UK house price growth slumps to five-year low in October November 1, 2018 House prices grew at their slowest annual rate for five years in October, Nationwide data revealed today. House price growth slumped to 1.6 per cent last month, with prices flat month on month as the latest figures paint a miserable picture for housing activity across the UK. October’s 1.6 per cent growth rate fell from [...]
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Autumn Budget contained tricks and treats for your personal finances October 31, 2018 The move of this year’s Autumn Budget to Monday this week rather than its traditional Wednesday slot was ostensibly to give MPs more time to debate the chancellor’s proposals before the House of Commons rises for recess on 6 November. But presumably Philip Hammond also hoped to avoid some Halloween-themed headlines, which he himself alluded to [...]
Consumer credit growth stutters to three-year low as UK house purchases fall back October 29, 2018 Consumer borrowing grew at its lowest rate for three years last month after car sales dropped 20 per cent, the Bank of England revealed today. The annual growth rate of consumer borrowing hit 7.7 per cent last month, the lowest it's been since June 2015, and far below the 10.09 per cent growth rate in [...]
Insolvencies among millenials soar as housing costs shred ‘cash cushions’ October 29, 2018 The number of insolvencies among millenials has climbed rapidly in the past three years, as rising housing prices leave younger people without a “cash cushion” to fall back on. House price inflation is partially driving the trend, which has seen the number of insolvencies among under 35s rise by nearly a fifth during the past year, [...]
RBS share price drops as it disappoints investors on key profitability metric October 26, 2018 Profits are up 10 per cent year-on-year at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), it said in its third quarter results today, though shares dipped as it missed a key target and set money aside to handle PPI claims. The figures The bank reported pre-tax profits of £961m for the quarter, up 10 per cent from [...]
Metro Bank profits treble as UK’s newest high street bank continues strong growth October 24, 2018 Metro Bank profits have trebled as the UK's first new high street bank in 150 years continues its strong growth. The bank, launched in 2010, reported underlying pre-tax profit of £39.2m for the nine months to 30 September, a 197 per cent increase on the same period in 2017. But the bank said competition in [...]
Mortgage approvals fall to six-month low in September as experts warn of ‘fragile’ housing market October 24, 2018 Mortgage approvals fell to their lowest value in half a year in September, according to the latest data from UK Finance, meaning every month of 2018 so far has dropped against 2017 approval numbers. Lending amounted to £21.5bn for the month, the lowest since the £20.6bn recorded in April and a drop of 1.2 per [...]
Opinion: Would a People’s Vote inspire investors to take a punt on London or would it just cause more uncertainty? October 19, 2018 This weekend sees the People’s March come to London, with thousands of people set to take to the streets to demand a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal. As a buying, I’m often asked about the impact of Brexit what the prospect of a People’s Vote could have on the prime London property market [...]
Blame the bank: How finance caused today’s housing crisis October 18, 2018 Home ownership is increasingly out of the reach of younger adults in the UK. The share of those aged 25-34 who own their home fell from 55 per cent in 1997 to 35 per cent in 2017, according the Institute of Fiscal Studies. A decade of stagnant wage growth means that the gradual house price [...]
London house prices dip as growth slows to five-year low October 17, 2018 House prices growth in August dropped to its slowest annual rate in more than five years, as London's subdued housing market dragged down average property prices. New Office for National Statistics (ONS) data out today show house prices climbed 3.2 per cent in the year to August, marking the slowest pace of growth since August 2013. [...]