British households have been worst affected by economic downturn within OECD November 7, 2022 British households have been worst affected by the global economic downturn amongst richer nations according to new figures released today. The United Kingdom GDP’s since the fourth quarter of 2019 dropped to -1.2, the lowest out of the seven nations, while its real income fell by -3.5, also the lowest. The figures were published by [...]
Bank of England delivers largest rate hike since 1989 and signals more to come November 3, 2022 The Bank of England today hiked interest rates by the largest amount since 1989 and signalled more rises are coming. The Bank’s rate setting committee voted unanimously to lift borrowing costs 75 basis points to three per cent, the highest level since 2008 and the eighth rise in a row. The pound shed more than [...]
FCA makes lenders pay £12m back to 60,000 as pandemic lessons learnt November 3, 2022 The City’s financial watchdog (FCA) is telling lenders to pay back millions in compensation to borrowers after having learnt lessons from poor practices in the pandemic. A report published by the Financial Conduct Authority this morning outlines that £12m has been paid out to thousands of companies in difficulties. Its executive director of consumers and [...]
House price growth slows for first time in 15 months as Brits battle scaling mortgage rates November 1, 2022 Annual house price growth in the UK slowed to 7.2 per cent in October, from 9.5 per cent in September, according to Nationwide this morning. It means the average cost of a home in the country now stands at £268,282. Nationwide chief economist, Robert Gardner, likened current mortgage rates to annual wage ratios to those [...]
Homeware retailers ‘draw short straw’ in economic crunch as Made.com nears collapse October 31, 2022 Homeware retailers are facing a turbulent 2023 as mounting operational costs and hesitant consumer sentiment piles the pressure on the sector. It comes as Made.com was still teetering on the brink of collapse on Monday after customers have pulled back from spending on pricier items like furniture. Last week, the ailing sofa seller said it [...]
All eyes on the EU as ECB faces ‘nightmare scenario’ of record inflation and need to hike rates again October 31, 2022 Last week was the fourth successive week of gains for equity markets in Europe as well as the US, despite some high-profile earnings misses. It’s been particularly notable that while there were some notable earnings misses, especially in the tech sector, by and large the more traditional areas of the market have performed better. “While [...]
UK banks return to amassing default reserves amid inflation and mortgage crunch October 26, 2022 Barclays said profits had jumped six per cent in the third quarter of the year as it became the latest lender to see performance buoyed by rising interest rates.
Backing the central bank pivot is a risky bet October 25, 2022 It is easy to criticise central banks for heaping pain on households and businesses. But, this is exactly what they are supposed to do under current economic conditions. Inflation in the UK, US and eurozone has hit 10.1 per cent, 8.2 per cent and 9.9 per cent respectively, all historic highs. The Bank of England [...]
Millions face difficulty paying mortgage if rates hit six per cent, says Morgan Stanley October 24, 2022 Millions will face difficulties paying their mortgages if rates hit six per cent, a research note issued by Morgan Stanley has warned. The US bank said there is “significant stress” building in the UK’s mortgage market, as house prices spiral out of control and the Bank of England seeks to tame rising inflation. Last week, [...]
Property lawyers should prepare for 2008-style crash, regulator says October 24, 2022 Property law firms should ready themselves for a “significant fall” in work as a result of a downturn in the UK’s real estate sector, the industry regulator has said. The Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC), which regulates conveyancers and property solicitors, said firms should prepare for a reversal of the past decade’s boom as economic [...]