US Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by a quarter point September 18, 2019 The US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the second meeting in a row amid concerns about a global economic slowdown, in a move which was largely expected by economists. The central bank lowered its main federal funds target rate by 25 basis points (0.25 percentage points) to between 1.75 and two per cent, [...]
‘It’s empowering to buy a shared ownership home’ September 23, 2019 Shared ownership helped West End actor Chris buy a place of his own in his beloved Islington Twenty-nine year old actor Chris Leask says that shared ownership was the “only way” he was ever going to be able to buy his own place in London. Chris, who is currently playing ‘Everyone Else’ in The Comedy [...]
Clydesdale Bank owner CYBG shares jump as it hits profit after £1.7bn Virgin Money merger May 15, 2019 Clydesdale Bank owner CYBG reported a profit boost in its first set of results since combining with Virgin Money after a “resilient” performance in tough market conditions. Read more: CYBG raises business banking fees weeks after RBS competition fund snub Shares in the bank rose more than seven per cent in early trading after the results [...]
TSB returns to growth after IT meltdown July 26, 2019 TSB announced it has returned to growth following a computer system meltdown that left millions of customers unable to access their accounts. The figures Statutory profit before tax in the first half of the year was £21.1m, compared to a loss of £107.4m in the first six months of 2018. Total customer deposits increased by [...]
How can you stop your credit card being sexist? November 14, 2019 Can a credit card be sexist? It’s not a question most people would have thought about before this week, but on Monday, the US financial regulator announced an investigation into claims of gender discrimination by Apple Card. The algorithms Apple Card used to set credit limits are, it has been reported, inherently biased against women. [...]
Revealed: The top 10 most affordable London boroughs for first-time buyers June 25, 2019 The City of London is the least affordable London borough for first-time buyers, according to new research that has ranked the capital’s best and worst spots for hopeful homeowners. Hackney, Haringey, Brent and Camden joined the Square Mile as the five most unaffordable boroughs in London based on the net wage and time taken to [...]
Rabobank profits fall by a quarter as lender hit with charges August 15, 2019 Pre-tax profit at the Dutch lender Rabobank fell by 26 per cent in the first half of the year, the company said today, after it was hit with impairment charges and struggled with low interest rates. Read more: Four lenders awarded £40m from RBS banking competition funds The figures Rabobank’s operating profit before tax dropped [...]
From energy to insurance: How Open Banking could fix the loyalty penalty headache July 29, 2019 You don’t get to be Prime Minister without having a few political gifts. One of Theresa May’s was her ability to spot the issues that people cared about – even if she found it harder to come up with effective ways of improving them. That was why her maiden speech outside Downing Street was so [...]
UK house price growth slows in May amid Brexit uncertainty May 31, 2019 Annual growth of UK house prices remained below one per cent for the sixth consecutive month in May, as political uncertainty continued to weigh on the property market. Prices fell 0.2 per cent month-on month, while annual house price growth slowed to 0.6 per cent, falling from 0.9 per cent in April and below the [...]
City watchdog launches crackdown on ‘buy now pay later’ deals June 12, 2019 The City watchdog has launched a crackdown on ‘buy now pay later’ deals in a bid to save consumers up to £60m a year. The Financial Conduct Authority has announced plans to ban retailers from charging backdated interest rates on loans repaid during the offer period. Read more: Financial Conduct Authority issues warning to high [...]