20 per cent for the year overall thanks to a record last quarter, when [...]
Half of British men do nothing for charity, says new report April 7, 2015 Almost half of British men do not contribute anything to help charitable causes, according to new research from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). 48 per cent of men don't engage in volunteering, donating or sponsoring in a typical month. The figure differs radically for women, with 63 per cent engaging in some sort of charitable [...]
UK services sector activity surges as PMI jumps in March April 7, 2015 Activity in the UK's services sector surged in March, new data suggests: Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 58.9 in March, its highest in seven months. Not only was the figure a sharp rise on the previous month's reading of 56.7, it was also way above the 57 analysts were expecting. Any figure above 50 [...]
Stamp duty and mansion taxes: Which taxes apply to you? April 7, 2015 Money is tight in Whitehall. Both Labour and the Conservatives are promising to cut the deficit to varying degrees if they win the General Election. And Westminster is surrounded by some of the most valuable real estate in the world. House prices in London have boomed since 2013, so an obvious solution presents [...]
UK House prices: Generation rent downbeat on buying outlook April 6, 2015 A generation of Britons still fear that they will never be able to buy a home despite the number of first-time buyers reaching a seven-year high in 2014, a survey reveals today. Some 79 per cent of 20- to 45-year-olds believe banks do not want to lend to first-time buyers, while 21 per cent think [...]
Greece bailout: Future looks brighter for struggling economy as Yanis Varoufakis says he’ll meet all obligations to creditor nations April 6, 2015 Greece's economic situation is on the brink of improving slightly, as long as finance minister Yanis Varoufakis sticks to his word. Yesterday, he told the troubled country's creditor nations that Greece intends to “meet all obligations”, and that includes a €450m (£332m) loan repayment due to be made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on [...]
TV leaders’ debate: Rise of smaller parties “unnerving development for the markets” April 3, 2015 The strong showing from the smaller parties in last night's leaders' debate could add to market jitters over the unpredictable result of the General Election. Markets could become increasingly anxious as the polls continue to indicate there will be no clear winner come polling day. Nick Beecroft, senior market analyst at Saxo Bank, explaining the consequences of [...]
Living close to Waitrose could boost your house price by 12pc April 3, 2015 Premium properties within easy reach of a Waitrose can command a 12 per cent (£38,831) higher price than similar properties in other areas. According to research from Lloyds Bank, houses close to supermarkets enjoy, on average, a seven per cent higher price than other properties in the same town. Lloyds compared the average house prices [...]
EU immigrants contribute £463 per second to the UK economy April 2, 2015 European immigrants generate a whopping £463 per second in revenue for the exchequer, according to a new report commissioned by Rapid Formations. Once the costs of government spending on immigrants are taken into account, migrants generate a net benefit to the economy of £55 per second. The study comes as the General Election gets into [...]
UK construction growth slows more than expected ahead of General Election but outlook is most positive in nine years April 2, 2015 The UK construction sector has disappointed, with official figures showing growth has slowed more than expected in the run-up to May's General Election. The latest data from Markit's purchasing managers index survey came in at 57.8 in March. Although that's still way above the 50 mark which denotes growth, it's significantly down from 60.1 in [...]