Pound continues to fall
by Brian TurnerIf you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thank you for visiting!According to the BBC, the value of the pound continues to fall against the dollar.
Which is good news for those earning in USD, but not so good when outsourcing in USD:
Pound’s fall continues to $1.48
The pound has continued […]
November 10, 2008
Gordon Brown mulls VAT slash
by Brian TurnerThere are few taxes as hated by small businesses as VAT.
Sure, as a limited company we pay corporation tax - but once over the VAT threshold the biggest tax outlay can commonly feel like VAT.
So despite being small, we end up being taxed twice, with the result that our yearly tax bill can end […]
September 15, 2008
Hurricane on Wall St: Lehman bust; Merrill bought
by Brian TurnerIt was like a hurricane. Within a single weekend two of the biggest investment banks in the US were destroyed. In doing so, the worst of the Credit Crunch may be over, and the real beginnings of a credit recovery may arise in its wake.
The news may seem distant to everyday business, but Wall St […]
August 14, 2008
Strong dollar good for Adsense
by Brian TurnerThe BBC reports that the pound has plummetted to a 2 year low against the dollar - which is good news for those earning from US advertising programs, not least through Adsense earnings.
Two weeks ago, the GBP was 1.99 to the USD - now it stands at 1.86.
This means that two weeks ago $1,000 was […]
July 23, 2008
Investing business funds on the stock market
by Brian TurnerI’ve always had a certain amount of liquidity in the bank, and originally I had planned to keep this as reserves for a rainy day.
However, my growing interest in stocks and shares, and then my business bank calling to suggest increasing my bank account interest rate - which never happened - pushed me into thinking […]
July 8, 2008
Bad economic news is good marketing news
by Brian TurnerA big range of negative economic indicators today, all pointing to a UK recession - or at best, a very sharp economic downturn:
Recession ‘looming’ for UK firms
Sharp fall in manufacturing output fuels recession fears
CML: Mortgage lending falls 44pc year-on-year
Banks hike mortgage rates despite fall in borrowing costs
London’s commercial property deals 50% down on last year
Financials […]
March 28, 2008
Nationwide says property will keep falling
by Brian TurnerThe Nationwide reports property prices are still falling - and that it now expects this trend to continue to the end of the year. A more pessimistic opinion than it previously held.
The Nationwide Building society has reported that property prices across the UK fell by 0.6% in March.
It makes this the fifth month in a […]
August 23, 2007
Competition Commission lifts business bank rate limits
by Jan HarrisThe Competition Commission has announced plans to lift the price controls it imposed on business bank rates in 2003.
The controls were put in place to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to move accounts and to make prices more transparent.
Under the rules, the UK’s four largest banks, Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds […]
May 29, 2007
Home Information Packs (HIPs) Guide launched by HomeMove
by Brian Turner
HomeMove.co.uk has launched a buyer and sellers guide to Home Information Packs (HIPs), detailing what buyers and sellers should expect after the August 1st deadline.
The guide was published as market chaos followed the government’s changing position on HIPs, postponing them only eight days before their June 1st deadline, and pushing back the launch date to […]
December 20, 2006
Mortgage approvals and house prices up
by Brian Turner
Mortgage approval rates reached another record increase - at the same time as a report declares strong housing inflation for 2007.
Mortgage approval rates increased by £6.5 billion in November - a record monthly record score - according to the British Bankers’ Association.
And Lombard Street Research - which posted one of the most on-target predictions […]
December 12, 2006
Nasdaq makes hostile bid for LSE
by Brian Turner
The US Nasdaq exchange has launched a hostile takeover bid for the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
It comes after more than a year of takeover offers and merger propositions from a range of companies, along with two previously rejected offers from the Nasdaq.
At present, the LSE is advising shareholders against Nasdaq’s hostile offer of £12.43/share, stating […]
November 18, 2006
Oil prices settle on recent lows
by Brian Turner
Oil prices appear to have settled to new lows after huge increases over the past 18 months.
WTI December contracts were 44 cents lower to $55.82 per barrel on Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange
A $2.50 fall on Thursday was attributed to false rumours of increased inventories, but even though unfounded, traders seem unconcerned about […]
September 15, 2006
UK housing market powers up
by Brian Turner
Indicators show that the UK property market is powering up again, despite the recent interest rate rise.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) (formerly known as the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister - ODPM) announced this week that house prices across the UK have risen 6% to July, with the average house price […]
July 13, 2006
Oil hits record highs
by Brian Turner
Oil prices have hit record highs, after a series of events brought fresh fears to already jittery worldwide commodity markets.
US light crude reached a record $75.89 a barrel, while London Brent crude hit a new high of $75.60.
A combination of Israeli aggression in the Middle East, supply fears in Nigeria, and continued confrontation of […]
July 1, 2006
Economic growth exceeds forecasts for 2006
by Brian Turner
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported that the UK saw ecnomic growth above expectations over the first three months of the year.
ONS said that GDP had increased by 0.7% instead of the forecasted 0.6%, mainly due to increased activity in the business services sector.
The news is likely to add to pressures for the […]
June 7, 2006
Interest rate rise increasingly likely
by Brian Turner
The Bank of England is increasingly likely to raise interest rates later this year.
The suggestion comes after a string of economic indicators showed that UK manufacturing and consumer spending continued to be healthy, while inflation continues to strengthen.
Yesterday the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) announced that UK manufacturing was enjoying a 10 year high in production.
Meanwhile, […]
March 27, 2006
London prices blow housing bubble bigger
by Brian Turner
Property prices in London have started going up again, pushing overall UK lending figures up on the month.
While it has been predicted already that house prices would see a small revival early 2006, few are optimistic that house prices will do anything but stagnate over the second half of this year.
It’s also worth noting that […]
February 9, 2006
Property market slows, but may roll on yet
by Brian Turner
Data from the Land Registry has shown that house prices over 2005 grew at their lowest level since records began in 1995.
Meanwhile, the Halifax Building Society has reported a 0.5% fall in house prices for January.
However, the Nationwide claims that “seasonally adjusted” figures have the housing market as rising 1.4% over January.
The apparent confusion in […]
January 23, 2006
Slow housing growth predicted for 2006
by Brian Turner
A small early renewal in price rises - followed by a period of stagnation for the rest of the year - appears to be the sum prediction for the housing market in 2006.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has predicted an overall growth of 4.4% for the UK housing market, citing demand as […]
December 15, 2005
Retail sales up November
by Brian Turner
Retail figures for November were significantly up, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Although food saw the highest three-monthly growth, all sectors recorded increases, with overall growth at 0.7%.
According to the ONS:
Compared with the same period a year ago, sales volumes in the three months to November 2005 were up 1.3 per cent. At […]