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Homeowners are seeing mortgage rates rise despite the Bank of England’s base rate remaining stuck at rock bottom. 

The amount of mortgage deals on offer to borrowers has suddenly dropped, after rising towards the end of last year. 

UK economic activity shrank by 0.2% in the last three months of last year according to official figures.

The High Pay Commission says that the extortionate wages of UK executives will damage the nation’s economy. Their “corrosive” salaries are having a negative impact on our economy and "high pay creating inequalities last seen in the Victorian era".

Consumers have been experiencing a decrease in take-home pay for nine months this August.

Between the months of July and August almost 40% of homeowners witnessed their finances deteriorate according to a study under 1,500 adults.

Strict lending criteria developed by bank and housing pricing levels have meshed, eliminating new potential buyers from the market.

Without government action addressing the chronic amount of under supplying homes, it is a possibility the housing market will plummet into a deep crisis.

Since 1991, the amount of consumers actively saving in corporate pension schemes within the UK's private sector has been halved.

Along with the UK government target inflation rates rising in July, due to the increase of financial service fees and higher prices for clothing.

Unemployment numbers in the UK have increased greatly by 38,000 to 2.49 million within the past few months.

Average pay settlements are around 2.5% during July and because of this many consumers have to endure cut backs in their outgoings and struggle to pay off personal loans and mortgages.

Potential buyers in most of the UK are discouraged to purchase a property due to lenders demanding large deposits.

According to the IMF, higher prices for oil, economic turmoil in the eurozone, impact of spending cuts, and plummeting prices could throw the economy off course.

According to The International Monetary Fund, unemployment, growth, and risks to inflation are prevalent in the UK.

Since May, the UK economy has drastically weakened, escalating Europe's debt crisis and fears of contracting in the US.

In June, mortgage lending has increased, but the market is still subdued.

Since the government expects to make changes with public sector pensions, people have expressed their concerns.

Increasing demand for properties to rent has caused rents in the private sector to increase to an average of £701 per month throughout England and Wales.

New data shows that UK Consumer Prices Index inflation remained unchanged in May, holding steady at 4.5%.

Figures suggest that some UK residents are saving less these days, due to increased outgoings, such as higher household bills.

The Bank of England recently warned that increasing utility bills are expected to result in inflation hitting 5% later on this year.

The Bank of England recently warned that increasing utility bills are expected to result in inflation hitting 5% later on this year.

The Halifax reports that home prices fell in the spring, but that the lender expects prices to stabilise later this year.

Recent figures have shown that UK retail sales fell 1.4% in May.

 Social housing costs are proving too expensive, resulting in housing benefit changes currently going through Parliament.

Income gaps have continued to widen over the past 30 years, with many low- and middle- income wage earners seeing only slight – if any – improvement in their overall incomes.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) warns that home repossessions will likely rise again in 2012.

HMV, the DVD and music retailer, recently sold the Waterstone’s book chain to a fund controlled by Alexander Mamut – a Russian billionaire who owns 6% of HMV.

According to a recent survey, gazumping is pushing up rents in England and Wales, with the average cost to tenants reaching £696 in May.

UK unemployment fell 88,000 in the three months to April this year to 2.43 million, the biggest drop since the summer of 2000, latest data shows.

Argos has reported a big drop in sales for the past three months after it experienced worse-than-expected trading conditions, according to its owner.

People aged between 30 and 50 are falling behind older people in saving for retirement, according to a recent pensions report.

A BBC investigation has uncovered some unsavoury practices in the debt management industry, including some companies holding the money they receive from clients instead of paying creditors.

A recent survey shows that UK manufacturing growth is slowing, with April growth at the weakest in seven months.

The most recent survey put out by the Nationwide building society shows that the housing market in the UK remains subdued.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported a drop in new car sales in April, making it the tenth consecutive month to see a fall.

A recent report put out by Deloitte, a financial services firm, warns that UK households will face a decrease in disposable income of approximately £780 this year.

A leading economic think tank has warned that UK households may face the biggest drop in income for 30 years.

Low-cost airline Easyjet has reported that its half-year losses have almost doubled due to higher fuel costs and the tough economic environment.

The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has warned that higher utility bills could push inflation up to 5% later this year.

According to a recent survey from the Land Registry house prices in England and Wales are still falling.

There has been a huge rise in the number of home buyers paying for their new homes in cash.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has closed down four companies that misled people in debt

Mortgage lending is still at very low levels, according to the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the price of oil has started to have an effect on energy demand.

The Nationwide building society reported an increase in home prices in March – up 0.5% from the previous month and about 0.1% from the same month last year.

Recent figures suggest that economic problems may be leading to a rise in depression in England.

Due to a shortage of parts coming from Japan, Honda is to halve production at its factory in Swindon from Monday

Higher UK postage prices have come into force –with the result that a first-class stamp now costs 46p.

Recent figures show that consumers got a bit bolder in terms of unsecured borrowing and mortgages in the month of February.

For those who want to sell house fast, good luck: mortgages are getting harder and harder to find as UK borrowing hits a new record.

Will inflation rates ever come down again? In January, the UK Consumer Prices Index stood at 4%; today it stands at 4.4%.

Savers are finding it harder than ever to protect their funds from inflation erosion.

Winter fuel payments for older people are due to fall this year.

Telecoms giant BT has announced that, from 28 April 2011 call charges will increase by 9% and the monthly standard line rental charge will increase by 30 pence.

UK mortgage lending remained at low levels in February as the housing market remained "stuck in a rut", lenders have reported.

The number of people in the UK facing unemployment and rising bills have convinced MPs that people need a better financial education.

It seems like online identity theft and online credit card fraud is rising at an alarming rate.

According to the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics), the property market is flat everywhere in the UK except London.

According to a report by the Halifax, UK house prices fell by 0.9% this February, compared with last month, cancelling out a rise in January.

For twelve years, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has got the inflation numbers wrong.

Rightmove, an estate agency site that lays claim to advertising 90% or properties listed with local estate agents, has stated that much of the property market in the UK is facing paralysis in 2011.

Many home owners are choosing to sell and rent back because of the ongoing sluggish state of the UK economy and prolonged unemployment.

Research by ING Direct suggests that the prospect of university fees rising to £9,000 a year is prompting parents to save more for their children's education.

Relying on your savings to supplement your income puts you at risk of greater pain from the rising rate of inflation.

A research group recently predicted that house prices in the UK will fall by another 1.7% in 2011.

In January 2011, the UK's Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 4%.

According to recent news from the UK Public Health Association, the two-tier tariffs used for domestic fuel billing is leading to thousands of deaths every winter.

The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) reports an increase of 25% since last spring in regards to complaints against debt management companies

More bad news for the unemployed: a recent survey discovered that employers expect the highest level of redundancy since 2004.

According to recently released figures, the UK GDP shrank 0.5% in the last three months of 2010, partially due to the significant economic impact of  December’s freezing weather.

A recent study shows that UK consumers have experienced their largest monthly fall in confidence in 16 years when it comes to their own finances and the economy.

According to a monthly survey conducted by LSL, a property firm, unpaid rent and late-paid rent is on the rise

More than nine million UK residents have been adversely affected by a government failure to credit more than £1 billion in National Insurance contributions.

The economic situation in the UK remains grim. Recent unemployment figures show that joblessness continues to hover around 8%, jumping to 20% for 16 – 24 year-olds

Figures show that 2010 saw UK mortgage lending fall to the lowest level in nine years.

The United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has reported a new high in global food prices as of December.

Brian Strutton, national officer for GMB, asserts that the speed and size of coming job cuts may reach unprecedented levels.

Research conducted by Incomes Data Services (IDS) suggests that a majority of workers in the UK are facing a real possibility of declining incomes in 2011.

R3, the Association of Business Recovery Professionals, estimates that there are 961,000 UK residents struggling with debt.

Halifax, a lender in the Lloyds Banking Group, reports that house prices in the UK continue to fall, with December seeing a drop of 1.3% from November prices.

New European rules will be going into force in the UK as of 1 February, which are expected to result in an increase in the number of borrowers being charged higher rates of interest than those advertised.

More than one-fifth of UK households report that they intend to increase their savings or are already saving more.

Unemployment is on the rise in the UK once again, reaching 2.5 million (7.9%) in October. This resulted from an increase of 35,000 during the previous three months.

Numbers from the Office for National Statistics show that £10.3bn was borrowed by the UK government in the month of October to compensate for the public finances gap.

Hometrack, a property website, has stated that homes for sale are spending an average of almost 10 weeks on the market, which is the longest for the past 17 months.

Rail industry figures show that travellers will see an increase in rail fares in 2011. The average fare increase will be 6.2%, with some fares increasing by as much as 10.8%.

Energy bills may become an issue for many as the UK is expected to experience an extremely early start to winter this year.

The month of September saw a continuing weak appetite among consumers when it came to borrowing.

Recent research conducted by insolvency trade body R3 shows that the state of personal finances is set to become even more precarious as job cuts continue in coming months.

In an unexpected turn of events, the UK saw the Consumer Prices Index inflation rate rise 0.1% to reach 3.2% in October.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) reports that housing prices are continuing to drop, due to a shortage of buyers.

According to a warning from the Bank of England, the UK economy’s future continues to be uncertain.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has asked the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to weaken plans for restrictions on mortgage lending, calling the plans “flawed and impractical.”

Oil prices appear to be on the rise and have hit their highest point in six months.

New figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal that government borrowing has increased, with a record £16.2 billion borrowed in September to close the public finances gap.

According to the BBC, the Spending Review has revealed that the budget for England’s social housing programme is facing cuts of more than 50%.

Aside from drops in overall lending, there has also been a drop in recent months in new mortgages that are approved but have not yet been lent.

According to the Bank of England, UK consumers paid back more unsecured debt than they borrowed in the month of August

A new report suggests that nearly 1 million UK jobs could be lost due to public spending cuts by the government.

The UK’s energy regulator has stated that £32 billion is needed for improvement in the distribution infrastructure.

A report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed an unexpected drop in retail sales in the UK in August, which was the first time retail sales has dropped since January.

According to the Markit UK Household Finance Index, savings are still low as consumers focus on paying down debts amongst concerns regarding economic difficulties ahead.

The Office of Fair Trading has given 129 debt management companies three months to come into line after finding that some firms are overly focused on sales and even posing as charities.

Mortgage lending in the UK has dropped for the third consecutive month with new figures underlining just how subdued the property market is.

the month of July, first-time home buyers found their share of the mortgage market at the lowest level seen in three years.

Complaints filed with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) increased by 2,076 in the first half of 2010, compared to the number received in the preceding six months.

An allowed banking process called setting off is on the rise and is leaving some customers broke.

A survey conducted by Schroders shows that nearly a third of the adults in the UK took money out of their savings over this past year to make up for income shortfalls.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) announced that the poorest families are the hardest hit by the first budget put out by the coalition government.

The Policy Exchange has put out a warning that interest rates could need to increase to 8% in an effort to combat mass inflation. The think tank speculates that a wave of money could be unleashed as a result of the economic recovery.

The new coalition government has scrapped Labour’s flagship Saving Gateway savings plan, which was meant to start in July with the goal of encouraging the UK’s poorest to start saving.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the UK is facing the “longest, deepest, sustained period of cuts to public services spending at least since World War II.”

According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, house prices are beginning to fall again.

The average borrowing of UK consumers is on the rise with the average amount owed by each UK adult at approximately £30,000, which includes mortgages.

According to insurance companies, the UK saw a significant increase in the number of fraudulent claims in 2009, resulting in a record high.

According to figures released by the British Banker’s Association (BBA), the total number of home mortgages approved in June had dropped from the month before to 34,813.

During the first annual energy statement delivered to Parliament, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne estimated a significant increase in energy bills for businesses over the next 10 years.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) has released figures regarding the minimum income needed to have an acceptable standard of living in the UK.

Official figures show that new public sector borrowing in the month of June was higher than expected.

Fewer UK-listed companies issued profit warnings in the second quarter of this year, with only 45 firms issuing warnings between April and June, according to Ernst & Young.

Bankruptcies in the UK are on the rise, with figures showing a distinct increase in the first quarter of this year in the number of residents of England and Wales trying to be declared bankrupt.

The National Insurance Contributions Bill, as included in the Queen’s Speech, is scheduled to increase national insurance contribution rates as of April 2011.

According to the Pension Protection Fund (PPF), the collective deficit for final-salary pension schemes in the UK’s private sector increased in May.

Starting in April 2013, unemployed people who claim Jobseekers Allowance for more than 12 months will experience a 10% cut in their Housing Benefit after the 12-month mark.

New tax rules regarding Capital Gains Tax will hit higher rate tax payers particularly hard.

Spending related to the World Cup is credited with giving UK retail sales a boost in May.

New restrictions on benefits for expectant mums and new parents are poised to make raising children significantly more expensive.

UK residents can expect to see many changes as the government undertakes its reforms. One of the first reforms includes a change in the pension age, which is scheduled to go from 65 to 68.

Figures reported by the Land Registry show that house prices in Wales and England continue to steadily increase.

A survey conducted by High Fliers found that university students do not feel secure in their career options after graduation.

Both new and current borrowers are seeing higher interest rates on mortgages as of 1 June 2010.

Research conducted by Scottish Widows shows that Brits continue to feel financially insecure, even though the UK is officially out of the recession.

According to a savings survey conducted by the NS&I, UK residents are putting less money in savings, resulting in a decrease in savings that is the lowest it has been in over two years.

According to figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the amount paid into stakeholder and personal pension plans dropped by £1.1 billion (5%) during the recent recession.

A YouGov survey commissioned for Financial Planning Week 2009 found that one in 20 Brits will seek professional financial assistance to improve their finances.

Some of the UK’s major train operators have recently been accused of surreptitiously increasing train fares by extending what are considered peak hours.

Official figures show a significant increase in UK inflation in March 2010. In the previous month, the rate of inflation was at 3%, sharply rising to 3.4% in March.

Regardless of which party prevails in the coming elections, UK residents can anticipate an increase in taxes.

Government borrowing hit a new peacetime high last year, reaching £163.4 billion (equivalent to 11.6% of the Gross Domestic Product) by the end of the financial year.

A recent Halifax report states that there has been a significant slowdown in the UK housing market and mortgage lending sectors in recent months.

As we continue to see the effects of the economic downturn, we now have a better idea of the manner in which businesses have been affected.

In order to address the UK’s £178 billion deficit and to begin to re-establish credibility in public finances, the government must start implementing public spending cuts this year.

2010 has not started out well for public finances. In January, the government borrowed an additional £4.3 billion, bringing the total to the highest since record keeping began in 1993.

As if many people were not already facing enough financial challenges, interest rates on credit cards are on the rise.

It is no secret that the cost of housing has risen significantly over the past 50 years, even taking into account the last few years decreases

A survey has revealed that in the past 12 months, more than 10 million people were overdrawn, with 2.1 million of those people never coming out of their overdraft.

Individual borrowing is increasing in the UK, undoubtedly in part from the effects of the economic crisis making it more difficult to make ends meet each month.

Average consumer debt and household debt in the UK continues to increase.

It is no surprise that the UK will be facing a long recovery in order to correct the negative impacts during this economic crisis.

November 2009 saw a record high in the UK’s public sector net borrowing, which reached £20.3bn.

For those looking for quick house sales, it seems another house price index comes out every week. Here is a quick description of the main 4 indices, useful for those wanting a quick home sale.

The increased need for a fast property sale in London has led to a fall in the average asking price of 0.4 percent since February according to Prime Location.

There’s been some good news at last for those seeking quick house sales or wanting to sell their property portfolio.

Homeowners increasing look  to alternatives for a fast property sale.