Borrowers are being urged to lock in bargain interest rates that could save them thousands of pounds on their mortgage bill. Homeowners are currently being offered some of the lowest mortgage rates ever seen in the UK, as lenders fight for borrowers’ business. Last week, Halifax launched a two-year fixed deal at 0.9pc and a … Read more

Businesses that deal in exports, including many in the red wall, will be suffering for a long time, as report after report reaches the same conclusion. Trade with the EU is suffering and foreign investment is heading south, as Brexit begins to take its toll. Neither trend is temporary and both damage the Government’s stated … Read more

HMRC expects freelancers who are not trading to pay taxes on profits they have not made. When around one million struggling self-employed people are billed in a week’s time, they face paying too much income tax, because HM Revenue & Customs’ calculations have not taken into account coronavirus losses. HMRC is billing freelancers and SMEs … Read more

The June figure is above analysts’ forecasts and is the highest since August 2018 as supply shortages and rising demand due to the easing of lockdown restrictions resulted in higher prices last month. Dearer clothing, food, footwear, fuel and secondhand cars were to blame for the jump in the annual inflation rate from 2.1pc to … Read more

Growth in the UK’s economy slowed by more than expected in May despite a rebound in the hospitality sector which was offset by disruptions to car production. As coronavirus restrictions eased to allow pubs and restaurants to serve indoors, the economy grew by only 0.8pc in May. It was also a slowdown from the 2pc … Read more

When the lockdowns were imposed last year and people were told to work from home, the UK’s road network became strangely deserted and insurance premiums fell. In fact, the streets were so empty that insurance companies were able to radically reduce their motor cover premiums because there were far fewer accident claims. However, the CEO … Read more

Standard gas and electricity bills are expected to rise to an average of £1,250 due to a surge in commodity prices to near 13-year highs. Millions of UK homes face a hike of more than £110 per year in their winter energy bill, say industry experts. A standard bill for both gas and electricity is … Read more