Is It Worth Remortgaging Early? A Simple Guide for UK Homeowners
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Economic growth to pick up but risks to recovery ‘elevated’, say UK forecasts
Households and firms can expect more financial pain despite Britain dodging technical recession, says KPMG Britain will be left with deep scars from the pandemic despite narrowly escaping a second recession within three years and growing signs of an economic pick up, according to new forecasts. A new report by the accountancy firm KPMG has […]
Mortgage turbulence continues as HSBC pulls deals and Nationwide raises rates – business live
HSBC temporarily removes mortgage products for new customers, as borrowers face higher rates HSBC temporarily withdraws mortgage deals for new borrowers The UK’s cost of living crisis has driven down sales on the high streets, which turned negative for the first time in more than two years Total like-for-like retail sales, combining in-store and online, […]
UK house prices experience annual fall for first time in decade, data shows
Price of average home in May was 1% lower than in same month last year, according to Halifax figures UK house prices have experienced their first annual fall in more than a decade, according to Halifax, in a sign that the impact of soaring interest rates on household budgets has brought a halt to the […]
Housebuilders cut back on construction as UK mortgage rate rises spook buyers
Work on residential building sites slips in May to weakest level since 2009 UK banks pull hundreds more mortgage deals as fixed rates rise Britain’s housebuilders are cutting back on the construction of new homes amid signs that potential buyers are being spooked by the prospect of increases in mortgage rates over the coming months. […]
UK banks pull hundreds more home loan deals as fixed mortgage rates rise
Mortgage market turmoil prompts record numbers of people to take out loans of more than 35 years Hundreds more home loan deals have been pulled by banks and building societies since the end of last week while rates on new fixed mortgage deals are continuing to ratchet upwards, the latest data reveals. The continuing turmoil […]
Mortgages: UK lenders continue to raise rates and pull deals
Record 19% of all loans taken out by first-time buyers in March were for 35 years or longer Business live – latest updates Mortgage market misery has stepped up for homebuyers as lenders continue to increase borrowing rates and pull deals, prompting record numbers to take out loans of more than 35 years in an […]
Biggest drop in UK annual house prices since 2009, with market ‘facing strengthening headwinds’ – business live
Nationwide reports that UK annual house price growth fell to -3.4% in May, from -2.7% in April, but hopes for a ‘soft landing’ Chris Druce, senior research analyst at estate agent Knight Frank, says further interest rate increases will act as a ‘brake’ on the housing market: “With fewer transactions at the start of the […]
Agreed house sales in UK at highest point this year, says Zoopla
But property website warns that rebound in activity could be hit by rising mortgage rates More prospective house sellers are returning to the UK’s property market, pushing agreed home sales to their highest point of the year in May, according to Zoopla, although it warned that the rebound in activity could be knocked by rising […]
UK homeowners and first-time buyers warned to brace for 5%-plus mortgage rates
Lenders forced to raise fixed-term deals after latest inflation figure pushed swap rates upwards Households looking for a new mortgage deal have been warned to expect 5%-plus fixed-rate deals in the coming weeks, after Wednesday’s inflation figures sent the money markets back into turmoil. Nick Mendes, the mortgage technical manager at the broker John Charcol, […]
Inflation calculator: find out how much UK household price rises affect you
This online tool will help you discover what is contributing to your household’s cost of living increases Inflation has been soaring in the UK, with people being hit by higher prices for everyday essentials. The latest inflation rate for the 12 months to April 2023 means that goods and services cost more than 8.7% more […]
UK inflation drops but food price rises remain close to 45-year high – business live
Rolling, live coverage of business, economics and financial markets as analysts expect drop in consumer price index inflation Rachel Reeves, Labour’s shadow chancellor, is focusing on food prices (as did her Conservative counterpart). But it is the core inflation number that is catching the eye of many analysts. Continue reading…
Private renters ‘almost twice as likely to struggle with debt as UK general population’
Charity says stronger protections are needed or people will be left vulnerable to ‘hair-trigger evictions’ Private renters are almost twice as likely to be struggling with problem levels of debt as the general population, with a sharp rise in the numbers in serious financial difficulty since January, research shows. The figures come against a backdrop […]
UK households with communal heating facing 350% rise in energy costs
Surge in energy costs filtering through to low-income households on shared heat networks Lambeth council tenants ‘in precarious position’ after 350% service charge rise Residents in council homes and private flats with communal heating systems are experiencing a “nightmare” rise in their energy bills, with households scrambling to fund increases of up to 350%. An […]
British supermarkets report shortages of peppers as Morrisons rations sales
Retailer limits purchases to two a customer after cold snap in Europe hits supplies British supermarkets are running short of peppers after a cold snap in Europe, leading some to limit the number customers can purchase. In a repeat of the shortages of salad crops in February and March, another bout of unseasonably cold weather […]
Jeremy Hunt has left the UK to rot in poverty. So we must take matters into our own hands | Gordon Brown
With hygiene banks now joining food banks and clothes banks, I’m calling on retailers to take drastic action and help their poorest customers Poverty will last until doomsday if this Conservative government is all that confronts it. The so-called “budget for growth”, more accurately titled the “budget for growth in poverty”, has done nothing for […]
Bank of England boss urges firms to hold back price rises or risk higher rates
Andrew Bailey says interest rates will have to rise again unless inflation falls Wetherspoon’s boss: hospitality holding off price rises could be ‘catastrophic’ The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, has called on businesses to hold back price rises, telling them that interest rates will need to rise again unless inflation falls. Bailey, who was […]
Bank of England chief warns of further interest rate hikes if firms raise prices – business live
Andrew Bailey appeals to businesses to avoid price rises because higher inflation ‘hurts least well-off in society’ Stock markets are in the red again, with the FTSE 100 index down 67 points, or 0.9%, at 7,431. Germany’s Dax has lost 133 points, or 0.9%, to 15,076 while France’s CAC fell 65 points, or 0.9% to […]
Studio flats for sale – in pictures
From a historic art deco ‘bachelor’s pied-á-terre’ in the heart of Chelsea, to one of Manchester’s coolest geometric glass creations Continue reading…
UK households ‘spent 12% more on essentials in February than year earlier’
Almost four in 10 people have to use credit cards to cover such costs, says Nationwide Inflation and rising bills mean UK households are spending 12% more on essentials than they were a year ago, with almost four in 10 people having to use credit cards to cover these costs, new data shows. Two days […]
Bank of England raises UK interest rates by quarter-point to 4.25%
Monetary policy committee votes to increase base rate after February’s surprise rise in inflation Business live – latest updates Analysis: Is this the end of interest rate rises? What the interest rate rise means for you The Bank of England has raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25% in response […]
UK interest rate rise: what it means for you
How the new base rate of 4.25% might affect mortgages, house prices and credit cards Business live – latest updates Analysis: Is this the end of interest rate rises? Bank of England raises interest rates to 4.25% The Bank of England has yet again raised interest rates, this time by 0.25 percentage points, taking the […]
Why does the UK have highest inflation in G7 and is Brexit a factor?
Britain appears to be an international outlier after the shock reading in double digits this week Live coverage: Inflation jumps as cost of living crisis intensifies UK inflation rate in surprise rise to 10.4% Inflation calculator: find out how much price rises affect you Britain has the highest inflation rate in the G7, as the […]
Central banks must keep interest rates high to combat inflation, says OECD
Organisation also says UK will be only G20 economy apart from Russia to shrink this year Central banks should maintain the fight against inflation with high interest rates despite fears of a global banking crash, according to the OECD, which said the UK will be the only economy in the G20 apart from Russia to […]
Budget: UK on track for ‘disastrous decade’ of income stagnation
Thinktank says taxes as share of GDP are on course to reach 70-year high but public services are being cut Budget 2023: key points at a glance The UK remains on track for a “disastrous decade” of stagnant incomes and high taxes, despite cuts to public services, the Resolution Foundation has said in its analysis […]
UK house prices could be stabilising despite falls, say surveyors
Rics data for February shows improvement in new buyer inquiries and sales The UK housing market remains in decline but there are some signs of stabilisation, with an improvement in new buyer inquiries and sales last month, according to surveyors. Many told the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) that a return of optimism, and […]
UK housing market ‘resilient’ as prices rise 1.1% in February; Greggs warns of rising costs – business live
House prices rose unexpectedly last month, but cautions that “the underlying activity continues to indicate a general downward trend” UK shoppers slash spending as price rises and energy bills bite Greggs has reported that its move to open some bakeries later into the evening is paying off. Greggs extended the opening hours of 500 shops […]
UK house prices rise as mortgage rate cuts lift confidence
Average monthly increase of 1.1% to £285,476 in February, after falls in previous two months, says Halifax UK house prices picked up in February from the previous month as recent reductions in mortgage rates helped to stabilise the market, according to the lender Halifax. The average house price rose 1.1% to £285,476 last month compared […]
UK shoppers slash spending as price rises and energy bills bite
February figures from BRC highlight impact of cost of living crisis on British economy before budget UK consumers sharply cut back their spending in February as soaring living costs damaged household finances, retailers have warned, despite strong sales of jewellery and fragrances for Valentine’s Day. Highlighting the impact of the cost of living crisis on […]
Want to properly plug the UK’s north-south divide? Look to Germany | Larry Elliott
Boosting spending power, increasing public funding for science and tech skills, R&D and infrastructure could work Britain has been struggling to find a solution to its north-south divide since the staple industries of the Industrial Revolution – textiles and coal – started to decline in the early 20th century. It is not a unique problem. […]
Women in UK ‘more likely than men to be on low pay and struggling’
Half a million more women than men are paid below real living wage and 13% are on zero-hours contracts Half a million more working women are paid below the real living wage than their male counterparts, according to data from the Living Wage Foundation. It says women have been harder hit by the cost of […]
Weaker UK economic outlook weighs on housing market; Pret hikes worker salaries – business live
Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as Taylor Wimpey says weaker economic backdrop is hitting the near-term outlook Bank of England boss signals interest rates may have peaked More London-listed companies could choose to follow CRH’s plan and shift their primary stock market listing to New York, predicts Russ Mould, investment director […]
How rising interest rates sent the UK housing market into reverse
An end to ultra-low rates mean borrowers can only afford smaller mortgages BoE boss says interest rates may have peaked UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2012 Since the turn of the year the news on the economy has been less bad than expected. Growth has been a bit stronger, spending in […]
UK mortgage market contracts for fifth month after Liz Truss mini-budget
Approvals at lowest since 2009 – bar during Covid lockdown – as demand for new homes continues to fall Britain’s mortgage market has contracted for a fifth month in a row, official figures show, as the jump in interest rates that followed Liz Truss’s September 2022 mini-budget continued to trigger a collapse in demand for […]
UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2012
Year-on-year February 1.1% decline comes as average price of property drops to £257,406, says Nationwide BoE boss says interest rates may have peaked How rising rates sent the UK housing market into reverse Annual house price growth in the UK turned negative in February for the first time in almost three years, Nationwide data shows, […]
Hopes rise that UK might avoid recession after services sector rebound
Pound edges up as stronger economic growth increases chances of further interest rate rises A rebound across the UK’s services sector in February has raised hopes that the country might avoid recession in the first half of this year. Analysts said the bigger than expected surge in business activity appeared to show that the UK […]
Energy crisis stemming from Ukraine war ‘cost £1k for every UK adult’
Conflict came on top of our over-reliance on gas, says Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit The UK’s over-reliance on gas has been blamed for pushing up bills as it emerged that the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine had cost the equivalent of £1,000 for every adult. A study by the Energy and […]
UK property asking prices stagnating, lifting hopes of softer landing for housing market – business live
UK property asking prices rose by just £14 in February, weakest gain on record, Rightmove reports, with sellers ‘more realistic’ about what property is worth Loss of nearly 15,000 UK retail jobs a ‘brutal start to 2023’, report says In the City, shares in retail group Frasers are leading the FTSE 100 risers after it […]
UK property demand declines as house prices in England fall
Further slowdown likely amid interest rate rise and cost of living crisis, says surveyors’ body Rics Property sales and house prices continued to decline across the UK in January, while new buyer demand and fresh listings were also down, surveyors have reported. A net balance of -47% for new buyer inquiries was reported, down from […]
UK house sales outlook for 2023 remains ‘uncertain’, says Barratt
Housebuilder reports ‘modest uplift’ in reservations of new homes in January but remains cautious Britain’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Developments, has reported grounds for optimism in the UK housing market after an increase in sales in January – but it said the trading outlook for 2023 remains “uncertain”. Barratt reported a “modest uplift” in reservations of […]