Nearly one million UK homeowners to have £500 a month eaten up by higher mortgage payments July 12, 2023 UK homeowners are poised to hand over a bigger chunk of their income to their lenders every month after they roll on to a new mortgage with a much higher interest rate, the Bank of England has warned today. By the end of 2026, around 1m families will be paying an at least additional £500 [...]
Bank of England says UK’s big banks passed stress test and are ‘resilient’ to rising rates July 12, 2023 The UK’s largest lenders passed the Bank of England’s stress tests with flying colours, even as concerns grow around the health of the mortgage market. In its latest stress test, the Bank of England concluded that banks were “resilient”, enabling them to withstand persistently higher inflation and a deep global recession. “The UK banking system [...]
UK families set for another year of cost of living crisis and £65bn hit to finances July 12, 2023 UK families are poised to be gripped by the cost of living crisis for nearly another whole year due to the Bank of England keeping interest rates higher for longer in a bid to vanquish inflation, a new report out today claims. Household finances will be corroded by rising living costs and elevated rates until [...]
Mortgage rates: Banks warn of more ‘financial difficulty’ – but arrears increase will be small July 11, 2023 Leading bankers have said that an increasing number of customers will face financial difficulties as mortgage rates rise, but remained confident that both consumers and lenders could withstand the pressure. Bradley Fordham, mortgage director at Santander, said that with rates at six per cent, the average increase in monthly payments for customers coming off a [...]
Mortgage rates climb to 15-year high following surprisingly strong wage growth July 11, 2023 The typical rate available on a two-year fixed mortgage has climbed to a 15-year high, surpassing the levels seen last Autumn in the wake of the disastrous mini-budget. According to Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate hit 6.66 per cent, marginally higher than the 6.65 per cent seen last October. This was the [...]
Exclusive: ‘Draconian’ Net Zero rules will hit landlords to tune of £6,000 – but only save £36 a year July 11, 2023 Government rules which ensure housing meets net zero targets have been branded “draconian” by a landlords group, who say costs massively outweigh benefits. Under new proposals, landlords will be blocked from letting properties unless they upgrade them to meet net zero energy efficiency targets as soon as 2028. Homes will be required to have an [...]
Bank of England won’t hesitate to hike rates if inflation persists, warns Andrew Bailey July 10, 2023 The Bank of England will have to keep on lifting interest rates if wages keep rising at a near record pace and businesses continue to pass on swelling costs, Governor Andrew Bailey has signalled today. In a speech delivered at the annual Mansion House bankers’ dinner, Bailey said price pressures emanating from the labour market [...]
House prices: Buyers playing ‘wait and see’ on purchases rattles confidence July 10, 2023 Property portal On The Market has warned of a challenging outlook for the year ahead as aggressive rate rises have led buyers to “wait and see” on house purchases whilst the market remains unsettled. The estate agent, which operates similar to Rightmove and Zoopla, told investors this morning that stubborn inflation and the high cost [...]
Barratt Developments share price in focus following Bank of England rate rise July 10, 2023 The market will turn its focus to Barratt Developments’ trading update next Thursday to see how soaring mortgage rates and a tumultuous period for the property sector is impacting UK house building companies. The housebuilder’s shares have fallen by around a tenth over the past 12 months and more than half from their pre-pandemic levels, [...]
London economy steams ahead of every other UK region but interest rate hikes contain growth July 10, 2023 London’s economy is steaming ahead of every other region in the UK, but there are signs higher interest rates and a return of recession jitters is holding the capital back, a new survey out today shows. Economic growth in London in June was far above the UK average and even its closest competitor, the south [...]