I watched some extraordinary television yesterday. It was the kind of TV that makes your eyes widen and your jaw drop to the floor. Not Sherlock, obviously. Much as I love the uptight detective, I know what I’m getting when I press the play button. I mean Morph, the animated clay character who made his
If you’re still lamenting the fact that Christmas is over and you’re back at work, there’s some positive financial news this morning. According to Halifax, house prices increased by 6.5 per cent last month compared to December 2015. It seems that Brexit worries have yet to hit the UK housing market. Halifax also said that
The switch from traditional spending to online shopping continues to gather pace as new figures show that high street sales fell last month for the fourth year running in favour of internet purchases. The BBC reports that online sales in December were 19 per cent higher than in 2015 while online orders increased in the week
Debt charities have urged the Government to tackle the UK’s debt crisis after official figures revealed that household debt has soared to its highest level in eight years. The BBC reports on Bank of England statistics which show that personal debt grew 10.8 per cent in the year to 30 November to £192.2 billion. Step Change
Amid the cacophony of moaning and groaning accompanying this week’s nationwide return to work was an eye-catching headline from satirical site The Daily Mash: ‘So we meet again, Southern tells commuters’. As someone who used to brave the Northern line on a daily basis, I can imagine the impending sense of doom felt by thousands of
An increasing number of landlords are having trouble paying their mortgage, new figures have revealed. Money Mail reports that, for the first time on record, ‘the number of buy-to-let homes in mortgage arrears has increased’. That’s according to data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders which recorded a 6 per cent rise in mortgage arrears among
January will be one of the busiest months ever for debt charities, according to Citizens Advice and National Debtline. A combination of overspending on Christmas and longer-term financial problems will result in many people asking for money advice this month, The Guardian reports. The paper says: ‘Citizens Advice expects more than 370,000 people to seek help on
Home ownership among 25-year-olds has halved in two decades, according a survey conducted for the Local Government Association (LGA) by estate agents Savills. Just one in five of those under 25 own their own property, compared with 46 per cent two decades ago. The BBC reports that the LGA wants the Government to recognise a ‘renaissance’ in
MPs have urged the Government to implement a ‘nuclear deterrent’ to thwart employers who fail to support their pension schemes. The work and pensions committee, chaired by Frank Field, has also signalled that Sir Philip Green, the former owner of BHS, may have to pay £1 billion to resolve the problems facing the BHS pension
UK households face huge energy hikes in the New Year, according to new research. Thisismoney reports on a study by Gocompare.com. The price comparison site calculates that the average rise for affected households will be £250.92 over a year. But the worst-hit are looking at a 41 per cent rise. This is because 35 fixed dual energy
‘I don’t get excited when I hear EITC. Do you?’ This is a line from the late, lamented West Wing. The acronym EITC refers to Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit for low to moderate-income working people. One of the characters, Charlie, is trying to fight for it, only to be told by Annabeth that
Theresa May is under pressure this week as thousands of workers go on strike, affecting rail journeys, flights and postal services. The BBC reports that ‘about 3,000 staff at hundreds of Crown post offices are expected to walk out on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday. But the Post Office said fewer than 300 branches would be
The payments regulator has let banks off the hook meaning that customers will be left vulnerable to fraudsters, according to Which?. The consumer group made a super complaint to the Payments Systems Regulator (PSR) regarding the increase in fraud over the phone, internet and on mobiles, the BBC reports. In response, the PSR has said
It’s not long now until Christmas Day, that cherished time of year when we don our elasticated pants, break the seal on the Quality Street and prepare to eat until we pass out. It’s the one day of the calendar when diets, healthy eating and all thoughts of exercise are banished, to be replaced by
Tax officials are attempting to recoup millions of pounds in tax relief granted to celebrities, according to the BBC. The monies relate to a scheme designed to kick start economic growth in deprived areas including the building of two data centres on Tyneside that remain unused some years on. The BBC says that ‘Wayne Rooney,
More than 1,000 UK bank branches have closed over the past two years, according to Which?. And HSBC has disclosed that it is shutting more than four branches a week, The Guardian reports. The bank says that a minimum of 57 more will be shut down in January. Of all the high street banks, HSBC
Basic bank accounts – products designed for those who are ineligible for standard accounts – may levy higher fees than necessary, according to the BBC. Government figures suggest that millions of people could be paying over the odds for accounts meant to help them. Despite the introduction of fee-free basic accounts at the beginning of
We Brits are a macabre bunch, more prone to thinking about glass half empty than glass half full. ‘Expect the worst and you won’t be disappointed,’ could be our national mantra. A landmark study published today by the London School of Economics reveals the key to human happiness – and it’s not pots of money. Researchers
Adam Marshall, the head of the British Chambers of Commerce, has told the BBC’s Today programme that the ‘business as usual’ approach adopted by many companies since the Brexit vote has helped keep economic growth buoyant. But he warns that it will not last. The organisation predicts that GDP will grow by 2.1 per cent this year,
Buy-to-let purchases have plummeted, according to The Telegraph. In the year that the Government increased stamp duty by 3 per cent for landlords, research by the estate agency Haart shows that the number of properties sold to buy-to-let investors dropped by 63.7 per cent, falling by 8.2 per cent last month alone. In London, the number of such properties
