DEBATE: Is there a silver lining for consumers to the increased inflationary pressures? September 20, 2018 Is there a silver lining for consumers to the increased inflationary pressures? Emma-Lou Montgomery, associate director for personal investing at Fidelity International, says YES. A little inflation can be a good thing. It’s a sign of an improving economy, and it means that your debts – providing that your income rises in line with or [...]
What might trigger the next global financial crisis? September 14, 2018 Ten years on from the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the deepening of the global financial crisis, the world seems to be a safer place. Over the past decade there have been significant shifts in the world economy such that the imbalances that could lead to a crisis are less. The risks haven’t entirely gone [...]
Rental rises on London’s horizon as properties on the market slip while tenant demand swells September 13, 2018 London rents are project to creep back up following months of decline on the back of growing tenant demand and a drop in the number of properties coming onto the market. According to a closely-followed survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) out today, five per cent more respondents expected rents to rise [...]
Rental rises on London’s horizon as properties on the market slip while tenant demand swells September 13, 2018 London rents are project to creep back up following months of decline on the back of growing tenant demand and a drop in the number of properties coming onto the market. According to a closely-followed survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) out today, five per cent more respondents expected rents to rise [...]
UK house prices suffered their biggest drop month-on-month since 2012 in August August 31, 2018 In August UK house prices suffered their greatest month-on-month fall since July 2012, according to new data released today. Building society Nationwide's house price index showed prices fell by half a per cent in August, as annual house price growth slowed to two per cent. The average price of a house slipped to £214,745 in [...]
Countrywide of the mark: City investors spurn beleaguered estate agent as share wounds deepen August 30, 2018 It seems there is no end in sight for Countrywide’s bloodbath on the stock market. The embattled estate agent has suffered a collapse in its share price since unveiling a £140m emergency fundraiser earlier this month, reflecting just how uncertain City investors feel about the firm’s future. Shares have fallen a further three per cent so far today, [...]
OneSavings lifts loan growth forecasts but warns of weaker Buy-to-Let mortgage market August 23, 2018 Specialised lender OneSavings Bank raised its expectations for loan growth today, despite pressure on profit margins amid a weaker Buy-to-Let mortgage market. The FTSE 250 firm’s loan book grew 11 per cent to £8.1bn during the first six months of 2018, with full-year targets for net loan book growth upgraded to high-teens percentages from an [...]
Opinion: While we need to get young people on the property ladder, movers and downsizers need help too | City A.M. August 10, 2018 Falling levels of home ownership and the particular plight of first-time buyers in the UK housing market have caused headaches for policymakers for many years. The latest suggestions for a solution from centre-right think tank Onward, propose, among other things, further changes to property taxation for non-owner-occupiers. The rationale is to reduce demand for housing [...]
The global financial crisis 10 years on: A timeline of the global events that shaped the crash from the credit crunch to the recession and beyond August 7, 2018 Ten years ago this week the credit crunch started to bite. Take a look back at the global events that shaped one of the biggest recessions in history. Early tremors: February to June 2007 Early signs of trouble build, but are mostly missed. The giant Freddie Mac, also know as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage [...]
Halifax house price index: House prices hit new record – but activity remains ‘soft’ | City A.M. August 7, 2018 House prices rose by 3.3 per cent in the second quarter of the year, hitting a new record of £230,280 – but caution still reigns over the property market. Prices rose 1.4 per cent in July, according to the Halifax house price index, up 1.3 per cent on a quarterly basis. Russell Galley, managing director [...]