Saving no longer as easy as 1, 2, 3: Santander chops interest rate on top account – and now Lloyds is considering a rate change too August 15, 2016 Santander has today confirmed it is slashing interest rates on its popular 1,2,3 account to 1.5 per cent, while Lloyds has revealed it is mulling its options. Santander's change in rate will be effective from 1 November, and it is also making some changes to the overdraft rates. In a statement issued this morning, the bank [...]
The number of mortgages in arrears and repossessions fell in the last quarter August 11, 2016 The number of mortgages in arrears continued to fall in the second quarter, reaching its lowest level since records began. According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), at the end of June there were 92,500 mortgages in arrears of at least 2.5 per cent of the total mortgage outstanding – down from 95,900 at [...]
Aldermore becomes the latest challenger bank to shrug off Brexit with 50 per cent boost to profits August 11, 2016 Aldermore has today reported a huge boost to its bottom line, while revealing it feels it can keep on smiling throughout the Brexit uncertainty. The figures The challenger bank reported profit before tax of £59m for the first half of 2016, up 50 per cent from the prior year's £40m. Meanwhile, underlying profit before tax increased to £63m, [...]
Vendors trying to shift property after the Brexit vote have cut prices by nearly 10 per cent in some parts of London August 10, 2016 Vendors trying to shift their property in the aftermath of the Brexit vote and stamp duty changes are cutting prices by nearly 10 per cent in some parts of London. Data from Zoopla shines a light on just how many houses have had their prices reduced, and by how much. Read more: Here's everything you need to [...]
This bank has already passed on the interest rate cut to some of its mortgage customers August 5, 2016 There had been concern banks would take a while to pass yesterday's cut in interest rates on to customers – but it seems those fears were unfounded, after one major lender said it was cutting the rate of standard variable rate mortgages by 0.25 per cent. NatWest – which is owned by RBS – said [...]
Good, bad, ugly? Nobody can agree on what the recent house price data means August 5, 2016 Halifax said this morning that house prices fell between June and July and that annual and quarterly rates of house price growth are slowing. City A.M. has heard talk of buyers wanting 10 per cent off the price of properties because of the Brexit vote, and earlier this week, Knight Frank said prices for high-end houses in [...]
Bank rate cut: Property investment crowned winner while savers lose out August 5, 2016 The Bank of England launched a massive stimulus package yesterday in a bid to save Britain from recession. The Bank’s monetary policy committee (MPC) voted unanimously to slash interest rates to an all-time low of 0.25 per cent. Take a look at the winners and losers of the rate cut: WINNER: Property investment The cut to interest rates is [...]
Markets poised for crunch interest rate move from Bank of England August 4, 2016 Markets are standing by this morning for the Bank of England to take interest rates to a record low later today – and the nerves are showing. Sterling is falling ahead of the announcement and the FTSE 100 has also eased back as traders assess just how much fuel the Bank of England will throw onto the [...]
As it says it’s in a “strong position to withstand uncertainty”, is Lloyds right to be so bullish after Brexit? July 28, 2016 Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says Yes. It’s not a great time to be a bank, but the sector is in much better shape than it was going into the financial crisis. In particular Lloyds has simplified its structure to focus on key strengths in the UK retail and commercial banking market. There may [...]
Banking bleakness: This is how people reacted to 3,000 further job losses at Lloyds Banking Group July 28, 2016 In its half-year results this morning, Lloyds Banking Group revealed it would be shedding a further 3,000 jobs by 2017. Persistently low interest rates are proving a problem for the banking sector, and the situation could be about to get even worse: many are predicting the Bank of England will choose to cut rates further [...]