COP26: Three-year green savings bonds launched by Treasury-backed NS&I October 22, 2021 Green savings bonds giving savers across the UK the chance to back the Government’s environmental projects are being made available to take out online. Savers aged 16 or over can take out the bonds, which pay a fixed annual rate of 0.65% over a three-year term, via Treasury-backed savings provider NS&I’s website. The bonds, unveiled [...]
UK consumer confidence jumps on stronger than expected economic rebound July 23, 2021 UK consumer confidence rose for the sixth month in a row in July driven by the economy recovering much faster than initially expected. GfK’s latest consumer confidence index edged up two points to minus seven this month, marking the strong improvement in households’ outlook since the initial Covid unlocking in April of this year. The [...]
Rush to buy Christmas presents lifts Brits’ optimism November 19, 2021 A rush to buy Christmas presents early to avoid being stung by potential shortages has lifted Brits’ confidence. Shoppers are ready to pounce on big ticket purchases at Black Friday and over the festive period, research by GfK has found. Intention to splurge on expensive products jumped seven percentage points over the last month, climbing [...]
The unstoppable rise of the challenger bank: Canary Wharf’s retail giants have reasons to be worried January 22, 2022 If traditional retail banks have paid any attention to the latest data from the City watchdog, they have reasons to be worried, because challenger banks are increasingly taking over traditional banking services from established financial institutions. In fact, nearly 10 per cent of all accounts are now held with a so-called digital “challenger” bank. A [...]
A new tax year has started, here’s what you should be doing April 5, 2023 Savers have welcomed in a new tax year, starting Thursday 6 April. These include putting savings into tax free accounts such as Isas; the annual contributions limit for Isas will remain frozen in the 2023/24 tax year, from April 6, at £20,000. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at financial services provider Hargreaves Lansdown, said: [...]
Consumer confidence stalls amid fears of new variants and the cost of coronavirus April 23, 2021 Consumer confidence stalled in April, as consumers took a more guarded view of the future amid new Covid variants emerging. The closely-watched consumer confidence index from researcher GfK jumped just one point in April to minus 15, a significantly more subdued movement than March’s seven-point leap. Coronavirus restrictions are slowly easing in the UK, with [...]
Why you should never, ever bet against UK house prices May 9, 2023 Remember the start of the year? “UK house prices have gone into sharp reverse over recent months. And we expect that elevated mortgage rates will result in at least a 12 per cent price correction,” so said Capital Economics at the time. This is from building society Nationwide last week: “While annual house price growth [...]
UK government announces crackdown on crypto advertising January 18, 2022 The government has announced plans to toughen up rules on crypto advertising amid concerns the public is at risk from misleading ads.
U-turn: Amazon says it will NOT block UK Visa credit cards from Wednesday in last minute deal January 17, 2022 Amazon just said it will no longer block UK Visa Credit cards from Wednesday, as the e-com giant initially planned to do. Under a last minute deal, UK-issued cards will still be allowed to carry payments, the company said. Amazon said it is “in talks” with Visa to reach an agreement. ‘Applying pressure’ Responding to [...]
Whoever leads the No11 regime must learn spending will only fuel inflation July 7, 2022 The year ends with a two. We have a Prime Minister who reset Britain’s relationship with Europe and has suddenly appointed an inexperienced Chancellor. The new regime in Downing Street now promises tax cuts in the face of high inflation. Am I mad, in a coma, or has the Tory Party travelled back in time? [...]