UK house prices: The return of cheap housing finance? Chelsea Building Society unveils the first tracker mortgage to be launched with an interest rate lower than one per cent June 5, 2015 When the sub-prime mortgage bubble burst, everyone blamed cheap borrowing – but that clearly hasn't perturbed the Chelsea Building Society, which today unveiled the first ever tracker mortgage launched with an interest rate below one per cent. To be fair, housebuyers who want to borrow under the scheme need to meet pretty stringent restrictions, including [...]
HSBC to charge banks for euro deposits in response to low interest rates May 19, 2015 HSBC will soon be charging other banks that keep deposits with them, in response to the low-interest rate environment. Deposits of euros, Swiss Francs, Danish crowns and Swedish krona will be charged by Europe’s largest bank from August. But it will only affect banks, not other businesses or individuals. “HSBC charges banks for deposits they [...]
Mark Carney moves the goalposts again as interest rate hike seems way off – Bottom Line May 13, 2015 Unemployment is down, wages are up and inflation is forecast to rise too high in a couple of years. Surely it is time to raise interest rates, isn’t it? Not so, Mark Carney said yesterday. Borrowers may cheer, but it is a touch worrying that the governor seems keen to keep rates down for [...]
FTSE keeps rising as Bank of England holds interest rate at 0.5 per cent May 11, 2015 The FTSE 100 was the only European market to rise today, as investors continued to show their optimism at the outcome of the election and the Bank of England's decision to hold interest rates. By lunchtime, the FTSE was trading above 7,000 points for the second day in a row, 2.47 per cent up on [...]
As the Bank’s chief economist suggested, are interest rates as likely to fall as they are to rise? March 22, 2015 Adam Memon, head of economic research at the Centre for Policy Studies, says Yes. The Bank of England has kept interest rates at 0.5 per cent for six years; far longer than anyone imagined back in 2009. This extraordinary monetary stimulus has played an important role in the UK’s recovery. Nevertheless, the fact that the [...]
Interest rates could be slashed to zero to battle deflation March 19, 2015 BRITAIN’S record-low interest rates could fall even further, Bank of England policymaker Andy Haldane said yesterday, arguing that a shock rate cut could help boost inflation and growth. Rates have been held at 0.5 per cent for the past six years, with the authorities worried that cutting it further would devastate banks by crushing returns [...]
Andrew Haldane: Bank of England must “stand ready” to cut interest rates if outlook for deflation markedly worsens March 19, 2015 The Bank of England's chief economist has said it must "stands ready" to cut record-low interest rates further, if the risk of the economy falling into a prolonged period of deflation intensifies. "In my view, that means policy needs to stand ready to move off either foot in the period ahead to meet the symmetric [...]
Bank of England interest rate decision: MPC holds at record low for sixth year March 5, 2015 The Bank's monetary policy committee (MPC) voted not to touch interest rates for what's now the 72nd month. This means interest rates have been held at a record low 0.5 per cent for six years. If you're struggling to think back this far, this time in 2009, Sacha Baron Cohen's "Bruno" was gracing cinema screens. [...]
Six years of ultra-low interest rates: Where can you find income? March 3, 2015 Consider markets buoyed by QE, and remember that cash will be a lonely place for some time. It's an anniversary many UK savers will wish they never had to mark. Six years ago this month, the Bank of England cut interest rates to a record low of 0.5 per cent, as Britain grappled with the [...]
Bank of England minutes: MPC unanimously voted to hold interest rates February 18, 2015 The Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) voted unanimously to hold the interest rate at 0.5 per cent when it met last, despite hints it could be lowered in the next few months. Minutes of the MPC's meeting in early February showed the committee's hawks – Martin Weale and Ian McCafferty, who have both [...]