News and comment
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Welcome to your on-line financial newsletter. This service is regularly updated to bring you news of important developments in financial matters.
Citywire Investment News
- Investment Line: Has the recession permanently damaged UK GDP?
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:00:34 +0100
Measuring whether the UK's ouput gap is closing or lost forever after the downturn is playing a key role in determining monetary policy.
- Global markets soar as US jobs data brings more cheer
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:58:10 +0100
Today's US jobs data came in much better than expected dampening fears the world's largest economy is heading back towards recession.
- Wealth managers recover second quarter losses
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:20:46 +0100
Research from Asset Risk Consultants (Arc) shows wealth managers managed to recover some of the losses from dreadful in May and June.
- The financial crisis isn?t the problem ? it's expensive old people
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:18:23 +0100
We risk ignoring 'the fiscal challenge of the 21st century'.
- Capita employee in fatal fall at AXA office
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:43:06 +0100
A Capita employee has died after falling three floors inside one of AXA?s offices in Bristol.
FT.com - Financial Markets News
- Swiss franc benefits from haven status as doubts spread
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:07:29 GMT
Swiss franc hits record high against the euro and nears parity against the dollar as worries over the global economic recovery drive haven demand
- Bold financial seers look to models rather than the herd
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:59:46 GMT
Stocks have lost nearly half of their value twice in the past decade yet a suggestion the same is about to happen again draws scorn on Wall Street
- Investors? turn to linkers and gold to hedge uncertainty
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:23:56 GMT
In 2002, Ben Bernanke deemed deflation such a threat that he referred to Milton Friedman?s notion of handing out cash to stop falling prices
- Volatility and poor returns killing equities cult
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:17:52 GMT
More market professionals are asking if the brutal de-rating suffered by equities during the past decade means the cult of equity is dying
- Wall Street takes cheer from employment data
Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:38:56 GMT
US stocks rose, extending this week?s rally, after a better-than-expected August jobs report eased fears about a slowdown in the pace of the economic recovery
FT.com - Equities
- Wall Street takes cheer from employment data
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 21:38:56 +0100
US stocks rose, extending this week's rally, after a better-than-expected August jobs report eased fears about a slowdown in the pace of the economic recovery
- BAE flying high as defence cutbacks look less ominous
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 20:00:32 +0100
Bid speculation helps London shares stay positive and to extend winning streak
- Strong earnings drive Europe's carmakers
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 19:31:14 +0100
European equities had their biggest weekly gain for eight weeks as the region's carmakers led the way with a strong performance against the backdrop of improving sentiment from more positive global economic data
- Speculators push up United Utilities and water groups
Thu, 2 Sep 2010 22:08:42 +0100
Bid talk and improving corporate newsflow gives the FTSE 100 a shot at holding on to the strong gains generated by strong economic data over the previous session
- EADS rises as Paris reassures on A400M
Thu, 2 Sep 2010 20:11:37 +0100
European equities held levels attained during the previous session's strong advance on Thursday, with carmakers able to extend their recent strong run
FT.com - Your Investments
- Be heartened by the resilience of the market
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 19:12:55 +0100
Given the steady flow of weak economic news throughout the month, the market's resilience is worth thinking about
- Concerns on high fees
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:54:00 +0100
Fund groups are coming under pressure to cut the fees they charge investors, amid concerns that high fees can impact performance over the long term
- Equity venture aims to combat volatility
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:52:37 +0100
Fund investors concerned about market volatility will soon be able to reduce their risk of losses without relying on derivatives or third-party guarantees
- 'Hidden' funds distort performance
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:51:50 +0100
Investors are being warned that the under performance of funds is being "hidden" when they are merged with other investments
- Always a chance in the small caps
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:30:26 +0100
I focus on "value" investing ? trying to buy £1 for 50p and boosting my dividend income
BBC News
- Bahrain charging Shia activists
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 01:08:53 GMT
Prosecutors in Bahrain accuse 23 Shia activists of forming a "terrorist network" aiming to overthrow the Gulf state's Sunni-dominated government.
- Tropical storm Earl hits Canada
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:02:43 GMT
Tropical Storm Earl reaches Nova Scotia, on the eastern Canadian coast, with hundreds of thousands of people experiencing power cuts.
- Aftershocks felt after NZ quake
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:54:23 GMT
A series of aftershocks rattle Christchurch, New Zealand, where a powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage.
- Cell assault sergeant facing sack
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:52:21 GMT
A police officer who was caught on CCTV injuring a woman by throwing her into a cell faces being dismissed.
- Scotland faces £3.7bn budget cuts
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:47:44 GMT
Scotland faces nearly £4bn of cuts over the next four years, Finance Secretary John Swinney is warning.
FT.com - Your Pension
- Savers hold on to pension pots
Fri, 3 Sep 2010 18:09:15 +0100
Investors are increasingly leaving their pension pots invested in the stock market, as the retirement income offered by insurance companies fell to an all-time low this week
- One million over 65s to continue working
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 16:30:22 +0100
One in three workers over 65 is still in work and plan to continue longer than originally anticipated due to money worries.
- A third of Britons using savings to supplement income
Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:33:30 +0100
Research by Schroders reveals that 31 per cent of UK adults relied on their savings and investments to cover living expenses in the past year
- Final salary decision is looming faster
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:04:00 +0100
People who want to leave their final-salary pension scheme and join a personal pension instead are being urged to act now before new rules prevent them from moving
- Pension pots continue to shrink
Mon, 16 Aug 2010 11:13:21 +0100
People's retirement savings have shrunk further over the past four weeks
Citywire Money, Tax and Property
- The end of the 'cheap mortgage'
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
Linton Chiswick questions whether the regulator is about to call time on the last remaining ?cheap mortgage?.
- Mortgages: cut out the middle man for the best rates
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
Increasingly, high street banks are not only by-passing brokers ? the only place a potential homebuyer can get truly impartial advice on a home loan ? but they are restricting their best offers to existing customers.
- FSA fines and censures mortgage brokers over fraud
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:37:07 +0100
The Financial Services Authority has banned one mortgage broker and fined another for failing to prevent false mortgage applications being made to lenders.
- Morning Line: Why should first time buyers suffer?
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:20:38 +0100
If the Bank of England is serious about capping mortgage loan-to-value ratios as a means of preventing another credit crisis then it risks excluding more young people from home ownership. Is this what the coalition really wants?
- Mortgages: don't write off a fixed rate
Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:01:00 +0100
Most people are opting for a tracker mortgage, but it is not the right option for everyone. Lorna Bourke considers the options for borrowers.
FT.com - Your Tax
- Inflation-beating Isa closes
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:10:02 +0100
Huge demand from savers has prompted the withdrawal of the only account that guaranteed a return over inflation
- IHT ruling spells relief?for?landowners
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:51:10 +0100
Traditional estate landowners were given good news last week after a tax tribunal in Scotland rejected an appeal from HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) that could have landed many rural estates with huge inheritance tax (IHT) bills
- Windfall Isa investors forced to sell bank shares
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:47:51 +0100
Tens of thousands of investors with Fidelity, one of the biggest Isa managers, are being forced to sell their shares in a number of widely held banks after the fund manager announced the closure of its Windfall Isa
- Wealth Questions - How to save for son's school fees
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:30:53 +0100
We looked at investing via a "bare trust" to make use of our son's tax allowances, but were told this would not allow us as trustees to withdraw the funds. Are there other tax-efficient ways to save?
- Wealth questions - Can I avoid CGT on paintings?
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:18:29 +0100
Several years ago, I bought two paintings for a few hundred pounds. But I recently had them valued at about £120,000. I had been planning to give them to my son. Are there any CGT implications if I do this?
BBC Business News
- Tourism near the Gaza border
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:43:21 GMT
At the Zikim Kibbutz, near Ashkelon in southern Israel, tourists come in to see what life is like living just a short distance from the Gaza border.
- Wrong tax bill for millions in UK
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:44:34 GMT
Almost six million people in the UK have paid the wrong amount of income tax in the past year, with some facing a bill of up to £1,400 - although others can expect a rebate.
- Six million facing new tax bills
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 17:40:43 GMT
HM Revenue and Customs says some 1.4 million people each owe about £1,500 in tax, while 4.3 million will get an average rebate of £418.
- Cairo literary business booming
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:50:18 GMT
Egypt's literary scene is thriving, with a new generation of writers and poets taking advantage of an increasing number of small publishers and social networking sites to get their work noticed.
- Industry fears over cheaper coins
Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:12:04 GMT
Vending machine companies warn cheaper "steel" 5p and 10p coins being considered by the Treasury could cost the industry millions of pounds.
Citywire News
- The two pensions and why we shouldn't lump them together
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
We need another word for ?pension?, writes Steve Bee.
- The end of the 'cheap mortgage'
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
Linton Chiswick questions whether the regulator is about to call time on the last remaining ?cheap mortgage?.
- Sunday Papers: tips and comment
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
- Sunday Papers: other news
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
- Sunday Papers: bid news and gossip
Sun, 05 Sep 2010 00:01:00 +0100
