Q&A: US FINANCIAL REFORM UNTANGLED June 27, 2010 Q. WHAT ARE THE ROOTS OF THE DODD-FRANK OVERHAUL? A. At the height of the financial crisis in 2008, US investment banks converted into holding companies so they could take emergency loans from the Federal Reserve, as well as taxpayer aid. Most of the capital distributed then has been repaid, but the public and politicians [...]
May mortgage lending rises June 23, 2010 MORTGAGE approvals rose in May to 36,709 to their highest level so far this year but they were still far below the 27-month high of 45,758 hit last December, fresh monthly data from the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) revealed yesterday. Net mortgage lending picked up to £2.6bn in May from a nine-year low of £1.8bn [...]
Choosing the right lender is crucial in a tough market June 3, 2010 HOUSES are selling like hotcakes thanks to fierce competition among buyers. The latest monthly survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) showed that houses are shifting quicker than new ones could come on to the market, despite the number of new sellers increasing. Even the dreaded gazumping is back. In such a market, [...]
Q&A: SELLING June 3, 2010 Russell Hunt MANAGING DIRECTOR, PROPERTY HUNT Q. Dear Russell, is it easier to get a mortgage now and what’s the best way for me to go about getting one? A.It is certainly still difficult for individuals to get a mortgage but lending is starting to pick up. However, mortgage lenders are tending to be more [...]
UK mortgage approvals rise June 2, 2010 British mortgage approvals rose slightly more than expected in April but net mortgage lending growth lagged, according to Bank of England data yesterday, suggesting a durable housing market recovery is still some way off. The Bank of England said mortgage approvals edged up to 49,871 in April from 49,008 in March and the highest since [...]
Mortgage lending in slim rise June 2, 2010 MORTGAGE approvals by a forecast-beating two per cent in April. The Bank of England said approvals edged up to 49,871 in April from 49,008 in March and the highest since December. However, net mortgage lending rose less than expected, up £490m in April from £168m in March and below forecasts for a rise of £700m. [...]
THE TIPSTER May 31, 2010 STERLING-US dollar has been well-supported of late on fears that Prudential’s planned purchase of AIA could collapse. A large currency hedge shorting cable was put in place some months ago when the deal was first agreed and if it falls over, the hedge will come off, sending sterling-US dollar higher. While highly speculative, traders should [...]
Bank lending weak from deleveraging May 26, 2010 MORTGAGE lending slumped in April to its lowest monthly level since February 2001 and the number of mortgage approvals only inched higher in what is typically a strong month for the housing market, fresh statistics from the British Bankers’ Association (BBA) showed yesterday. Banks’ net mortgage lending fell to £1.8bn in April compared with £2.3bn [...]
MORTGAGE APPROVALS INCH HIGHER May 4, 2010 DATA from the Bank of England showed that mortgage approvals only inched higher in March from February’s nine-month low. Approvals only amounted to 143,659 in the first quarter of 2010. But consumers are starting to demand credit, which rose for the fourth successive month after five months of net repayments.
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING April 28, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES GOLDMAN PRESSED FOR CDO LOSS SETTLEMENT Goldman Sachs is in talks over a potential settlement with an investor that claims that it lost money and went out of business after buying into a $1bn (€760,000) mortgage-backed security that was later privately criticised by a senior executive at the bank. Basis Yield Alpha Fund, [...]