Britain needs more venture capitalism – not a state bank September 25, 2012 HERE is a simple question. What do you think would do more to help the provision of finance for small firms? Vince Cable’s new state bank, which will begin its operations in 18 months’ time, or a radically improved tax system to improve the provision of equity financing and venture capital? In other words, is [...]
How to get on the housing ladder May 20, 2012 THERE is no doubt about it. It’s tough out there for first time buyers. But stricter lending criteria don’t necessarily mean it’s impossible to get on the housing ladder. However, you must know the basics so you can build your decision on strong foundations. DO THE MATHS Incentives matter. It was recently confirmed by the [...]
Prospective first time buyers hit by the escalating cost of renting August 9, 2012 HOPEFUL first time home buyers are trapped in an increasingly expensive rental market, according to a series of separate studies released yesterday and today. The cost of renting a home shot up by 4.3 per cent in the year to May-July, with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) explaining that “many would-be buyers continue [...]
BAML boosts profits in cost cutting drive July 18, 2012 MORE JOB cuts could be on the way at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BoAML), it emerged yesterday, as tough market conditions push firms across the sector to slash costs in an effort to shore up profits. The bank reported second quarter profits of $2.46bn (£1.57bn), strongly up on the $8.83bn loss a year ago. [...]
Virgin Money profits rose ahead of its Northern Rock acquisition June 27, 2012 VIRGIN Money made a £44.16m underlying pre-tax profit in the year leading up to its purchase of Northern Rock – while the bailed-out building society lost £110.9m. Virgin, which spent £747m buying Northern Rock from the government in November, said profits rose 41 per cent in 2011, with its credit card venture with Bank of [...]
Homeowners with long-term loans enjoy a rate hike pause June 13, 2012 INTEREST rate growth on mortgages steadied in May, according to Bank of England figures out yesterday – though economists warned this is likely to be a temporary and uneven pause in the long-term rise in rates. Homeowners with the riskiest loans saw a jump in rates last month. Banks and building societies offering a two-year [...]
Top tips for investment first-timers September 2, 2012 IF YOU’RE lucky enough to find that you’ve got money left at the end of each month, the investment decisions you make now could make a big difference to the quality of the rest of your life. However, deciding how you invest isn’t easy. At a time of stock market volatility, negative real returns from [...]
Home shortage drives prices up, says Nationwide May 31, 2012 House prices are stuck at a high level despite a lack of demand because of a low rate of building, Nationwide said yesterday, arguing that allowing more construction will reduce the pressure of housing costs on households. The building society’s data showed prices rose 0.3 per cent in May, but dropped 0.7 per cent on [...]
Mortgage loans plummet as tax break expires May 21, 2012 MORTGAGE lending plunged in April after the stamp duty holiday expired, industry data showed yesterday, while economists warned the underlying state of the housing market is weakening. Gross mortgage lending slumped from £12.6bn in March to £10.2bn in April – a 19 per cent fall to an 11-month low, according to data from the Council [...]
Legal cost over Libor could run into the billions June 28, 2012 BARCLAYS could face legal claims running into billions of pounds after it admitted trying to rig the Libor rate, analysts have warned. The bank, which will pay £290m in fines to regulators in Britain and the US, is expected to face legal action around the world and still faces punishments from authorities in other jurisdictions, [...]