The great skills race: How the UK measures up June 24, 2015 IMMIGRATION provides a lifeline for Britain’s fast-growth firms. Over 60 per cent of The Leap 100 rely on non-UK nationals to fill vacancies in their companies. “By making it harder to employ skilled non-EU nationals, the government is putting a brake on the growth of the economy”, says Danvers Baillieu of Privax. This view was [...]
UK house prices: The proportion of house buyers shunning mortgages for cash purchases has hit a record high June 3, 2015 More people than ever before are buying houses without the need for a mortgage, according to new figures. Almost four in 10 people (38 per cent) paid for their properties in cash during the first quarter of the year, Nationwide has said. This mitigated subdued mortgage lending data to some extent. There are signs that [...]
Central bankers scent interest rate hikes: Federal Reserve prepares for rise with UK expected to follow later July 15, 2015 An unprecedented era of easy money, seen on both sides of the Atlantic since 2008, could be over by the end of the year, with the Federal Reserve preparing to hike rates and some analysts expecting the UK to follow suit in subsequent months. “If the economy evolves as we expect, economic conditions likely [...]
Only 43 homes listed for sale in London are “affordable” for the average family April 29, 2015 Just 43 homes listed for sale in London are classified as "affordable" to the average family, new research has suggested. That's 0.1 per cent of the market – and it includes houseboats and a mobile home. The study, by housing charity Shelter, found 34 of those properties has "incorrect information" in their listings, were likely [...]
Retailer Amazon paid just £11.9mn in tax in 2014 June 25, 2015 The online retailing goliath Amazon’s UK business paid just £11.9mn in tax last year, despite earning £5.3bn in sales from British shoppers. Amazon’s Luxembourg arm, called Amazon EU Sarl, took in the £5.3bn of sales, with UK sales rising by 14 per cent in 2014. However, the British-based Amazon.co.uk Limited subsidiary recorded a profit of [...]
Investors buy up absolute return funds as volatility spikes July 20, 2015 Volatility in bond and equity markets has picked up lately, and risks seem to be cropping up in every part of the globe. Now investors are turning to absolute return funds – which aim to create returns in rising or falling markets – for safety. At the moment, many investors are finding it tricky [...]
Bank of England minutes: Policymakers vote 9-0 to keep rates on hold May 20, 2015 Minutes from the Bank of England's May meeting have shown little change, with the monetary policy committee again voting 9-0 to keep interest rates at 0.5 per cent. Two members felt the decision was "finely balanced", implying they're thinking about reversing their vote. All members agreed interest rates "were more likely than not" to rise over the [...]
Are interest rates about to rise? Don’t bank on it yet July 22, 2015 Bank of England governor Mark Carney has set the cat among the pigeons with his recent comments on interest rate rises. From the media response, one could infer that a rate rise is just around the corner and a done deal. My response is hold on, not so fast. For the first time since the [...]
UK house prices rise 0.5 per cent in October, but longer-term trend is slowing October 30, 2014 Are house prices rocketing or is their growth slowing? It's getting confusing – according to Nationwide, the unpredictable UK housing market rose in October, with prices up 0.5 per cent month on month, after they fell 0.1 per cent in September. But the annual figure, a more reliable measure, slowed to nine per cent. As [...]
Affordable chic: Designing shared ownership homes May 7, 2015 Oasis Design explains how it got a professional look with high street furniture at Notting Hill Housing’s Rathbone Market. Between the affordable homes debate and the proposed extension of Right to Buy, housing associations are hot stuff right now. This upsurge in demand has benefited one interior design firm in particular, Oasis Interior Design, which [...]