Bank of England economy warning sends London markets lower July 5, 2022 London markets were dragged lower today by the Bank of England warning the UK economy is headed for a tough time over the coming year. The capital’s premier index shed nearly three per cent to close at 7,025.47 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the [...]
If money was no object: The City is by far Londoners’ most desirable borough July 2, 2022 One in five Londoners would want to live in the City, with the figure rising to 28% among those aged 18-34, according to new research shared exclusively with City A.M. today. The Square Mile is closely followed by Kensington and Chelsea, with 18 per cent of Londoners choosing the leafy and exclusive borough as their [...]
Remortgage sales hit highest level since before the pandemic outnumbering all other types of home loans June 29, 2022 The FCA’s latest data shows that remortgage sales in the fourth quarter of last year, at 92,558, reached their highest level of activity since early 2020, before the outbreak of the pandemic. In fact, they outnumbered all other types of home loans for the first time since the third quarter of 2020, according to analysis [...]
Barclays makes major lending push with £2.3bn deal for Kensington Mortgage Company June 24, 2022 In a major push to broaden its lending offering, banking giant Barclays said this morning it has agreed a deal worth around £2.3bn to buy specialist lender Kensington Mortgage Company. Barclays said the acquisition will allow it to offer more mortgage options to the self-employed and people who have multiple or variable incomes. The bank [...]
Bank of England drops mortgage market affordability test after less than a decade June 20, 2022 The Bank of England said this morning that its Financial Policy Committee will withdraw the so-called mortgage market affordability test. “Following its latest review of the mortgage market, the Financial Policy Committee has confirmed that it will withdraw its affordability test Recommendation,” the BoE said in a statement. This will come into effect from 1 [...]
Indignant brokers fiercely dismiss Martin Lewis’ notion many mortgages are ‘a ticking time bomb’ June 19, 2022 The well-known personal finance guru Martin Lewis recently warned that mortgages are a “ticking time bomb” for homeowners, as he said Brits should lock in cheap mortgage rates soon before monthly payments become unaffordable. Lewis’ comments come as the cost of living for most Brits is climbing fast, with energy bills going up by an [...]
Banks boosted by looming BoE interest rate hike June 15, 2022 Strengthening bets on the Bank of England tomorrow hiking interest rates for the fifth meeting in a row boosted the UK’s biggest-listed banks today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index surged 1.2 per cent to 7,273.41 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
UK mortgage arrears hit highest level in more than 12 years as debts to banks creep past record £2bn June 15, 2022 The value of mortgage arrears in the UK has reached its highest level since 2010, with £2.05bn of mortgage debt delinquent at the end of the first quarter of 2022, according to new data shared with City A.M. this morning. As interest rate rises and the cost-of-living crisis hit household finances, more families are now [...]
UK banks no longer ‘too big to fail’ but sector still has room for improvement June 10, 2022 All of the UK’s top banks would survive a major financial shock, but some have shortcomings in ensuring they fund themselves through a crisis, the Bank of England said today. Britain’s eight biggest high street lenders would be able to fail safely without a repeat of bailouts seen during the financial crisis in 2008, according [...]
UK house price skyrockets to record £289k: ‘Any mutterings of a market crash are greatly exaggerated’ June 8, 2022 The average UK house price hit a record high of £289,099 in May, but the pace of growth in values is slowing, according to an index this morning. Russell Galley, managing director of Halifax, said: “The average cost of buying a home in the UK is up 1 per cent, or £2,857, on last month, [...]