Mortgages, house prices, internet banking and holiday costs

Mortgage lending rose last month to its highest level in eight years as homebuyers appeared to shake off uncertainty prior to the EU referendum. The Council of Mortgage Lenders said that gross mortgage lending reached £20.7 billion, 16 per cent higher than the previous month and the highest figure since 2008. In June last year mortgage lending was £20.1 billion. The Times reports that property transactions rose by 4.9 per cent in June, according to figures from Revenue & Customs, suggesting that homebuyers were not put off by the referendum. There were 94,550 residential property transactions of £40,000 or more last month, showing a steady rise back to normal levels. Meanwhile, the latest Hometrack UK Cities House Price Index reveals that annual house price inflation plateaued at 10.2 per cent in June, the same level as May 2016, but still ahead of 6.9 per cent growth seen in June 2015.

Bristol remains the fastest growing city in the UK with a year on year growth rate of 14.7