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Markets shot out the blocks this week with the FTSE 100 clocking its best ever start in its 37 year history. The premier index has climbed more than 6 per cent in the first four sessions this year after a rotten 2020 when the market plummeted by 14 per cent – its worst performance since … Read more
Arizona, California and Rhode Island are seeing higher rates of COVID-19 infections per capita than any country in the world as the US grapples with skyrocketing cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Arizona leads the nation for new infections per capita with 827 per 100,000 people in the week ended Tuesday, followed by California with 671 per … Read more
Coronavirus outbreaks are spiralling fastest in former Tier One areas and the North of England, official data has revealed. Of the ten councils registering the biggest surges in Covid infections in the most recent fortnight, eight were in the North of England — including three in Cumbria and three in Liverpool. The remaining two were … Read more
Aspiring homeowners with low deposits had a torrid year in 2020, as deals vanished from the market and rates shot up. However, experts have now said there are reasons for optimism in 2021 as lenders return to the market. According to figures released by comparison site Moneyfacts, there are now around 160 deals available for … Read more
Charged a tax bill for savings interest you weren’t paid? HMRC is still estimating earnings based on previous years despite 2020’s plunging rates Basic rate taxpayers can earn up to £1,000 a year in interest tax-free Coupled with falling rates it means 95% of savers don’t pay tax on their returns However a Cambridgeshire man … Read more
The spread of COVID-19 in a hospital’s surrounding community can affect the survival rates of patients, a new study suggests. Researchers found that, overall, coronavirus mortality rates declined during the first six months of the pandemic. However, hospitals in counties where infection rates increased during the late spring and early summer had a higher percentage of … Read more
Offices and other commercial premises to share a £481m business rates rebate as the coronavirus pandemic triggers a surge in appeals The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has issued an urgent interim agreement Offices have been hit hard by Covid-19 with many remaining shut There will be reductions of 25% off the rateable value of all … Read more
What 300 years of smallpox epidemics in London can teach us about Covid-19: Infection with a small amount of virus can IMPROVE survival rates — and might be a beneficial side-effect of wearing masks Researchers from Canada analysed London death records from 1664–1930 This covered the introduction of health measures, variolation and vaccination The period … Read more
Topsy-turvy: A third of us would withdraw money from our accounts and stuff it under our bedroom mattress if rates turn negative What should investors and savers do if interest rates turned negative? New research just published by financial giant Aegon suggests that a third of us would withdraw money from our savings accounts and … Read more
Bank of England leaves rates at record low of 0.1% and holds off on buying more Government bonds as it awaits the outcome of Brexit talks All nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee voted to keep rates on hold The Bank also left its Government bond-buying programme unchanged The Bank has created £895bn of … Read more