Inflation might be the only cure for our bubbly housing market June 8, 2021 House prices in the UK (and many other parts of the world) are soaring, squeezing affordability yet further. Rising inflation looks like the most obvious candidate to prick this bubble. House prices in the UK rose by 10.9% in the year to May. That’s the most rapid growth seen in almost seven years, according to [...]
MiCA: A ‘beta version’ of crypto-assets regulation in the EU June 8, 2021 Alexander Prognimak, CFA from the CFA UK Future of Money Working Group, looks at European Union plans for crypto-assets. Gone are the days when London’s famous red buses would be carrying adverts promoting the dream of a shiny post-Brexit future for the NHS. As one ad (that has attracted the advertising regulator’s attention) read: ‘If [...]
First-time buyers: London’s most affordable and up and coming areas June 7, 2021 The property market has boomed over the past year, thanks to the stamp duty holiday which has given a lot of first-time buyers the opportunity to get their foot on the property ladder. Coupled with the introduction of the new government backed 5 per cent deposit scheme, designed to help home buyers, the market is [...]
Housebuilder stocks soar as property prices climb another £3,000 to new record high June 7, 2021 House prices in the UK rose again last month by around £3,000, bringing the average property price up to a record high of £261,743. May’s 1.3 per cent price increase means the average home in the UK has increased by more than £22,000 – or 9.5 per cent – in the last 12 months, according [...]
First-time buyers offered new homes at up to half price under government scheme June 5, 2021 First-time buyers in England will be able to apply for a discount of up to 50 per cent on a new build home under a government project launched today. The First Homes scheme will help people onto the property ladder, which experts believe could spark a scramble for properties and further bolster the house price [...]
Lenders hand out most mortgages to first-time buyers in nearly 20 years June 3, 2021 Banks and building societies handed out more mortgages to first-time buyers in March than any time since 2002. Across the UK, 42,330 mortgages were issued to first-time buyers in March, marking the highest monthly total since December 2002 when 44,000 were advanced, according to trade association UK Finance. Many people who would have taken their [...]
0.99 per cent mortgages hit the market as battle for home buyers heats up June 1, 2021 Competition in the mortgage market is heating up with the launch of new 0.99 per cent rate deals. Nationwide Building Society will launch a 0.99 per cent mortgage on Wednesday for home owners looking to remortgage. The two-year fixed-rate deal will be available for borrowers with a hefty 40 per cent deposit and also has [...]
Car production bounces back on 12-month anniversary of factory shutdowns May 27, 2021 UK car production returned to near normality in April compared to the same month a year before as automakers continued to struggle with the shortage of semiconductor chips. Britain made 68,306 cars last month, up from 197 a year ago when factories were shuttered due to the initial Covid-19 lockdown. Compared to April 2019, the [...]
Vaccines opened up for all over-30s as Government eyes end of social distancing May 26, 2021 Britain is on track for a “big” fortnight of vaccinations as the Government opens up appointments to 30 and 31 year olds today, raising hopes social distancing restrictions are on track to end next month. Nearly three-quarters of adults in the UK have already had one dose and more than two-fifths have had two. The [...]
First-time buyers: Top 10 cheapest London boroughs to save for a house deposit whilst living at home May 26, 2021 As many as 1.25m couples live with their parents, with a fourth admitting they made the tough decision to move home in order to save for a house deposit. Less than a third of parents charge their child and partner rent, making the move back to the family home the perfect money-saving option for couples [...]