First-time homebuyers struggling to get on to the property ladder are becoming increasingly prepared to take financial risks, according to Yorkshire Bank.
With house price inflation affecting their UK investment currently running at 8.9%, many potential borrowers are considering mortgages at five times their salary to afford their purchase.
Furthermore, Yorkshire Bank’s latest Housebuyer’s report has found […]

Standard variable mortgage rates (SVRs) from many of the big lenders have risen in the past few days to shadow the 0.25% rise in Bank Rate made by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England a few weeks ago.
Abbey, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Alliance & Leicester (A&L) and Woolwich have all put up their […]

The Internet is fast becoming the place for big-time fraudsters to operate and concern is growing rapidly about the proliferation of new age virtual scams, according to a survey conducted by electronic payments company 3V.
Consumers in the UK now fear online rip-offs more than gun crime or climate change, and 48% of shoppers had serious doubts about […]

The UK economy grew at its quickest rate for two-and-a-half years during the last three months of 2006, helped by a strong demand for services, which expanded by 1% during the period.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) went up 0.8% in the final quarter from the previous quarter, according to figures on the UK saving and investment arena released […]

Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, has defended this month’s unexpected interest rate rise by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), stating it was a ‘pre-emptive’ strike at the higher increases that would have been necessary if inflation continued to climb.
Interest rate levels are vital to saving and investment, as well as applicable to […]

Marks & Spencer, the High Street retailer that runs what is widely regarded as the industry’s best final salary pension, is to restructure its scheme to plug a £704m funding ‘black hole’.
Recognised as a ‘gold standard’ UK investment retirement scheme for its members, under the new proposals the M&S pension will remain open to existing […]

High street news and stationery retailer WH Smith has said its profitability is still improving despite a 9% slump in sales over the 20-week period to 20th January.
However, the company claimed that lower costs on its UK investment and higher margins meant that profitability was continuing to improve, an announcement that lifted its shares 3% […]

To keep their money in the family - rather than the Treasury’s coffers via Inheritance Tax (IHT) - 10 million households are planning to leave a lifetime gift or an annual gift to friends and relatives.
With more people caught than ever before by the £285,000 IHT threshold because of the rising value of their houses, and […]