Businesses can’t blame it all on weatherman January 30, 2011 WON’T blame it on myself, I’ll blame it on the weatherman”. So sang rubbish Irish girl group B*Witched in their 1999 number one hit. Over a decade later business leaders are following their lead. In December it snowed in the UK. In January we heard that people bought fewer Airfix models and drank less beer. [...]
The man who’s locking horns with indecisive EU regulators April 17, 2011 MENTION Brussels to any senior London-based insurer and you will always get the same reaction: anger and exasperation. With just over 18 months to go before the introduction of Solvency II, the insurance industry’s equivalent of the new Basel III banking rules, European regulators have still not produced a framework that properly reflects the business [...]
Paragon sees lending return as rents rise November 24, 2010 UK SPECIALIST mortgage lender Paragon Group said yesterday it expected lending to increase as a result of higher demand in the private rented sector as it reported higher-than-expected full-year results. The lender said profit before tax stood at £71.8m for the year to 30 September 2010, up almost 25 per cent from £54.3m the previous [...]
Paragon sees lending return as rents rise November 24, 2010 UK SPECIALIST mortgage lender Paragon Group said yesterday it expected lending to increase as a result of higher demand in the private rented sector as it reported higher-than-expected full-year results. The lender said profit before tax stood at £71.8m for the year to 30 September 2010, up almost 25 per cent from £54.3m the previous [...]
PERSONAL FINANCE NEWS December 16, 2010 NEW SHARE BROKING FIRM LAUNCHED Rivington Street Holding yesterday launched its execution-only share broking service, promising to cut the cost of share dealing for private investors. Created by Barry Jenkins and Brian Gould, JPJshare.com will charge from £4.75 per trade for those making more than 15 trades a month and £5.75 for less frequent users. [...]
Republic’s banks face fresh woes November 25, 2010 THE cost of recapitalising Irish banks could be even higher than the €22-27bn estimated. The potential cost of large-scale defaults in residential mortgages, currently not included in the Nama “bad bank” programme, has not been factored into recapitalisation figures by credit analysts. If Nama is forced to accept distressed residential loans for the first time [...]
Republic’s banks face fresh woes November 25, 2010 THE cost of recapitalising Irish banks could be even higher than the €22-27bn estimated. The potential cost of large-scale defaults in residential mortgages, currently not included in the Nama “bad bank” programme, has not been factored into recapitalisation figures by credit analysts. If Nama is forced to accept distressed residential loans for the first time [...]
BUYING January 13, 2011 MANAGING PARTNER OF BLACK BRICK PROPERTY SOLUTIONS LLP Q.Q: What are your predictions for the 2011 property market? Will there be more stock? When is a good time to buy? A.The prime central London property market has constantly suffered from a shortage of stock, and our advice for potential buyers looking for a home is [...]
BUYING January 13, 2011 MANAGING PARTNER OF BLACK BRICK PROPERTY SOLUTIONS LLP Q.Q: What are your predictions for the 2011 property market? Will there be more stock? When is a good time to buy? A.The prime central London property market has constantly suffered from a shortage of stock, and our advice for potential buyers looking for a home is [...]
US bailout to cost $25bn November 30, 2010 THE US Troubled Asset Relief Programme (Tarp), which risked up to $700bn (£450bn) of government funds to bail out troubled banks and automakers, will cost taxpayers a mere $25bn, according to an estimate released yesterday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). CBO’s latest assessment of the widely reviled programme is lower even than the [...]