Loans: Government may have to intervene

27 November 2008
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has warned that the Government may be forced to intervene directly if banks and other financial institutions do not resume offering ‘normal’ levels of loans and mortgages.... read more »

Economy may not recover until 2010

6 January 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has admitted that the economic downturn may last longer than expected, following worse-than-expected lending and retail figures for the end of 2008.... read more »

Low savings and high debt: ‘position needs to be reversed’

6 February 2009
Today’s situation – one of low savings and high personal debt – is one that must be reversed, according to The Telegraph.... read more »

VAT cut ‘has had little impact’

11 February 2009
A representative body for small businesses has said that the Government’s recent 2.5% VAT cut has had no effect on consumer spending habits.... read more »

Inflation falls to 3%

23 February 2009
The official CPI (Consumer Price Index) rate of inflation fell to 3% in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).... read more »

Consumer confidence up in March

7 April 2009
On average, consumers began showing more confidence in March, according to the GfK NOP Consumer Confidence Index. The overall index score rose five points, climbing from -35 in February to -30 in March.... read more »

Employers freezing pay during recession

28 April 2009
Two new studies have suggested that between one fifth and one quarter of wage settlements in the first few months of 2009 have involved pay freezes, The Financial Times reports.... read more »

Response to the Budget: too much debt

29 April 2009
Most people are concerned about the level of debt the country is now carrying, according to a recent survey by Opinium Research, carried out on the day of the Budget, April 22nd.... read more »

Fuel and alcohol prices to rise following Budget announcements

23 April 2009
Prices of petrol, alcohol and cigarettes are all set to rise following the Government`s latest Budget announcement.... read more »

Loans: Bank of England warns more cash may be needed

18 May 2009
Bank of England Governor Mervyn King has suggested that banks may yet require further funding to persuade them to start offering loans freely once again.... read more »

Debt concerns `may delay retirement`

26 May 2009
Almost two thirds of over-50s say they may need to delay their retirement because their savings and pensions have been affected by the recession, according to a new survey.... read more »

Banks lending more to small businesses

15 June 2009
New figures from the British Bankers` Assocation (BBA) have suggested that banks are lending more to small businesses, in a potentially positive sign for the economy.... read more »

Workers sacrifice holidays for more pay

16 June 2009
According to recent research from Aon Consulting, `holiday trading` is now one of the most popular benefits among employees, The Telegraph reports. ... read more »

Inflation falls to 2.2%

16 June 2009
According to The Office for National Statistics (ONS), annual inflation in the UK slowed again last month, as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell from 2.3% in April to 2.2% in May, the BBC reports.... read more »

Retail sales down as debt worries continue

19 June 2009
UK retail sales unexpectedly fell in May, compared with the previous month, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).... read more »

Household finances continue to deteriorate

22 June 2009
According to the `Household Finance Index` produced by Markit (in conjunction with YouGov), UK households are still suffering increasing financial pressure.... read more »

Loans: interest rate rises `a step closer`

23 June 2009
The base rate has been at a record-low 0.5% for almost four months, but one expert has suggested that this could soon change.... read more »

Falling living costs offer relief to households in debt

24 June 2009
New research from Asda has suggested that the average family was £7 better off during May, compared with the same month in 2008, according to The Telegraph.... read more »

How do inflation and deflation affect my debts?

2 July 2009
At face value, rising inflation might seem like bad news for people who are repaying debts - higher prices for goods and services means less money left to pay off debts.... read more »

Government measures target personal debt problems

13 July 2009
The Government has laid out plans to assist people facing debt problems, according to the BBC.... read more »