The mortgage ‘moron premium’ and why home loans may get (slightly) cheaper despite an expected hike in interest rates January 28, 2023 The Bank of England is expected to increase interest rates next month, making borrowing more expensive for both businesses and individuals. Although the rate decides how much businesses and individuals pay to borrow money, mortgage experts believe that the cost of home loans may actually come down, because the derivatives used by mortgage lenders have [...]
Competition watchdog is asked to step in over pricing spat between Wise and Atlantic Money January 27, 2023 Money transfer firm Wise has been reported to the competition watchdog after removing one of its smaller, cheaper competitors from its price comparison tools. London-listed Wise, which offers its own comparison tool as well as a number of others on external sites, has removed or delisted any mention of Atlantic Money’s cheaper service, in a [...]
A Russian billionaire, the Dyson family, Gym Shark founder and Sting are among 100 of the richest Brits who paid nearly £5.2bn in tax during 2022 January 27, 2023 A Moscow-born billionaire is the UK’s top tax payer, paying more than £487m in just 12 months, according to the Sunday Times’ annual tax list. Alex Gerko, boosted the Treasury’s coffers by more than £1.3m a day or £55,639 an hour during 2023. Gerko, who became a British citizen and renounced his Russian citizenship late last [...]
Borrowers warned of rise in ‘advance fees’ scams with over £700 lost on average and Londoners more likely to fall victim – Lloyds Bank January 24, 2023 The rising cost of living has lead to 82 per cent increase in financial scams that target victims by charging fees for products and services that do not materialise, according to Lloyds bank. Victims lost £711 on average, and although the amount lost is lower than £1,194 recorded the previous year, the bank said fraudsters [...]
Self assessment: It’s that time of the year (again), but filling in your tax return is nothing to be scared of January 20, 2023 The self-assessment tax return deadline is almost here, and many people have yet to file theirs, so City A.M has asked Jenny Holt, managing director of customer savings and investments at Standard Life, for some advice. First things first though, the deadline for filing self-assessment tax returns is 31 January, with returns needing to be [...]
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 [...]