Moody’s downgrades outlook for UK banking system December 3, 2019 The UK banking system’s outlook has been downgraded by credit ratings agency Moody’s, after it cited a swathe of challenges facing lenders in the year ahead. Flagging the persistently low interest rate environment and a competitive mortgage market, Moody’s is forecasting a modest slide in profitability. Read more: Carney appointed UN climate envoy The agency [...]
UK house prices: Growth hits seven-month high November 28, 2019 UK house price growth ticked up this month, showing the strongest annual rise since April. However, annual house price growth remained below one per cent for the 12th month in a row at 0.8 per cent, reaching an average price of £215.734. House prices were up 0.5 per cent month-on-month, according to the latest Nationwide [...]
General Election 2019: What we know about the Conservative Party manifesto November 22, 2019 This weekend the Conservative Party manifesto is expected to launch ahead of the general election on 12 December. Jeremy Corbyn unveiled Labour’s manifesto on Thursday following on from announcements by the Lib Dems and Green Party earlier this week. The Brexit Party is due to reveal its policies later today. It will leave just the [...]
Nationwide profit plunges 33 per cent November 22, 2019 Nationwide has posted a sharp fall in half-year profit following a final blow from payment protection insurance (PPI) charges and a low interest rate environment. Statutory profit for the six months to 30 September fell to £309m, sliding from £516m in the same period a year earlier. Read more: Bankers disappointed by fees deal As [...]
General Election 2019: Tories to up stamp duty for non-UK residents November 22, 2019 Foreign residents will be slapped with a higher rate of stamp duty than UK home-owners under a Conservative government, as part of efforts to tackle the country’s housing crisis. A three per cent surcharge will be levied on companies as well as individuals buying property who are not UK tax residents, the Tories will announce [...]
General Election 2019: Conservatives go head-to-head with Labour on housing November 21, 2019 The Conservatives are hoping to take Labour head-on with a series of pledges designed to tackle the housing crisis. Jeremy Corbyn will today unveil a flagship policy that includes plans 100,000 council homes a year by the end of the five-year term, an increase of more than 3,500 per cent. Read more: Sadiq Khan to miss his [...]
London house prices suffer UK’s biggest September drop November 13, 2019 House prices in London suffered the biggest September drop in the UK, according to the latest data. Homes in the capital fell 0.4 per cent year on year that month, compared to house prices’ average increase of one per cent in England. That left London house prices with an average value of £474,601. UK house [...]
Persimmon blames sales drop on customer satisfaction drive November 7, 2019 Housebuilder Persimmon today blamed a drop in first half sales volumes on the implementation of a new customer care improvement plan. Under the plans Persimmon has restricted the release of new homes for sale until construction has reached a more advanced stage, meaning sales declined six per cent year on year to 7,584 homes. Read [...]
Three problems at the top of new RBS boss Alison Rose’s to-do list November 1, 2019 Alison Rose begins life as the new boss of RBS today with her work cut out for her. In a letter to staff this morning, the RBS lifer set out her commitments, which included “a clear focus on shared success” and “investment in people”. But as the firm’s recent quarterly financial results demonstrated, there is [...]
Revealed: The London boroughs most likely to avoid a Brexit house price crash November 1, 2019 So you’re a first-time buyer who has finally saved up enough to get on the housing ladder. All that’s left now is to decide which corner of the capital you’re going to invest your cash in. That decision is arguably more important than ever, given that a recession is a very real possibility – particularly [...]