End of furlough: ‘Time for the UK economy to put its big girl pants on’ September 27, 2021 This week, the government’s £70bn furlough support scheme comes to an end. The end of the Job Retention Scheme, or furlough, will force organisations to make decisions regarding the future of furloughed employees. City A.M. sought the views of a number of small business owners about whether now is the correct time to remove the [...]
Undecided about investing right now? Find out why Maida Vale offers a solid prospect September 27, 2021 Set at the meeting point of Maida Vale, Little Venice and St John’s Wood is Lyons Place, a boutique development by Almacantar, offering a prime opportunity for investment in the capital. Lyons Place is a collection of contemporary, finely crafted homes comprised of apartments, penthouses, and three-storey townhouses – with just one one-bedroom apartment remaining [...]
Thriving in tough times: Keeping your finances in order September 14, 2021 The past year has shown us all the unpredictability of life. No-one could have foreseen the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on people’s health, employment, and the wider economic landscape. Of course, nobody wants to go through another period like this – but we, of course, may. Here, we look at how you can plan ahead [...]
Resolution Foundation: Stamp duty holiday not main force behind house prices rise August 21, 2021 The stamp duty holiday’s role in rocketing house prices over the past year has been overstated, the Resolution Foundation has claimed. The average value of a UK home increased by 13.2 per cent between June 2020 and June 2021 but the think tank believes the boom has more to do with other factors than the [...]
Lenders set to increase interest-free periods on credit cards July 15, 2021 Households could be offered longer interest-free periods on credit cards over the summer, according to a survey of lenders. Banks and building societies also anticipate that mortgage availability to households will rise, according to the survey published by the Bank of England. The Bank’s Credit Conditions Survey is carried out every quarter to help it [...]
Brits borrowed billions in April as housing market boomed June 2, 2021 Mortgage borrowing hit £3.3bn in April as house prices rose at their fastest rate in five years, a trend driven largely by the extension of the stamp duty holiday. April’s mortgage borrowing was significantly lower than March’s £11.5bn figure, however, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England, despite mortgage approvals hitting 86,900, [...]
March was HSBC’s strongest mortgage completion month in more than 40 years May 6, 2021 HSBC handed out more mortgages in March than in any other month of more than 40 years offering home loans. In a sign of the recent boom in housing market activity, HSBC UK said March was its strongest ever month for mortgage completions, including deals for more than 3,000 first-time buyers. The bank declined to [...]
City fund managers discuss post-pandemic opportunities, with NatWest, Lloyds and BP topping the list April 28, 2021 As the economy slowly recovers from what has been a dramatic year, and investors gradually dare to think again about growth and investment, City A.M. checked in with a number of prominent Square Mile-based fund mangers to find out where they spot opportunities as London’s investment community starts to shake off the pandemic. Banking, energy [...]
Water bills: CMA settles long-running price controls dispute March 17, 2021 The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) today published its findings on the price controls for four water companies for 2020-2025. The group set a headline rate of return to investors of 3.2 per cent compared with 4.6 per cent in the previous price control period. It said the return is the minimum that is sufficient [...]
DLT may not be the silver bullet, but it’s worth a shot March 10, 2021 Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE delivers the third installment of his five-piece analysis of the government's Financial Services Bill.