Shoppers fear for economy August 10, 2010 CONSUMER confidence has fallen to the lowest level since May 2009, amid rising everyday costs and jitters about the health of the economy. Nationwide’s confidence index fell seven points to 56 today, the third consecutive monthly drop. The number of households who believe their income will be lower in six months’ time is at the [...]
Travel cover market slow September 28, 2010 THE need for comprehensive travel insurance has been highlighted this year by the Icelandic volcanic eruption and the travel chaos that ensued. The plight of Britons without adequate coverage – often examined in gruesome detail by the press this summer – has meant that we are more wary of the need for better safeguards when [...]
Facebook to track users’ location August 19, 2010 Facebook’s 500m-plus users will soon be able to track friends’ whereabouts across the world, as the world’s largest Internet social network adds technology to increasingly tie its virtual world to everyday life. The new “Places” feature – which begins rolling out on Wednesday and goes nationwide within weeks – is being touted as a tool [...]
Halifax shocks bears with rise in house prices September 8, 2010 HOUSE prices rose for the second month running in August, mortgage lender Halifax said yesterday, confounding expectations for a fall though it still expected house prices to stagnate overall this year. House prices rose 0.2 per cent in August, Halifax said, which, coming after a 0.7 per cent rise in July, had helped to reverse [...]
Renting a room or other assets brings handy added income October 21, 2010 Nationwide Building Society’s UK consumer confidence index plunged nine points to 53 in September – its lowest level in over a year – as consumers fretted over looming job losses and higher prices. Jittery consumers are pulling in their purse-strings in this new age of austerity, but some entrepreneurial spirit could help you boost your [...]
Barratt beats forecasts but warns of dip September 8, 2010 HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Developments said concerns about the economy and the lack of mortgage finance meant the market for new housing was still challenging as it reported better-than-expected full-year profits. “It’s early days in the autumn-selling season but so far private reservation rates are in line with expectations and prices are holding up,” chief executive Mark [...]
Ruling the theatre roost November 11, 2010 OF all the areas you might expect a canny private equity firm to invest serious bucks, the theatre business – with its reputation for volatile actors and directors, no less volatile audiences, and millions poured into shows that can fold almost immediately – might not be top of the list. However, London firm Exponent has [...]
do you expect house prices to keep falling August 30, 2010 ED STANSFIELD | CAPITAL ECONOMICS We forecast the Nationwide survey to be five per cent lower at the end of this year compared to December 2009 and the outlook remains downbeat for 2011. The market has softened already before we have seen any real fiscal tightening. Although London is likely to remain resilient in the [...]
do you expect house prices to keep falling August 30, 2010 ED STANSFIELD | CAPITAL ECONOMICS We forecast the Nationwide survey to be five per cent lower at the end of this year compared to December 2009 and the outlook remains downbeat for 2011. The market has softened already before we have seen any real fiscal tightening. Although London is likely to remain resilient in the [...]
BUYING August 19, 2010 MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q.Dear Camilla. I’m thinking about buying a property in London for investment but I keep seeing various contradicting indices and I am very confused. What is happening? A.There are so many indices and they often conflict – for example, the Halifax and Nationwide indices moved in opposite directions in July. [...]