Low interest rates are crippling savers May 13, 2009 SO the Bank of England agrees that the recession has bottomed out – but it is refusing to be too optimistic about the recovery, and expects interest rates to remain at 0.5 per cent for a year or so. All very sensible; but this only tells part of the story for borrowers and savers. As [...]
Money supply is starting to grow again June 2, 2009 FOR all the much-deserved carnage in Westminster yesterday, the economy is gradually recovering. This doesn’t mean we will enjoy a V-shaped bounce-back: growth, when it returns, will have to contend with massive fiscal tightening to tackle the exploding budget deficit; interest rates will also have to go up, dealing the convalescing housing market a second [...]
The Hex Files May 28, 2009 DRAG ME TO HELLCert: 15 BACK in the mists of time – or the early Eighties – Sam Raimi invigorated the schlock horror genre with the first Evil Dead movies, before moving on to hit pay-dirt with Spiderman. At the moment, fifteenth-rate horror films are 10-a-penny, the genre disappearing up its own, highly ironic backside. [...]
The Hex Files May 28, 2009 DRAG ME TO HELLCert: 15 BACK in the mists of time – or the early Eighties – Sam Raimi invigorated the schlock horror genre with the first Evil Dead movies, before moving on to hit pay-dirt with Spiderman. At the moment, fifteenth-rate horror films are 10-a-penny, the genre disappearing up its own, highly ironic backside. [...]
Sterling’s long decline comes to an end May 27, 2009 IT may seem strange given the dire state of Britain’s public finances but sterling is starting to regain some of its strength, especially against the dollar. Yesterday the pound rose above $1.60 for the first time in seven months, boosted by better services sector sentiment and mortgage approvals. Sterling is now trading well above its [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 31, 2009 THE SUNDAYSTHE SUNDAY TIMES SKY SAYS NO TO SETANTASports organisations including the Scottish Premier League may be forced to stomach deeper-than-expected cuts to their TV income after shareholders in Setanta failed to stump up enough cash to keep the broadcaster alive. Setanta’s financial position was so parlous this weekend that it asked arch-rival BSkyB for [...]
REALITY CHECK AS UK DEFICIT SOARS May 21, 2009 TENTATIVE signs of a recovery in the UK economy were dramatically overshadowed yesterday when credit ratings agency S&P downgraded its outlook on UK debt and the scale of the crisis in the public finances was laid bare. S&P lowered its outlook on the UK’s prized AAA credit rating to “negative” from “stable”, giving a one [...]
Q&A: SALES May 21, 2009 Q. Dear Russell, I’ve put an offer in on a property that I really like but so has another party. The vendor has said that he wants to do a contract race in order to decide. What does that mean?A. A contract race is very much first-past-the-post – basically the first party to have read [...]
US mortgage agencies are nationalised September 8, 2008 The US government took control of twin mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac yesterday as it unveiled a series of measures designed to rescue the beleaguered US housing market. Treasury secretary Henry Paulson said the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) would place Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under “conservatorship” to prevent the collapse of [...]
See yourself as a brand to get ahead in today’s City June 10, 2009 AT a time when so many people in the City are looking for a job, the important thing is to stand out from the crowd. As a headhunter, I often help clients and candidates to market themselves. The best way to do this is to build a personal brand. But how do you do this? [...]