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Small businesses often make the best employers. That’s the impression which emerges from recent research by Microsoft.
An extensive survey shows that the bigger the company, the less likely it is to offer flexible working conditions to its employees. It seems that smaller firms are keen to develop new working methods, often involving new technology. And they are also prepared to be more flexible about working hours.
The vast majority of first-time buyers look to their parents to help them onto the property ladder, according to a study.
Research from the Yorkshire and Clydesdale banks shows that 84% of those making their first property purchase rely on the so-called “bank of mum and dad” for financial assistance. That’s more than twice the level recorded in 2005.
Lower mortgage payments are a lifeline for many as consumers face higher household bills.
That’s the implication of a number of recent surveys, with latest research from Halifax suggesting that mortgage payments have fallen by a fifth since 2008. While mortgage borrowers have seen their annual payment drop by £956 on average, a host of other bills have risen.
Many homeowners will be watching the housing market carefully this month as they debate whether now is a good time to move or to borrow additional funds.
The latest survey from RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) headlines a “broad based improvement” in the property market, with signs of increased activity. More surveyors reported a rise in new instructions in April, while viewings, sales and newly agreed sales all picked up – albeit modestly.
Could interest rates stay at record lows until 2012?
Economists are beginning to think so, after latest figures for manufacturing growth showed a marked slowdown. The Markit/CPIS index fell back from 56.7 in March to 54.6 – any figure above 50 indicating growth.
Thinking of remortgaging? You could benefit from falling interest rates as a price war develops among the UK’s leading mortgage lenders.
That’s the analysis of industry insiders as the prospect of an early rise in Bank Rate recedes.
Could falling inflation and a sluggish economy lead to a shift in mortgage options?
It’s a question on the minds of observers after the Consumer Prices Index dropped back to 4% in March, leading to speculation that interest rates might stay at historic lows for months to come.
There are fears that credit card borrowing could cost more in future. HBOS is to link the APR (annual percentage rate) charged on its credit cards to changes in Bank Rate – the base rate set by the Bank of England. Lloyds TSB (like HBOS, part of Lloyds Banking Group) is also reviewing its interest charges, and analysts warn that other lenders are likely to follow suit.
There are signs of more flexibility in the mortgage market, with an increase in the number of high loan to value (LTV) deals. In other words, it’s becoming easier to borrow a higher proportion of a property’s value. That’s according to surveyors e.surv, whose mortgage monitor also showed a sharp rise in the number of mortgage approvals last month.
The Bank of England is now widely expected to keep interest rates on hold this week.
Fresh economic worries have tilted the balance of opinion away from a rate rise to curb inflation. And it’s thought these doubts will be uppermost in the minds of the majority when the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) makes its monthly decision on Thursday.
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GoRemortgage.co.uk is a trading style of Green Money Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority for regulated mortgages and non-investment insurance contracts. FSA Number 482743. Think carefully before securing debts against your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or any other debt secured on it. The overall cost for comparison is estimated to be 5.01% APR. Subject to circumstance, a completion fee may be payable, typically 2%.
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