NS&I: Premium Bonds odds set to improve to best level in more than 15 years August 8, 2023 Premium Bonds odds will improve to the best level seen in more than 15 years from September, savings giant NS&I (National Savings and Investments) has announced. The odds will improve to 21,000 to one, from 22,000 to one previously – their best level since the April 2008 prize draw. NS&I estimates that there will be [...]
Number of ‘Isa millionaires’ surges to more than 4,000 – triple from pre pandemic August 1, 2023 The number of “Isa millionaires” has surged to more than 4,000, according to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) figures. Some 4,070 savers were sitting on Isa pots worth more than £1 million, as of April 2021, according to the data, obtained following a freedom of information (FOI) request on behalf of financial services network the [...]
Smart Pension snaps up £750m peer as government calls for consolidation grow July 17, 2023 Top workplace pension firm Smart Pension has snapped up a peer with some £750m under management as pressure from the government grows for faster consolidation in the sector.
Mortgage rates climb to 15-year high following surprisingly strong wage growth July 11, 2023 The typical rate available on a two-year fixed mortgage has climbed to a 15-year high, surpassing the levels seen last Autumn in the wake of the disastrous mini-budget. According to Moneyfacts, the average two-year fixed residential mortgage rate hit 6.66 per cent, marginally higher than the 6.65 per cent seen last October. This was the [...]
New report unveils UK firms’ self-preservation tactics July 5, 2023 | Sponsored In today’s ever-evolving business environment, finance directors face vast external challenges that can impact their organisation’s financial performance – from geopolitical tensions and trade block negotiations, to soaring inflation and the residual effect of the Coronavirus pandemic. With a lot to navigate, finance teams are exploring all potential routes to help strengthen the bottom line [...]
Why did HSBC withdraw mortgage deals for new borrowers? June 9, 2023 HSBC has temporarily withdrawn mortgage deals for new borrowers as the turbulence that has engulfed the UK mortgage market over the past few weeks continued. The bank removed products for new residential and buy-to-let products on Thursday, with new more expensive deals becoming available on Monday. HSBC had originally set a deadline of 5pm on [...]
Link chief John Howells on bank branch closures, payments and the battle for cash June 8, 2023 Link's chief John Howells says the nation can't "abandon" its cash users.
Coronation and your cash: How much have prices – and life in the UK – changed since 1953? May 5, 2023 When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned 70 years ago in 1953, the price of a pint was less than 10p, the average house price was around £1,800, and the average salary was £10 a week. But that’s not all that has changed, this year’s Coronation of King Charles III takes place in a nation where life [...]
Coronation weekend: Brits to splash out an extra £3bn on food, drink and entertainment May 4, 2023 Brits are expected to ring in the Coronation of King Charles III this weekend in the time honoured tradition of emptying their wallets faster than usual. It is predicted consumers will fork out around £8bn over the Coronation bank holiday weekend, with £3.22bn more spent than during a typical May bank holiday. Of the £3bn [...]
Millions of low income households are overpaying for their broadband, says Ofcom April 24, 2023 More than half of low-income homes who qualify for cheaper broadband tariffs are missing out on the deals, according to the UK communications regulator. Only 220,000 households were on a social tariffs as of February 2023, meanwhile 53 per cent of people receiving benefit payments were completely unaware of cheaper deals, Ofcom revealed in a [...]