Davos: Energy prices will remain above pre-Covid levels but they will be less volatile says Equinor boss January 16, 2023 The boss of one of one of the world’s largest energy companies has warned that high energy prices are here to stay. Anders Opedal, CEO of Equinor – which is bigger than BP, made his comments ahead of the Davos World Economic Forum conference in Switzerland. Opedal, who was speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today [...]
First-time buyers spend 39 per cent of take home pay on a mortgage – Nationwide January 13, 2023 Homes for first-time buyers are at their most expensive as a proportion of take-home pay since the financial crisis. The proportion of monthly income that first-time buyers are having to put towards mortgage repayments is returning to levels last seen in the 2008 financial crisis, according to Nationwide. Nationwide, the UK’s third largest lender has [...]
Why your ‘smart’ TV will only last two years – Which? January 13, 2023 “Smart” appliances such as TVs and washing machines risk losing features and functionality after as little as two years because manufacturers are not providing vital updates, a consumer group has warned. Which? said its research found that smart devices including dishwashers and inkjet printers, which might be expected to last more than a decade, could [...]
Staggering £25bn down the drain as 9 in 10 Brits plan to cut back in 2023 January 12, 2023 Close to £25bn-worth of discretionary outgoings in the “cut-back economy” may be lost this year as close to nine in 10 people plan to reduce their spending over the year ahead. More than a third of UK households are “financially distressed” and plan to cut back across most, if not all, of their non-essential spending, [...]
NatWest helps firms and customers concerned with ‘cutting back on food and groceries’ January 11, 2023 NatWest has announced new measures to help squeezed businesses and customers in debt after noticed people are cutting back on food and fuel amid decades-high inflation. The banking giant, which was majority owned by the UK Government until last March, said it was extending the repayment period for customers who have missed several payments on [...]
Inheritance tax: London property nets HMRC £820,000 in death duties on average, double other regions’ intake January 9, 2023 Property makes up half the wealth of estates in London paying inheritance tax (IHT) – around twice as much as most other regions, according to a retirement specialist. An HMRC Freedom of Information (FOI) request from retirement specialist Just Group revealed that in 2019-20, the latest financial year of available data, property accounted for 50 per cent [...]
‘Divorce Day’: Why cash-strapped couples are looking at putting off their split amid money woes January 9, 2023 Over a third of married couples who had been considering a divorce are now opting to stay in their relationship because of the cost-of-living crisis, according to a survey. The first working Monday of the new year has been dubbed ‘Divorce Day’ by lawyers, but many couples are thinking twice before splitting from their partner [...]
London house prices grow in December with UK homes falling, but 2023 set to bring good news for property owners January 6, 2023 London’s average property price grew by almost 3 per cent, while the average UK home fell 1.5 per cent between November and December 2022. The average property actually rose two per cent when compared with the same month in 2021, according to the latest Halifax house price data, while annual rate of house price growth [...]
Britain’s 1.6m temp workers risk missing out on close to £100m in unclaimed holiday pay January 5, 2023 Amid a 40-year inflation high, soaring energy bills and rising mortgage payments, Britain’s 1.6m temporary workers have been urged to claim an estimated £97m worth of unclaimed holiday pay from employment agencies and umbrella companies engaging them. The urgent call comes from a support group for independent workers, IWORK, that has brought to light that many of the UK’s flexible workforce are [...]
Families facing ‘groundhog year’ in 2023 as living standards to be squeezed December 30, 2022 Families are facing a “groundhog year” as further squeezes on living standards take place in 2023, a think-tank has warned. While the year ahead may offer economic policymakers some relief, with signs inflation will ease and interest rates peak lower than feared, family finances face a repeat of 2022’s squeeze as the cost-of-living crisis deepens, [...]