Lloyds Banking Group to cull a further 3,000 jobs as lower for longer interest rates take their toll July 28, 2016 Lloyds Banking Group today revealed that it was slashing thousands of jobs and shutting down many branches, as ultra-low interest rates continue to play havoc on the sector's prospects. The bank announced an additional 3,000 role reductions and another 200 branch closures. These cuts will take place by the end of 2017 and are on top of [...]
Brexit: It’s early days, but UK business has been getting on with it July 15, 2016 It is less than three weeks since the British people voted to leave the EU. In that time, much of the media response has been verging on hysterical. The political establishment, City and even bookmakers simply did not see Leave coming. Figures who were top of their game a month ago have fallen on their swords: [...]
Fixed or tracker: As Brexit prompts mortgage rates to tumble, how long should borrowers hold out for? July 12, 2016 Brexit might have thrown markets into turmoil, but if you’re thinking of taking out a mortgage, or are remortgaging, rates are about to get even more competitive. Since the referendum began in earnest, investors have clambered to buy government bonds, driving down yields and enabling mortgage lenders to offer more long-term funding. Banks have been [...]
Borrowing reached an 11-year high before the EU referendum June 29, 2016 Lending to British households grew at its fastest pace in a decade in the run up to the EU referendum, new figures from the Bank of England have shown. Consumer credit – a measure of loans and credit card debt, but not mortgages – grew by 9.9 per cent in the year to May, the fastest [...]
Remortgaging in May was at its highest level since 2008 – but experts predict Brexit woes will hang over the market until aumtumn June 29, 2016 Remortgaging hit £5bn in May, the highest value for May since 2008, according to research released today. At 32,334, the number of remortgage loans was 31 per cent higher in May than in the same month last year, according to research from Legal Marketing Services (LMS). The average amount of equity withdrawn was £33,600, up 43 per [...]
Q&A: Should we worry about the UK losing its AAA credit rating? June 28, 2016 The UK suffered the embarrassment of a downgrade to its credit rating from not just one, but two of the leading agencies yesterday. Standard and Poor's (S&P) stripped the UK government of its gold standard triple-A rating, while Fitch also knocked a notch from its rating. Treasury debt is now graded as double-A, the third [...]
What will happen to UK equities if we leave the European Union? June 21, 2016 The pound and the FTSE soared yesterday, as the Remain camp wrestled back its lead in the polls. But the outcome of Thursday’s EU referendum is far from clear, with pundits saying that voter turnout will be pivotal in determining whether the UK stays or leaves. If Article 50 is triggered and sterling dives, what should [...]
Brexit and the pound: How hard will battered sterling hit our economy? June 21, 2016 The pound has strengthened as the latest polls show public feeling has swung towards a remain vote this Thursday. Sterling rose 2.3 per cent to $1.4693, the biggest one day gain in over seven years. The last time it rose this sharply was 12 September 2008, days before Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. “Three polls over [...]
The City of London will prosper in or out of the European Union June 15, 2016 A friend tells me why he is voting Remain. “My wife works for a French bank and they would pull out of London if we left the EU.” That’s fair enough. Assuming the French bank set up in London to access the EU, then it’s logical to assume it would leave after Brexit. But a [...]
These are the top concerns for UK landlords (Brexit is pretty low down) June 13, 2016 As everyone else bites their nails over the EU referendum, the outcome of the big vote has only just made it into the list of the top concerns of UK landlords. Instead, their top worry is the exemption of residential property from the new capital gains tax cuts, according to a survey by Amicus Property Finance. Read more: Brits [...]