Don’t rely on downsizing to make up for your insufficient pension October 27, 2016 After years of runaway house prices, few will be surprised that a sizeable proportion of the UK’s net wealth is tied up in property. The latest ONS statistics show that dwellings make up a massive 62 per cent, or £5.5 trillion, of the country’s £8.8 trillion total. So it is also unsurprising that many see [...]
This government will be more radical on savings and pensions than you think October 27, 2016 For all her bold ambitions to reshape Britain’s economy in a more interventionist direction, Theresa May is unlikely to spend as much time on domestic matters as she might like. Brexit is said to be the most fiendishly complicated task Whitehall has had to undertake since the Second World War, touching nearly every area of [...]
How seven City analysts reacted to the surprise rise in UK GDP October 27, 2016 Scaremongers were once again proved wrong this morning, after it was revealed the UK's economy grew by 0.5 per cent in the third quarter of 2016. The figure, by the Office for National Statistics, was much higher than the 0.1 per cent analysts had expected. Here's how the City reacted: ps. Today marks the 30th anniversary [...]
Brexit, what Brexit? UK economy grows by 0.5 per cent – slower than the previous quarter but better than economists had expected October 27, 2016 GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.5 per cent in the third quarter of the year, in a sign the economy has – so far – shrugged off the effects of Brexit. The statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are the first to cover the full three months after the UK voted to leave the [...]
Time to remortgage? The rates on two-year fixed deals are very low, but watch out for additional fees October 27, 2016 Brexit has been kind to mortgage holders. As the Bank of England’s interest rate has come down, banks have been able to borrow more cheaply, allowing competition to increase and mortgage rates to fall. Borrowers have been quick to take advantage of the deals on offer; in August, the number of people remortgaging hit a [...]
New PRA boss says it’s full steam ahead for City red tape despite Brexit October 26, 2016 The new chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) will say this evening that it will push ahead with enforcing the next tranche of City red tape despite the recent Brexit vote. In a speech at the City Banquet at Mansion House, Sam Woods is expected to say it is "full steam ahead" as far as implementing [...]
Lloyds Banking Group shares recover as profits slide and it puts £1bn aside for PPI claims October 26, 2016 Lloyds shares recovered from a drop this morning, after the bank revealed profits tumbled during its third quarter – and it set more money aside to cover payment protection insurance (PPI) claims. The figures Statutory pre-tax profits dropped to £811m for the three months to September, down 15 per cent from £958m the year before. Net interest income also [...]
Get your dollars for next summer now: Sterling could fall further if hard Brexit continues October 26, 2016 The pound may have already fallen to a 31-year low against the dollar but there is a risk it could continue to drop if concerns over the government's plans for Brexit carry on. New analysis from UBS suggested that if the economy begins to recover from the shock of Brexit, sterling could improve against the [...]
UK market shows signs of lagging behind for Santander October 26, 2016 Santander has reported something of a mixed bag of results this morning, with growth flattening out on a number of measurements and its UK market showing signs of struggling under the weight of new taxes. The figures Overall profits at Banco Santander were €1.7bn (£1.5bn) for the third quarter of 2016, up one per cent on the same [...]
Mark Carney says political attacks on Bank of England knock the pound October 25, 2016 Mark Carney has warned that threats to the Bank of England’s independence could see sterling slump even further and cause investors to flee UK assets. The Threadneedle Street governor told Lords on the economic affairs committee this afternoon that central bank independence had “stood the test of time” and could not be “called into question” [...]