NatWest boss U-turns on snub of Westminster committee after plea to ensure it won’t be an all-male panel February 3, 2023 The boss of NatWest has U-turned on her decision not to appear in front of MPs next week as they scrutinise the UK’s biggest banks on why savings rates are so low while borrowing costs have spiked. Dame Alison Rose, NatWest’s chief executive, came under pressure from the Treasury Committee after saying she was too [...]
The big boys of the housing sector can’t be the only developers we rely on February 3, 2023 New housing policy from Westminster has been pretty much non-existent, but the market itself can enable more new homes to be built by looking outside of the top developers, writes Phil Hooper.
Another interest rate hike to boost banks’ profits, but how long will the windfall last? February 2, 2023 Bank shares prices were mixed after the Bank of England raised interest rates by 50 basis points earlier today, as the pressure on banks to pass on higher interest rates to savers grew. The more domestically focused Lloyds and Natwest were trading 1.0 per cent and 0.6 per cent higher respectively. Barclays was up 0.8 [...]
‘Fizz has left the market’: House prices fell by 0.6 per cent in January as average property value plummets February 1, 2023 The average UK house price fell by 0.6 per cent in January, according to Nationwide Building Society. Annual house price growth slowed to 1.1 per cent , from 2.8 per cent in December, and the typical property value is now 3.2 per cent lower than its August peak, the lender said. The average UK house [...]
A tumble in mortgage approvals could be followed by a fall in house prices, analysts believe January 31, 2023 Mortgage approvals have plummeted to their lowest since the credit crunch after the global financial crisis in 2008, excluding the pandemic when the housing market was shut down, in a sign house prices could fall sharply soon, according to official data. The number of loans to Brits to fund a home purchase dropped more than [...]
Later life lending: Livemore secures £250m from Citi as it aims to hit £1bn in mortgage lending January 30, 2023 Livemore, a later life mortgage specialist, has secured a credit facility of up to £250m from Wall Street lender Citi as it seeks to hit £1bn in mortgage lending. “We are thrilled to receive this credit facility from Citi, which will support our growth and expanded product offering, so we can continue to serve the [...]
FCA to take swift action against firms flouting consumer duty rules, lawyers warn January 29, 2023 The Financial Conduct Authority is expected to take swift action against firms that fail to comply with new rules to protect savers and retail investors, City lawyers have warned. The City watchdog announced a major overhaul to consumer regulation last summer in the new Consumer Duty, which is set to shift greater onus onto companies [...]
The mortgage ‘moron premium’ and why home loans may get (slightly) cheaper despite an expected hike in interest rates January 28, 2023 The Bank of England is expected to increase interest rates next month, making borrowing more expensive for both businesses and individuals. Although the rate decides how much businesses and individuals pay to borrow money, mortgage experts believe that the cost of home loans may actually come down, because the derivatives used by mortgage lenders have [...]
Record profits place TSB on course for £50m dividend but impairment charges rise on recession fears January 26, 2023 TSB Bank proposed a £50m payout to its parent company in the first quarter of 2023 as its yearly pretax profit increased to a record level. Pretax profit in the 2022 financial year rose to £183.5m from £157.5m in 2021, reflecting lending growth, higher interest rates and higher deposit margins. This figure includes the costs [...]
House price sentiment at its weakest in 13 years, as fears of recession blight market January 19, 2023 House prices continued to fall towards the end of 2022, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). The Rics house price balance fell to -42 in December compared to -26 in November, and meant that 42 per cent of surveyors who took part in the survey noted a fall rather than a rise [...]