London house prices might be mind-boggling for renters and young buyers, but it’s forcing creative solutions to the problem like never before October 15, 2015 This month, Daniel Radcliffe reportedly put his New York apartment up for rent at an eye-watering price of $19,000 (£12,500) per month. But now you can live the real “Harry Potter” lifestyle for a snip of the cost after an eager London renter in search of a new home tweeted a ‘room’ that was available to rent [...]
FTSE 100 traders catch breath, but oil prices still raising temperatures on steady day for markets April 4, 2016 It was easy-going on the stock markets today as investors caught a rare breather after a 2016 which has already had more than its fair share of twists and turns. The FTSE 100 closed the day up a modest 0.27 per cent at 6,164, though it was a day of up-and-down as an unconvincing mid-morning assault on last week's summit [...]
Pension changes: Government plans to let pensioners sell their annuities on a new secondary market have been universally criticised February 18, 2016 Pensioners will be able to sell on their annuities from next year, swapping regular income payments for a lump sum. It’s part of government plans to give greater freedom to the 5m pensioners who are already living with annuities. Some may be regretting their choice, and the idea of a fat lump sum instead of [...]
Betting on inflation: What we learned from our wager on the character of the UK recovery October 13, 2015 In March 2013, we made a bet via Twitter on what would happen to UK inflation as the economy started to recover. Andrew bet that, within 18 months of one-year GDP growth exceeding 2 per cent, inflation would reach 5 per cent or more. He thought that that would happen because economic recovery would [...]
Classic cars are becoming one of the UK’s best investments – but which ones should you be buying? June 9, 2016 With equities currently more volatile than Sarah Wollaston's views on the EU, and gold all over the place, it's no wonder an increasing number of people is turning to classic cars as an investment. New research suggests one in five people are now considering splashing out on a vintage set of wheels. And British marques [...]
Cheers: The UK guzzles more champagne than (almost) any other nation March 8, 2016 Forget global volatility – it seems Britons are ready to splash their cash, after new figures confirmed the UK is the world's largest export market for bubbly – and it's growing fast. Champagne shipments to the UK grew 4.5 per cent by volume last year, three times the rate of growth for the world as a whole, according [...]
London house prices: Build-to-Rent could transform lives in the capital – it must be free from unhelpful requirements October 1, 2015 The UK does not have enough homes – especially in the capital. This is a concern persistently raised by our members and felt the country over. Indeed, there is a real fear that our thriving cities – and London is the key example – will start to suffer as access to housing, or lack of [...]
Rent or buy? First-time buyers in London save £1,000 a year compared to renting as mortgage rates remain low August 23, 2014 Londoners managing to jump on the property ladder are saving £984 a year by making mortgage repayments instead of paying rent as a result of low rates and rising rental prices. New home owners in the capital are pocketing more money than any other region along with first-time buyers in the West Midlands, saving £984 [...]
Persimmon bucks summer slowdown with profit jump August 19, 2015 PERSIMMON yesterday became the latest housebuilder to boast an impressive jump in first-half profits as would-be homeowners regained confidence following the outcome of the General Election. The York-based housebuilder said profit before tax rose 31 per cent to £272.8m in the six months to 30 June, compared with £208.9m last year on revenues up 11 [...]
Maine Tower: More apartment hysteria as another residential skyscraper at Canary Wharf sells out in hours July 13, 2015 It turns out those working at Canary Wharf are really keen to kill their commute, after 208 homes at a newly-launched residential tower in the district sold out in four hours – a week after buyers queued around the block to snap up homes at another block. Read more: As first homes go on sale at [...]