Budget 2015: George Osborne’s election gift for young and old alike March 18, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne used the final Budget of this government to give sweeteners to both younger and older voters yesterday. In an unexpected move, he introduced a new Help-To-Buy ISA, giving first-time buyers up to £3,000. “For every £200 [first-time buyers] save for their deposit, the government will top it up with £50 more,” Osborne [...]
London house prices: There’s a bold solution to the housing crisis – if councils get out of the way August 6, 2015 Tessa Jowell is the latest mayoral candidate to pledge to build more homes to tackle London’s housing crisis, promising at least 50,000 new properties would be built each year under her watch. The government has also outlined plans for 200,000 new starter homes to be constructed, many also earmarked for the capital. But history tells [...]
Piercing the bitcoin veil: Businesses should beware the risks of trading with a sanctioned entity February 3, 2016 In January the EU and the US lifted economic and financial sanctions against Iran in a ground-breaking deal that unfroze billions of pounds of assets and opened up new markets for the first time since 2010. Despite the fanfare surrounding the deal, in the small print a warning remains: some EU and US financial sanctions [...]
No end in sight for London house price boom: Average asking price soars to more than £600,000 June 15, 2015 House prices in the capital are set to outpace earnings for the foreseeable future, despite government efforts to boost house building and affordability. Average London asking prices have jumped to £613,922 – above £600,000 for the first time ever – according to Rightmove data published today. It marks a rise of 5.8 per cent compared [...]
London house prices: Your home is paying off your annual commute in around a fortnight if you live in Surbiton, Tandridge, Harpenden, Henley and Epsom January 13, 2016 Have you found yourself grumbling about the ever-increasing cost of commuting, even when your train is delayed/cancelled/diverted for no apparent reason? If you're a property owner, it's time to turn that frown upside down. New research suggests that if you travel into London from the commuter belt, your home is actually paying off the cost of your annual [...]
NatWest says government’s new Help to Buy ISAs will help young customers November 27, 2015 NatWest has revealed that it will be one of the country’s first lenders to participate in the government’s new Help to Buy: ISA scheme. Starting next week, NatWest will offer customers accounts on the scheme, which will see the government topping up individuals’ savings when they purchase their first home. For every £200 an individual [...]
Chinese shares rise two per cent after day of volatile trading – but end the week 10 per cent down January 8, 2016 Chinese shares closed mixed today, ending a week of volatile trading, following mounting fears over the pace of the country's economic slowdown. After a day of wild swings, China's Shanghai composite index closed up 1.97 per cent at 3,186.41 points. Meanwhile, the Shenzhen composite index ended the day 1.05 per cent higher at 1,978.721 points. The CSI 300 index, tracking [...]
London mayoral election 2016: Labour candidate Sadiq Khan attacks Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith over housing policy January 28, 2016 Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan was on the offensive tonight at the first official hustings event in the race for City Hall, as he attacked Conservative rival Zac Goldmsith over housing policy. Khan and Goldsmith participated in a public debate organised by the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) at the London School of Economics. The debate also [...]
What will the new government do to build more affordable homes? May 13, 2015 Housing charity Shelter says 250,000 new homes need to be built in England each year to keep up with population increases. But current housebuilding rates are nowhere near those levels. According to the department for communities and local government, just under 120,000 homes were completed last year. On the campaign trail, the Conservatives made a [...]
Save money on international transfers February 25, 2016 Stock markets have provided an interesting if not slightly stormy narrative to the beginning of 2016, and many City commentators are forecasting more of the volatility that was so prevalent during last year. If this proves to be the case currency markets are likely to be a bit choppy too. Sterling weakness Just like stock [...]