WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 20, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES RIO PLANS RUSSIAN DIAMOND PUSH AS IT EYES ALROSA TIE-UP Rio Tinto is planning a push into Russian diamond mining, eyeing a tie-up with Alrosa, the state-owned miner, as the global industry looks ahead to rising demand from China amid tight supply constraints. The company declined to comment on its intentions or on [...]
Do you agree with the bank’s rates decision? February 10, 2011 ANDREW CLAUDET | CHEESWORTHS “My gut feeling is they should have raised rates. It’s a tough call really. But I am worried about inflation because I think the rates they publish are not always indicative of costs, for example with petrol prices. I’m a saver so my savings aren’t going to be worth much.” GAJ [...]
Inflation expectations surge to highest ever level, poll reveals January 23, 2011 INFLATION expectations have soared to a record high this month, as rising prices add to the squeeze on household spending, a survey said today. With 89 per cent of respondents expecting the cost of their purchases to rise this year, the Markit household finance index dropped to its lowest level since April 2009. “The recent [...]
Osborne caught in a tangle over tax May 17, 2011 HEAD OF TAX, ACCA A YEAR on and coalition relations are distinctly less rosy than they were in the rose garden last May. But despite recent tensions the coalition has already made plenty of progress in reshaping Britain: radical reforms to welfare, education, and healthcare have all been initiated. From an accountant’s perspective though, one [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 21, 2011 FINANCIAL TIMES MOD TO SHAME LAX CONTRACTORS Liam Fox is to name and shame defence companies that fail to deliver military projects to the government on time, in a radical attempt to re-establish control over the department’s heavily overspent procurement budget. As the defence secretary wrestles with the consequences of slack spending on equipment programmes [...]
Soaring cost of living hits households February 20, 2011 HOUSEHOLD finances have taken a massive hit this month, according to a Markit index which saw inflation surge to an all time survey high. The cost of living measure showed 85 per cent of households reporting a rise in prices, Markit revealed today. Mortgage holders were particularly downbeat, as price pressures increase the chance of [...]
Santander UK IPO could hit further delay February 3, 2011 THE slated £5bn float of a fifth of Santander’s UK business might not get away until 2012, according to a person close to the IPO process. “If the markets are not in the right condition, it’ll be 2012. There’s a figure in mind the bank wants to get,” said the source. The prospect of putting [...]
Santander UK IPO could hit further delay February 3, 2011 THE slated £5bn float of a fifth of Santander’s UK business might not get away until 2012, according to a person close to the IPO process. “If the markets are not in the right condition, it’ll be 2012. There’s a figure in mind the bank wants to get,” said the source. The prospect of putting [...]
PROPERTY NEWS January 6, 2011 WHERE TO BUY IN 2011 Predictions for the property market may be uncertain, but independent homefinders network County Homesearch has named the areas it expects to be bucking the trend for sliding prices. These include perennial favourites like Alderley Edge in Cheshire, Exeter in Devon and East Hampshire, but it also names places such as [...]
FSA probes Swift mortgage firm December 20, 2010 MORTGAGE company Swift Advances has been under investigation by City watchdog the FSA since July 2009, the firm revealed in recent accounts. The public company said the group is likely to incur £9.4m of costs linked to the probe into its handling of mortgage arrears and lending practices, including a potential fine. The Office of [...]