Search Results

News that National Insurance will increase in 2011 by 0.5% for both firms and employees is predicted to increase job losses, further bad news for those needing a quick house sale.

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.

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

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

Unemployment has risen in almost all parts of the UK. This October the number of people being out of work has risen to over 1.6 million, an increase of 5,300 people out of work and claiming Job Seekers Allowance.

Bankruptcy fees rose from £75 to £525 this August to try and discourage people with financial issues looking for a solution to their problems.

Property prices dropped 0.6% in August from July and 0.4% from a year ago. Experts are expecting the housing market to be subdued for at least another year, with values staying the same of slightly lower as they are today.

A recent survey under High Street retailers unveiled that 46% of the retailers have seen their sales fall in August and the current condition of the retail market is under a lot of pressure.

As taxes escalate, there will be a squeeze on household budgets in the next ten years or so.

For many consumers, obtaining mortgages with higher percentage rates is next to impossible, especially at the lower rates advertised.

During the months of June, July, and August, the UK economy has decreased it's growth rate by 0.2%, while expanding 0.6% between the months of May, June, and July.

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

Figures from the Pension Protection Fund reported the deterioration of UK pension schemes in July 2011.

It is predicted by the CML that 40,000 people will lose their homes this year.

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

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%.

More holidaymakers will soon see their holiday budgets shrinking from additional charges on debit card use.

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

Chairman of the eurozone finance ministers, Jean Claude-Juncker, recently announced that Greece may need further assistance via financial bail-out.

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

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

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

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has recorded its worst fall in sales since records began in 1996, which is a further signal of difficult times on the High Street.

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.

As consumers face increased prices for food and fuel, retailers are gearing up for a tough year with sales expected to be lower than usual.

As usual, it's the people who can afford it the least who are being hardest hit by the recession.

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

All the unrest in Middle East might be good for democracy, but it's bad for the price of petrol.

British taxpayers hoped that after they nationalised lender Northern Rock, the bank would begin to recover.

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.

In November 2010, the Office for Budget Responsibility reported that they expect 330,000 job losses among public sector workers in the coming four years

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.

A recent report shows that banks in the UK are receiving tens of billions of pounds through hidden subsidies from customers and taxpayers – in addition to receiving support directly from the state.

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

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

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.

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

44,000 – that's how many home loans were provided for house purchase in November 2010, and this in a country of nearly 62 million people.

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.

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.

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.

The economic recovery occurring across the globe has caused an increase in demand for oil.

The British Chambers of Commerce is forecasting slower than expected economic growth in the coming year, downgrading its September forecast of a 2.2% GDP growth in the UK in 2011 to just 1.9%.

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.

A recent survey shows that UK residents plan to cut Christmas spending this year; however, data also shows that billions will still be borrowed in order to pay holiday-related expenses.

British Gas has announced that customers will see a 7% increase in electricity and gas bills this winter, making it the second major energy supplier in the UK to announce an increase in prices for this winter.

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.

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%.

An independent commission reports that higher contributions may be required from public sector pension scheme members.

Figures showing August mortgage activity have been released and show that lending was down 5% from July and down 3% from August 2009 in regards to loans granted to first-time homebuyers.

A recent survey of recruitment firms conducted by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) suggests that the UK employment market continues to weaken.

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.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has issued a warning that prices in the housing market will fall if the City regulator is able to restrict mortgage lending as planned.

A recent study shows that 38% of people support increasing taxes for private landlords and those who own second homes.

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

In August, property values dropped for the second month in a row, prompting surveyors to come forth with their expectations that house prices will continue to fall.

The Pensions Policy Institute Think Tank has put forth a statement saying that the state pension age will need to increase to 72 sometime within the next 20 years in order to keep government costs at their 1981 level

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.

Rampant wildfires and drought have devastated Russia’s wheat harvest, causing the prime minister to make the unprecedented move of placing a ban on the exportation of wheat.

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.

In the 12 months to Q1 2010, banks and building societies in the UK wrote off loans to individuals totaling £9.6 billion.

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.

Unions have expressed concerns over the size of planned job cuts for the Department of the Economy.

First-time property buyers are finding it more difficult to get on the property ladder, due to the hardship of raising the funds needed for the huge deposits required.

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.

According to the financial information service, Moneyfacts, rates on authorised overdrafts are now the highest they have been in the last decade.

In the ongoing efforts to cut costs and recover from the recent economic crisis, it is now looking likely that there will be a significant reduction in spending to build roads in the UK.

Household expenditures and the amount of money UK residents save have changed significantly over the last 40 years.

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.

The volcanic eruption in Iceland had a larger effect than simply annoying travelers when flights in the UK were grounded for approximately six days.

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

The UK experienced rather cold weather during the months of December and January, which brought the issue of high energy bills back to our attention.

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced that an additional 2,600 UK jobs will be cut over the course of the next year.

For the second year in a row, university graduates are facing lower expected graduate salaries.

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

Although private sector final-salary pension schemes in the UK saw a surplus in March, they had fallen back into deficit by the end of the month of April.

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.

The number of people in the UK who are of working age and who are not currently working increased by 110,000 during the first quarter of this year, ending in a record high of 8.16 million.

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

Worrying trends in credit card use are emerging in the UK as research begins to show the true depth of the reliance Brits have developed on credit cards.

Petrol prices have been on the rise for a number of reasons, including the higher cost of refining, increasing oil prices and the relative strength of the dollar.

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.

In an effort to boost public finances, a new tax rate has been levied for top earners and will go into effect at the beginning of the new financial year.

According to a recent survey of lenders, in the next three months overdrafts and personal loans will only be made available to those who are considered “better quality” borrowers.

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.

The world of mortgages is quickly changing, with the transformation perhaps being most evident in the dramatic increase in new mortgage deals requiring deposits of at least 25%.

In these tough economic times, a growing number of people are taking part-time jobs as a temporary fix to assist in making ends meet each month.

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.

Borders, a major bookseller in the UK, announced they will be closing up shop and attempting to sell their group of 45 stores.

Sell and Rent Back with Property Rescue involves a 4 stage process. Quick. Easy. And effective.

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

Three thousand less homes have been sold compared to October 2010, says HM Revenue & Customs. In total, house sales for 2011 are 5% less than 2010, caused by the lack of mortgage funds and our economies state.

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".

Due to would-be property buyers struggle to find mortgage finance in the current economic climate, the gap between demand and supply in the housing marking will continue to widen, resulting in further gain in rents.

There has been a 2.6% increase in long term graduate unemployment, from graduates who left university in 2007, to students who left in 2005.

Tenants with home buying ambitions have been under more and more pressure due to increasing private rents, recent reports show.

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.

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

In 2012, it is quite possible that average debts for UK students will reach an all time high, double the average debt in 2011.

Average pay gaps between employees in the private sector and those of the public sector have widely increased a great deal.

A recent survey questioning 1,800 UK businesses claims the biggest threats to UK companies are due to a weakened domestic demand.

Due to a fall in property values in July, surveyors are "pessimistic" about UK house prices.

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

On top of the 7,000 redundancies previously announced, it has now been reported that an additional 5,000 British soldiers will face the loss of jobs by 2015.

A study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the BBC shows that pensioners and the poorest families are among those hit the hardest by the recession.

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

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.

A small bank operating in the Portsmouth area has been shut down by the financial authorities.

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.

UK holidaymakers are now being warned that petrol prices have gone up since last summer all over Europe.

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.

UK residents who dream of living by the sea might find it a bit more difficult these days.

Nokia, a major mobile phone service provider, reports that sales and profit margins for this quarter are now expected to be significantly lower than company forecasts.

A Halifax poll, which included 4,000 non-homeowners as the respondents, shows that two-thirds of young adults who do not own a home believe they will not be able to get on the property ladder.

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

Car production in Japan fell in April with manufacturers forced to slow down or halt production, due to part shortages in the supply chain.

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.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, has put out a warning that customers may soon see an increase on their energy bills.

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.

According to an economic think tank, UK retailers could be facing many years of poor sales growth

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.

Research has found that the economies of university towns and cities could be badly hit from 2012 by the decision to raise student tuition fees as high as £9,000.

Plymouth City Airport will be closing in December, it has been announced.

Amazon has reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits as the cost of investing in new business overshadowed a big jump in sales.

The taxman is targeting plumbers and others who work for cash in a new campaign against people not paying tax.

Barclays, the UK bank has reported a 9% fall in pre-tax profits for the first three months of the year to £1.66bn.

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

Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, will be closing its UK plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire for two days each week in May due to the current shortage of car parts.

The president of the World Bank has warned that the world is "one shock away from a full-blown crisis".

Thousands of Jobcentre staff are set to strike after a dispute about working conditions and management targets.

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

The new tax year, which began on Wednesday, brought with it tax increases, cuts to benefits and tax credit changes that will affect families throughout Britain.

Psychiatrists have warned that changes in Western society could fuel a rise in the number of men with depression.

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

According to new figures from industry body SMMT, sales of the new 11-plate cars were down in March in comparison to the same month last year

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%.

Economists believe that the consumer confidence index is one of the best indicators for the overall health of an economy, and if they're right, the UK is in very big trouble.

According to a Freedom of Information request, the sum of the twenty largest student loan debts tops £1 million, with the largest student loan of all at £66,150.

The industry has given out a warning that, as a result of of a windfall tax on North Sea oil producers announced in the Budget, tens of thousands of jobs in the UK will be cut.

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

The Royal Mail will be cutting more than 1,700 jobs and close two mail centres in London.

According to the Chancellor George Osborne, the UK economy will grow more slowly this year than previously expected.