Bank of England drops mortgage market affordability test after less than a decade June 20, 2022 The Bank of England said this morning that its Financial Policy Committee will withdraw the so-called mortgage market affordability test. “Following its latest review of the mortgage market, the Financial Policy Committee has confirmed that it will withdraw its affordability test Recommendation,” the BoE said in a statement. This will come into effect from 1 [...]
Indignant brokers fiercely dismiss Martin Lewis’ notion many mortgages are ‘a ticking time bomb’ June 19, 2022 The well-known personal finance guru Martin Lewis recently warned that mortgages are a “ticking time bomb” for homeowners, as he said Brits should lock in cheap mortgage rates soon before monthly payments become unaffordable. Lewis’ comments come as the cost of living for most Brits is climbing fast, with energy bills going up by an [...]
Investors ditch London shares after fifth successive Bank of England rate rise June 16, 2022 Investors ditched London-listed stocks today after the Bank of England raised interest rates for the fifth successive meeting. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index dropped 3.14 per cent to 7,044.98 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, fell 3.05 per cent to below [...]
Use windfall tax to improve energy efficiency of British homes, argues climate charity Ashden June 16, 2022 The government should funnel revenues from the windfall tax into making the UK's housing stock more energy efficient, says Ashden.
Banks boosted by looming BoE interest rate hike June 15, 2022 Strengthening bets on the Bank of England tomorrow hiking interest rates for the fifth meeting in a row boosted the UK’s biggest-listed banks today. The capital’s premier FTSE 100 index surged 1.2 per cent to 7,273.41 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, [...]
UK mortgage arrears hit highest level in more than 12 years as debts to banks creep past record £2bn June 15, 2022 The value of mortgage arrears in the UK has reached its highest level since 2010, with £2.05bn of mortgage debt delinquent at the end of the first quarter of 2022, according to new data shared with City A.M. this morning. As interest rate rises and the cost-of-living crisis hit household finances, more families are now [...]
Campaigners warn childcare costs holding back careers in the City and beyond June 13, 2022 CAMPAIGNERS have warned “uniquely high” childcare costs are holding back not just the City’s diversity drive but economic growth. A new study by union the TUC suggests the average nursery bill for a family with a toddler was just shy of £5,000 in 2010 but has grown to more than £7,000 just a dozen years [...]
From Ocado to Trustpilot and M&S to ITV: Value of dozens of FTSE giants down by a third since start of Ukraine war June 11, 2022 Nearly 50 companies in the FTSE 350 have seen their stock market values fall by at least a third since the start of the Ukraine crisis. The biggest fallers have been technology companies, new data shared exclusively with City A.M. shows today. Review website Trustpilot, which listed just over a year ago, has seen its [...]
Opinion-in-brief: Right-to-Buy is a headline-grabbing policy for the few June 10, 2022 “We will back the British people for as long as it takes”, said Boris Johnson yesterday in a speech to try and restore some confidence in his government. The prime minister plans to do that first through housing reforms – a mortgage review, and the reintroduction of the Right to Buy. With the latter, tenants [...]
UK house price skyrockets to record £289k: ‘Any mutterings of a market crash are greatly exaggerated’ June 8, 2022 The average UK house price hit a record high of £289,099 in May, but the pace of growth in values is slowing, according to an index this morning. Russell Galley, managing director of Halifax, said: “The average cost of buying a home in the UK is up 1 per cent, or £2,857, on last month, [...]