Redrow calls for state help on mortgages September 9, 2010 THE head of housebuilder Redrow called on the government to take action over the sickly first-time buyer market in a bid to revive overall sales, after reporting better-than-expected annual results. Steve Morgan, the founder of Redrow who returned in a boardroom coup last year, described state intervention as a “no-brainer” due to low mortgage availability [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS September 9, 2010 RETIREMENT ADVICE MOST SOUGHT Almost half of all consumers seeking independent financial advice last month sought assistance with retirement planning, the professional advice website unbiased.co.uk said this week. Retirement planning has remained on an upward trend since May this year. Consumers are also increasingly looking for specialist guidance on investment and savings. Karen Barrett, chief [...]
KPMG looks to hand over Connaught jobs September 8, 2010 HOUSING repair firm Connaught formally appointed KPMG as its administrator yesterday, as rival property companies looked to take over the collapsed firm’s contracts. KPMG will keep the firm’s property maintenance arm trading until it has farmed out its contracts to other providers. Around 4,400 people face redundancy. Richard Heis, joint administrator, said the group had [...]
City targeted as EU grabs powers September 2, 2010 EUROPEAN diplomats agreed last night to set EU-wide financial watchdogs by the start of next year, formalising a historic power grab by Brussels institutions over key swathes of the UK and London economies. The trio of new regulators, to monitor banks, insurance companies and trading on markets, will be complemented by a group attached to [...]
Planting the seeds of another crisis September 2, 2010 FOR some bizarre reason, the creation of three new European Supervisory Authorities and the European Systemic Risk Board – a major power-grab for Brussels – was welcomed last night by Conservative MEPs. Vicky Ford, one of their numbers who took part in the negotiations, admitted that “this is very complex multi-layered legislation and it needs [...]
Pack a tax plan if you want a retirement on the beach September 2, 2010 IF YOU are tempted to spend your golden years in the sun and escape overcrowded, polluted London, you are not alone. Emigration from the UK reached a record high in 2008 and that was before the introduction of a 50 per cent higher tax rate and the impending austerity measures. But planning is essential if [...]
INVESTMENT BANK OF THE YEAR August 31, 2010 THE story of the last year for investment banks has been recovery. While the rest of the economy has remained sluggish the smartest bankers have bounced back and returned to profit – sometimes spectacularly so. Still, things will never be the same. A re-ordering of the banking world is ongoing, and our list reflects this. [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 26, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES BANKS BACK SWITCH TO RENMINBI FOR TRADE A number of the world’s biggest banks have launched international roadshows promoting the use of the renminbi to corporate customers instead of the dollar for trade deals with China. HSBC and Standard Chartered are offering discounted transaction fees and other financial incentives to companies that choose [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING August 25, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES US CHAINS BEEF UP MEALS TO LIFT PROFITS Fast-food chains in the US are rolling out more expensive premium products after two years of relentless focus on lower priced meals in the hope of recouping profit margins surrendered during the recession of 2008 and 2009. McDonald’s is selling a “smokehouse deluxe” burger in [...]
HSBC bid ups Nedbank rating August 24, 2010 HSBC’S proposed acquisition of a majority stake in Nedbank received a ringing endorsement yesterday as the Fitch credit ratings agency said it had put the South African bank on a positive rating watch pending completion of the deal. Anthony Walker, a senior director in Fitch’s financial institutions team, said the acquisition “should serve to strengthen [...]