UK housebuilder Persimmon’s profits to jump to £1bn as firm moves past pay controversy February 25, 2018 Persimmon’s profits are expected to jump close to the £1bn mark this week as the housebuilder continues to bat off criticism for the pay awards it handed to executives. Analysts are expecting pre-tax profits to rise 25 per cent, up from £775m to £965m, when the firm announces its 2017 figures on Tuesday. The news [...]
How to plan a comfortable retirement February 22, 2018 Saving for retirement is essential if you want to fully enjoy your later years, but how do you assess how much income you will need? Plus how much do you need to save to reach your goals? For many people retirement seems a long way off and saving into a pension isn’t always seen as [...]
Bank of England bosses say wage data is “key” for next interest rate rise but markets are now in line February 21, 2018 Markets have woken up to data showing rising inflationary pressures from wage growth and expectations of interest rate rises are now in line with what the Bank of England forecasts, according to governor Mark Carney. The Bank today reiterated its message from a fortnight ago that interest rates will have to rise sooner and faster [...]
Five habits of good investing February 21, 2018 Taking a long-term view History suggests the stock market is the best way to grow wealth over the long term, easily outpacing interest rates on cash. However, significant market falls are also a part of investing and notoriously difficult to predict. It is worth remembering that the longer you invest for the greater your chances [...]
The risers and fallers of London boroughs ranked on house price growth as wider UK demand remains robust February 19, 2018 Housing demand remains resilient fuelling "cautious optimism" among new sellers in most regions of the UK, according to a new report fromRightmove. Average asking prices were up by 0.8 per cent (£2,414) this month, with all regions but one recording the price of newly-marketed property rising this month. The south west was "a very marginal [...]
UK house prices: First-time buyers £27,000 better off than renters – and more than £50,000 more privileged in London February 17, 2018 Britons are pouring thousands of pounds in the pockets of landlords each year by renting their home rather than buying it. UK first-time buyers are an average of £27,000 better off than renters over a mortgage term, Halifax said today. And in London, the savings are even greater. Homeowners in the capital save an average [...]
First-time buyers at 10-year high in 2017 but the mortgage market weakened in December February 13, 2018 The number of mortgages taken out by first-time buyers boomed last year to its highest level since 2006, buoyed by the Help to Buy subsidy. Banks lent money to 365,000 first-time buyers in 2017, an increase on the year before of 7.4 per cent, according to UK Finance, the lenders’ industry body. However, the December [...]
Brexit lurks behind the Bank of England’s sudden hawkishness February 12, 2018 Has the Bank of England developed a bit of a personality disorder? Looking at the mixed signals given by the Bank in the last six months, you might be forgiven for thinking so. The Bank’s Governor Mark Carney has a habit of keeping the markets guessing – something City analysts suspect he enjoys – and [...]
Winter chill on house prices after second consecutive fall says Halifax February 7, 2018 House prices in the UK fell for the second successive month at the start of the year, pulling annual growth to its lowest level since June last year. The 0.6 per cent fall in house prices reported by Halifax came as a surprise to analysts, who had expected the index to edge up in January. [...]
What is the Vollged Initiative and does it spell the end of fractional reserve banking? February 5, 2018 The 2008 financial crisis jolted many of us out of our comfort zones, leading to the argument for a complete overhaul of the monetary and banking system. This very concept has recently been petitioned in Switzerland. Switzerland, that scion of banking, may vote to end the bedrock philosophy underlying modern finance. More than 100,000 Swiss [...]