House prices to cool off after mortgage dip October 7, 2014 MORTGAGE lending fell significantly over the past three months, according to the Bank of England, suggesting the housing market will cool further. This is the first negative figure since the final three months of 2011 and marks a significant reversal in housing trends. House prices boomed over summer and are expected to grow 17 per [...]
Mark Carney wants power to limit your mortgage if house price boom threatens banks October 2, 2014 The Bank of England wants major new powers to cap mortgage loans, yesterday arguing it may need to rein in the housing market if the price boom starts to endanger banks. Officials want the ability to cap the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio of mortgages, as well as the debt to income ratios of some borrowers. The demands [...]
Will the Bank’s new powers to intervene in the housing market help prevent boom and bust? October 2, 2014 Rob Wood, chief UK economist at Berenberg Bank, says Yes. The Bank of England has a powerful set of weapons in its armoury to smooth out the cycles in the housing market. It can restrict the amount someone can borrow relative to their income, and the Bank has now asked formally for new powers to [...]
Bank of England backs move for greater powers over mortgage lending as it warns over financial instability posed by housing market October 2, 2014 The Bank of England has warned that the UK housing market represents a continued risk to financial stability, backing government calls for greater powers to cap mortgage lending for homes and buy-to-let properties. The BoE's Financial Policy Committee has come out in support of George Osborne's suggestion, which was initially put forward over the summerand reiterated [...]
Plan to stop permanent growth of mortgage red tape is rejected October 1, 2014 PLEAS for a sunset clause to be introduced on lending restrictions were pushed aside yesterday, as the Bank of England published its decision on mortgage loans. The Building Societies Association is worried new regulations will be introduced when the housing market is overheating, then never withdrawn when the market cools down. To combat this permanent growth [...]
Bank of England’s stress test may threaten Lloyds dividend plans October 1, 2014 Lloyds could fail the Bank of England’s stress tests this Autumn and be banned from paying out a dividend this year, analysts at Macquarie warned yesterday. The bank has hiked its capital ratios over the past year and so is not expected to be forced to issue any more bonds or shares to bolster its buffers. [...]
Boom halts as mortgage loans slow in August September 23, 2014 THE BOOM in mortgage lending ground to a halt in August as lending volumes slumped to a 12-month low, industry data showed yesterday. A total of 41,588 loans were given out last month, according to the British Bankers’ Association. Lending by value is still up by 15 per cent on the year to £11.1bn, but analysts believe [...]
No more UK house price bubble? Mortgage approvals fall to a 12-month low in August September 23, 2014 This could be the end of the house-buying frenzy of early 2014. New mortgage approvals hit their lowest since September last year in August, figures by the British Banking Association showed today, with just 41,588 new mortgages approved during the month, down from 42,715 in July, and 14.1 per cent lower than January's 76-month high [...]
Challenger bank Aldermore kicks off new wave of stock flotations September 22, 2014 Challenger bank Aldermore wants to raise more than £75m in a stock market flotation, the small business and mortgage specialist announced yesterday. The flood of initial public offerings (IPOs) earlier this year had dried up with the combination of uncertainty over the Scottish referendum and the annual summer slowdown. But after last week’s No vote, [...]
Aldermore boss Phillip Monks says he doesn’t want to pay dividends September 22, 2014 If you go to the big banks’ annual general meetings you can be sure to meet angry investors. They turn up every year to complain that dividends are too low or even non-existent, and the banks’ managers are failing to provide the returns they need on their savings. So Aldermore’s boss Phillip Monks might be [...]