Opinion: Reservation agreements can take the stress out of selling your home November 29, 2019 Reservation agreements – the practice of buyers and sometimes sellers paying a fee to show their commitment to buying a property prior to exchange – are having their moment in the spotlight as the government is on the cusp of launching its official trial. Early in the new year, it will ask selected estate agents [...]
Linkedin division paid no corporation tax on £70m profit November 28, 2019 An Irish subsidiary of social media network Linkedin paid no corporation tax last year despite posting a profit of almost £70m. Accounts filed for Linkedin Technology revealed the company pulled in profit of $86.7m (£67.1m) in 2018, a huge increase on the $10m posted the year before. Read more: France will tax Amazon and Facebook [...]
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 [...]
Revealed: the global league table of pension worry November 27, 2019 Where in the world are investors most concerned about their pension savings? Schroders surveyed over 25,000 investors to find out. Experts often warn of a growing crisis in retirement saving. A study by the World Economic Forum, for example, calculated that the total shortfall in some of the world’s largest pensions markets would grow from $70 [...]
How the main political parties plan to help renters November 27, 2019 Wherever you stand on the recent debate about landlords putting thermostats in cages, many of us can agree that the rental system needs improving. This has become increasingly apparent as the number of people living in private rented accommodation has grown, doubling in the past three decades. Fortunately (and perhaps unsurprisingly), the main political parties [...]
London house prices finally show ‘signs of life’ in one per cent October rise November 27, 2019 London house prices started to show “signs of life” last month due to renewed buyer demand and a shortage of property coming to the market. House prices in the capital grew one per cent year on year in October following a period of year-on-year price falls. In October 2018 London house prices dropped 1.1 per [...]
What are mini-bonds? Everything you need to know about the products hit by the FCA’s marketing ban November 26, 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today announced it is using its special powers to ban the marketing of some unregulated mini-bonds to individual investors. Mini-bonds have come under scrutiny since the collapse of lender London Capital & Finance (LCF) earlier this year, but what exactly are the controversial investment products, and what has the FCA [...]
FTSE 250 hits highest level in 15 months as Conservatives maintain poll lead November 26, 2019 The FTSE 250 nudged up 0.2 per cent this morning to 20,740, reaching its highest level since August 2018. The London index rose on the back of growing investor confidence that the Conservatives will win December’s General Election, after polls showed the party had maintained a healthy lead over Labour. Russ Mould, investment director at [...]
Pump priming: How the shale gas revolution has transformed the US energy industry November 26, 2019 At KD’s Bar-B-Q in Midland, Texas, one can see first hand that the energy boom is still alive and well. Oil service workers, property developers, and financiers stand in a line that snakes out onto the street to order its fabled tri-tip steaks and ribs. In less than a decade, a boom in the country’s [...]
Intu sells retail park to New River REIT for £40m November 25, 2019 Retail landlord Intu has sold a Northern Ireland retail park to property investment trust New River REIT for £40m. The sale of Sprucefield Retail Park in Lisburn brings Intu’s year-to-date disposals total to £268m, as the shopping centre operator aims to fix its balance sheet. Read more: New River REIT swings to a loss on [...]