Interest rate fears dampen UK house buying demand October 8, 2026 Brits held off inquiring about buying new homes last month as fears over higher mortgage rates dampened the market. Housing demand dropped in September, according to a survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which found that 22 per cent of property professionals saw buyer inquiries fall last month. That figure was up [...]
KBRA Assigns Preliminary Ratings to Merrion Square Residential 2026-1 DAC October 7, 2026 KBRA Europe (KBRA) assigns preliminary ratings to seven classes of notes to be issued by Merrion Square Residential 2026-1 DAC, a static RMBS securitisation collateralised by predominantly first lien, reperforming mortgage loans. As of 30 June 2026, the underlying collateral comprises a €635.2 million portfolio of secured mortgage loans. These mortgages are largely secured by [...]
House prices fall faster in London as property market stays ‘subdued’ October 7, 2026 House prices in London fell at a faster rate last month, as homeowners in the capital continue to bear the brunt of the property market slowdown caused by the Iran war. The average house price in London fell by 2.2 per cent to £531,548 in the year to September, according to the Lloyds house price [...]
Governments should spend more on welfare to tackle cost of living, says IMF October 6, 2026 Governments across the world should prioritise targeted welfare support for low income households over broader measures like tax cuts to ease the cost of living, the International Monetary Fund has said. Policymakers should do more to protect vulnerable households from surges in inflation caused by geopolitical events like the Iran war, the IMF says in [...]
‘Disastrous’: Average five-year fixed mortgage rate surges to six per cent October 5, 2026 The average five-year fixed mortgage rate has broken the six per cent mark for the first time in three years after a fresh raft of lenders hiked prices. The typical five-year agreement has hit six per cent, according to Moneyfacts, while the average two-year is a whisker behind at 5.98 per cent. It is the [...]
The search for Nigel Farage’s elusive wristwatch October 5, 2026 We investigate the mystery of Nigel Farage’s wristwatch. Could the so-called man of the people really wear a £40,000 Patek Philippe Calatrava? Andy Blackmore starts digging and finds a surprising answer… Sometimes the watch we wear tells more about us than we would care to admit, far more than any session with a psychologist. With that [...]
UK services sector marks two years of job losses October 5, 2026 The UK’s dominant services sector has suffered two years of continuous job losses despite moderate growth against the backdrop of intense trading disruption and high borrowing costs, new data has indicated. Researchers at S&P Global said a fall in employment over September across services firms meant the sector had now suffered two consecutive years of [...]
Heathrow and housing: Griffith pledges ‘most ambitious deregulation project’ in generation October 4, 2026 The Conservatives’ pick for chancellor has pledged to roll out the “most ambitious deregulation project in a generation” as he is set to say plans could cut £50,000 off the price of a new home. Andrew Griffith, the shadow chancellor, will say on Monday he will slash red tape for businesses across construction, supermarkets and [...]
G7 agrees to release diesel reserves after crisis meeting October 2, 2026 Leaders from the G7 have agreed to tap into 100m of diesel and oil from their reserves in a bid to stave off a soaring supply crisis and end an escalating feud between the Euope and the US. The club of wealthy democracies said on Friday that they would work with the International Energy Agency [...]
Price pressures hit firms amid uncertain outlook and fears of interest rate hikes October 2, 2026 Firms’ inflation expectations for the next 12 months rose higher, according to closely watched Bank of England survey, the results of which could pile pressure on policymakers to raise interest rates. The Bank’s monthly survey of firms’ price expectations, the Decision Makers’ Panel, showed price expectations becoming more jittery as costs from the energy price [...]