Interest rates

2022 - 8 - 4

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Friday briefing: What the interest rate spike means for the country ... (The Guardian)

In today's newsletter: The biggest rate rise in nearly 30 years comes amid forecasts of economic decline. How bad might it be?

In essence, it accepts that a recession is inevitable and its increase in interest rates is likely to contribute – but it sees an increase in unemployment and pain for borrowers as the unpalatable but unavoidable price of getting back on an even keel. The argument the Bank makes is that the impact of the energy crisis is likely to be temporary, and that it has to act now with a view to bringing inflation down as much as possible when it abates. “We need to grow up and stop making a mess of everything,” said Doedens, “we need to take care of our surroundings.” “Britain slides into crisis”, says the Times, along with a graphic titled “black Thursday”. The Guardian says “Bank raises rates and warns of 13% inflation”, alongside the grim climate analysis. Liz Truss has promised an emergency budget; she acknowledged in a Sky News discussion last night that what the Bank says is “extremely worrying” but that a recession is “not inevitable” and that lower taxes are the solution. The astonishing story of Alex Jones, the US far-right provocateur who has been on trial for defamation over his false claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, reached a new nadir when his lawyer accidentally sent the contents of his phone to prosecutors. From that perspective, the Bank appears simply to be pushing rates up for the want of any other useful levers. Inflation is much higher than that at the moment – and it is predicted to get even higher, and stay there. The Bank usually hates to put rates up if it thinks a recession is coming, because doing so makes one more likely. It’s the biggest single tool the Bank has for fulfilling its role of keeping inflation close to an ideal of 2%. The intensification of extreme weather eventsis linked directly to the climate crisis, according to a new Guardian analysis. For an explanation of the bad news, and what it means for you, read on after the headlines.

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Image courtesy of "Business Plus"

Bank of England Hikes Interest Rates by 0.5% (Business Plus)

The UK central bank's Monetary Policy Committee voted by an eight to one margin to increase the bank rate from 1.25% to 1.75%, or its highest level since late ...

Inflation will rise or fall according to what happens in Ukraine not Threadneedle Street, and rate decisions are dictated by moves at other central banks as much as by the MPC.” The risk now is that higher interest rates start to squeeze consumer and commercial borrowers too much, strangling the life out of the economy without significantly easing the cost-of-living crisis. "The resulting rate hike may be the largest in nearly 30 years, but it was also widely expected, and the market reaction has been modest.

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The Bank of England Makes Biggest Interest Rates Increase in 27 ... (The New York Times)

Britain's central bank presented a grim forecast of inflation hitting 13 percent and warned that a long recession could start later this year.

Next month, it expects to take a step it has never done before and start selling bonds back to the market. In December, when the bank first raised rates, it predicted inflation would peak at 6 percent in April. Now that peak is six months later and more than twice as high. Until December, the bank increased its holdings of British government bonds to £875 billion but has since stopped reinvesting the proceeds from maturing bonds, allowing its balance sheet to shrink. But inflation should fall back toward the bank’s target in two years, based on financial market expectations about the future path of interest rates. Even as the economic outlook worsens, the central bank has emphasized its primary goal in bringing down inflation. It is typically expressed as the annual change in prices for everyday goods and services such as food, furniture, apparel, transportation and toys. Much of the debate so far has centered on taxes, with Liz Truss, the front-runner, vowing to quickly cut them for workers and businesses amid a cost-of-living crisis. And in the United States, the Federal Reserve raised rates last week by three-quarters of a percentage point for the second straight month. Much of the surge in prices is still coming from the global energy market, the bank said. There is little the banks can do to slow energy prices or ease supply chain disruptions, but their goal is to make sure rapid price rises do not last too long by making it more expensive for consumers and businesses to borrow money. But the central bank strengthened its effort to tackle soaring prices as it raised interest rates half a percentage point, the largest jump since 1995. The outlook for millions of British households is grim.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Bank of England warns the UK will fall into recession this year (BBC News)

Interest rates rose to 1.75% as the Bank battles to stem soaring prices, with inflation now set to hit over 13%. Governor Andrew Bailey said he knew the cost of ...

It is a textbook example of the combination of a stagnating economy and high inflation - stagflation. Announcing the largest rate rise in more than a quarter of a century in an attempt to temper even higher peaks in inflation of an incredible 13% is what the Bank of England actually did. It will eventually return to the Bank's 2% target the following year. You can also get in touch in the following ways: Interest rates have risen six times in a row since the end of last year. This will be much harder to pay off with higher interest rates putting more families in financial peril." "For me, like I'm sure lots of others, there is no such thing as a holiday and not working. Those on standard variable rate mortgages will see a £59 increase. It can also encourage people to save more. But it is its prediction of a recession as long as the great financial crisis and as deep as that seen in the early 1990s that is the big shock here. "I know that they will feel, 'Well, why have you raised interest rates today, doesn't that make it worse from that perspective in terms of consumption?', I'm afraid my answer to that is, it doesn't because I'm afraid the alternative is even worse in terms of persistent inflation." The Bank of England has warned the UK will fall into recession as it raised interest rates by the most in 27 years.

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How to avoid a credit card rate rise as interest rates go up again (Tivyside Advertiser)

The energy price will push the economy into a five-quarter recession – with the gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking each quarter in 2023. READ MORE - Cost-of ...

"If it increases the interest rate on your card you should be given 60 days to reject the increase and then pay off your balance at the existing interest rate. "If they decide to increase the interest rate charged on your card they will have to give you notice. A finance expert has given advice on how to avoid a credit card rate rise as the Bank of England voted to increase interest rates to 1.75%.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Recession - live: Bank of England governor defends delay in hiking ... (The Independent)

Mr Bailey said earlier interest rate rises could have damaged the UK's economic recovery following the pandemic. It came after claims from politicians, ...

“They need to be signalling that the government has a response and an answer. They need to be signalling on August 26 when Ofgem signal what the price rise is going to be. We need them to make plans. We need them to make decisions. “We cannot wait until 5 September for action. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. This will drive down living standards by the greatest rate on record, according to the central bank. He added: “I think they need to be developing these interventions that are going to help people with the cost of living in the autumn. “We need the current prime minister and the current chancellor to fill that vacuum. “We also need to think way beyond tax, we need to think about regulation that's pro-growth, we need to think about boosting growth markets, and above all, given where most people are in business today, is we need to think about a plan to tackle labour and skills shortages.” A recession is coming, according to the Bank of England, and it will be a long one, lasting more than a year. He added: “We need a genuine plan about growth, that when it comes to tax we need to talk about the whole tax regime, not cherry-picking the ones that are most totemic.

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Bank of England: what the base interest rate rise is, and what was ... (NationalWorld)

Get all of the latest UK news from NationalWorld. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

The stark outlook means household incomes are predicted to drop for two years in a row, and further interest rises could be on the cards relatively soon. Bank Governor Andrew Bailey said “all options” are on the table for next month, though he sought to stress that “policy is not on a pre-set path, and what we do this time does not tell you what we’re going to do next time”. They will drop by 1.5% this year and 2.25% next. He went on: “The fact that the Bank is stepping up the pace of rate hikes while also forecasting a meaningful recession shows just how worried it is that worker shortages and supply issues could keep inflation elevated even as the economy weakens.” “That’s overwhelmingly a consequence of Russia’s restriction of gas supplies to Europe and the risk of further cuts.” Bank officials said that the depth of the drop is more comparable to the recession in the early 1990s. The Bank of England may be forced to increase rates by another half point as soon as next month as it puts the need to rein in inflation over risks of deepening the looming recession, economists have warned. The Bank forecast that the price cap on energy bills will rise from £1,971 to £3,450 per year for the average household this October. The MPC said that pressures from inflation had intensified since the last time the committee met, largely due to a near doubling in wholesale gas price since May. The Bank said that it expects inflation to come back under control in 2023, dropping below 2% towards the end of the year. “The United Kingdom is now projected to enter recession from the fourth quarter of this year,” the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said. The Bank of England hiked interest rates in the biggest single rise since 1995, and warned that inflation will peak at more than 13% as gas prices soar.

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Image courtesy of "Financial Times"

Bank of England increases interest rates by 0.5 percentage points (Financial Times)

With wages rising at around half the rate of inflation, its forecasts showed that households' post tax income would fall in real terms in both 2022 and 2023, ...

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Image courtesy of "Mirror.co.uk"

Interest rates hit 1.75% in biggest rise for 27 years - what it means ... (Mirror.co.uk)

It also takes UK rates to the highest level since the end of 2008. The base rate is what the central bank charges other banks and lenders - this in turn then ...

Every Thursday at 1pm they will take part in a Facebook Live event to answer your questions and offer their advice. Visit facebook.com/dailymirror/live to watch. If your cash is locked into a fixed rate account, then the rate you get in interest won't go up. Banks should pass on the interest rate rise - but there is no guarantee they will, and some take time to introduce new rates. If you're a homeowner, the type of mortgage deal you're on will determine if your bills will go up. The cost of borrowing on credit cards and your overdraft could increase too following the base rate rise. It'll be down to your lender whether to pass on the increase - and most major banks and building societies do decide to do this. The BoE is raising interest rates to try and cool soaring inflation, which is currently at a 40-year high of 9.4% and is expected to keep rising. Speaking last month, a member of the Bank of England rate setting committee said interest rates might have to hit 2% or more next year. "October’s energy price rise is just around the corner and with inflation predicted to continue to increase into next year, there is little respite in sight for millions of people." It is the sixth time in a row that the BoE has hiked interest rates - and marks the largest increase in 27 years. The base rate is what the central bank charges other banks and lenders - this in turn then influences the rates they charge customers.

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Interest rates – live: Bank of England confirms rise to 1.75% as ... (The Independent)

Inflation is set to surge to 13.3 per cent this winter when soaring gas prices mean that consumers face average energy bills of £3,500 - up from £1,200 a year ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Real household incomes are expected to decline by around 5 per cent, on average, over two years – the deepest fall since records began in 1960. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy policy and Terms of service apply. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

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Bank of England unveils biggest interest rate rise in 27 years (Evening Standard)

The move, which was widely expected in the City, will mean an immediate increase in mortgage bills for millions of home owners on tracker or variable mortgages ...

A week before that the European Central Bank, which is charge of setting interest rates in the Eurozone, pushed its key rate up by 0.5 per cent. Either way, you’re likely to be paying more, so it’s worth looking at your options in advance.“ Mr Bailey warned that more interest rate rises would follow if inflation did not appear to be coming under control. Not only is the SVR rising, but new deals are also getting more expensive. The Consumer Prices index stood at a 40 year high of 9.4 per cent in June and is forecast to peak at 13 per cent over the winter when the next swinging round of energy bills rises kick in. he Bank of England raised interest rates by half a percentage point on Thursday in the biggest increase in the cost of borrowing for 27 years.

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Bank of England predicts 13% inflation as it hikes interest rate to ... (ITV News)

It means the UK will enter five consecutive quarters of recession with gross domestic product falling as much as 2.1% | ITV National News.

It will also make high inflation and high prices last for longer, making everyone poorer. “Real household post-tax income is projected to fall sharply in 2022 and 2023, while consumption growth turns negative.” Bank officials said that the depth of the drop is more comparable to the recession in the early 1990s, while projections expect the unemployment rate to start rising again next year. “Instead, we need a new approach on the economy, we need to challenge the failing economic orthodoxy and we need to deliver the necessary reform to tackle inflation and achieve sustainable growth.“ In 2022 they will drop by 1.5%, followed by a 2.25% fall during 2023. “Inflation is expected to stay high for much of 2023 and the looming prospect of a recession means this crisis isn’t going anywhere, risking a legacy of debt, poverty and destitution for years and years to come." When the BoE increased interest rates from 1% to 1.25%, in June, it blamed an “additional large increase” in OFGEM’s energy price cap, scheduled for this winter, and signs that prices are rising “across the major components of consumer prices”. Following today's rates hike announcement, BoE governor Andrew Bailey said there is an “economic cost to the war” in Ukraine, but insisted it will not deflect the Bank from “setting monetary policy to bring inflation back to the 2% target.” Inflation is the rate at which the prices of goods and services are rising. The recession is set to begin in autumn, and last for more than a year, as millions of households grapple with the cost of living crisis. It won't be until 2023 that the bank predicts to have inflation under control, with the measure expected to drop below 2% towards the end of the year. A warning has also been issued by the BoE that the UK is set to plunge into the longest recession since the financial crisis.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Bank of England raises interest rates to 1.75% in biggest hike in 27 ... (The Guardian)

Policymakers increase base rate by 0.5 percentage points, the sixth rise in a row as the cost of living soars.

Eight MPC members voted for the 0.5% rise in interest rates, leaving Silvana Tenreyro the only member to support a smaller 0.25% increase. I never had that in the private sector, nor in government. Labour accused Johnson and his chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi, of being “missing in action” as the cost of living crisis deepened. Debt charities urged the government to provide further subsidies for low-income households after an increasing number had turned to high-cost credit to keep afloat. Even so, the MPC forecasts unemployment will rise sharply from under 4% to more than 6% by early 2025. “If we don’t act now to prevent inflation becoming persistent, the consequences later will be worse, and will require larger increases in interest rates,” he said.

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Bank of England launches biggest interest rate hike in 27 years as inflation soars (CNBC)

LONDON — The Bank of England on Thursday hiked interest rates by 50 basis points, its largest single increase since 1995, as it tries to rein in runaway inflation. The sixth consecutive increase takes borrowing costs to 1.75% and marks the first ...

"The Bank is simultaneously forecasting a long recession starting later this year and an even higher peak in inflation. "As a result, and consistent with the latest Agents' survey, underlying nominal wage growth is expected to be higher than in the May Report over the first half of the forecast period." The Bank is simultaneously forecasting a long recession starting later this year and an even higher peak in inflation. As such, investors should expect further interest rate increases from here even as markets and the economy struggle," Bartholomew added. "Growth thereafter is very weak by historic standards. The bank issued a dire outlook for economic growth, suggesting that the latest gas price rise has led to another "significant deterioration" in the outlook for activity in the U.K. and the rest of Europe. The MPC now projects that the U.K. will enter recession from the fourth quarter of 2022, and that the recession will last five quarters as real household post-tax income falls sharply in 2022 and 2023 and consumption begins to contract. The bank now expects headline inflation to peak at 13.3% in October and to remain at elevated levels throughout much of 2023, before falling to its 2% target in 2025. The MPC noted that the labor market remains tight, with domestic cost and price pressures elevated, adding that there is a risk that a "longer period of externally generated price inflation will lead to more enduring domestic price and wage pressures." - The bank now expects headline inflation to peak at 13.3% in October and to remain at elevated levels throughout much of 2023, before falling to its 2% target in 2025. "That largely reflects a near doubling in wholesale gas prices since May, owing to Russia's restriction of gas supplies to Europe and the risk of further curbs," the MPC said in its accompanying statement. - The MPC now projects that the U.K. will enter recession from the fourth quarter of 2022, and that the recession will last five quarters.

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What does the Bank of England interest rate rise mean for you? (The Guardian)

From first-time home buyers to credit card users, we look at how your finances may be affected.

That compares with 79,620 in the last three months of 2021, and 84,010 in the first three months of last year. At the end of March there were 75,670 homeowner mortgages in arrears to the tune of of 2.5% or more of the outstanding loan. At the same time, a key mortgage affordability test was scrapped by the Bank of England this week, which may mean that thousands of potential homebuyers are able to get a bigger home loan. In the first three months of 2019, almost 1,400 homeowner-mortgaged properties were taken into possession. Data by the property website Rightmove says the combination of more expensive mortgage deals and rising house prices mean the average monthly home loan payment for a new first-time buyer is £976 a month. But this could start to change. They have been very much impacted by the issue of pricier deals outlined above. That’s up sharply on January when the figures were 1.34% and 1.55%. With SVRs, things are less straightforward: these can change at the lender’s discretion, but many people will probably see an increase in their monthly costs. It depends what type of deal you are on. Some lenders may not immediately declare their intentions, or may say that any increase won’t take effect for perhaps a few weeks or more. The total number of customers in arrears with their mortgages continued to fall in the first quarter of this year.

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Why have interest rates gone up and how does it help bring inflation ... (Metro)

Brits are bracing themselves as the Bank of England increases the interest rate to the highest it has been since January 2009.

‘It’s likely that inflation will keep rising this year and start to come down next year. Their website says: ‘The cost of living has risen sharply over the last year. As the demand for goods and services falls, the theory is that this will stop prices from rising as shops and retailers are encouraged to drop prices in order to encourage more people to make purchases. Inflation rates are currently higher than that due to the price of goods coming from abroad and large increases in the cost of energy. The interest rate has increased from 1.25% to 1.75% – the highest level since January 2009 – following a meeting of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee to decide the new price of borrowing amid the cost of living crisis. Today the Bank of England (BoE) has increased its interest rate to the highest it has been since January 2009.

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What does the latest interest rate rise mean for you? How hike ... (ITV News)

Almost two-thirds of the public say they are concerned about rising interest rates - here's what it could mean for you. | ITV National News.

A mortgage broker can advise you on the best option for you. The first, known as a mortgage affordability test, was introduced in 2014. According to UK Finance, 1.3 million fixed mortgages are ending at some point this year. Since December, this group has already seen a £118 rise per month. “As a minimum, we specify that mortgage lenders must assume that interest rates will rise by at least 1% over the first five years of the mortgage. The absence of the FPC’s affordability test would make things “simpler, more predictable and reduce the impact on a small proportion of borrowers”, according to the Bank of England. A rise in interest rates is passed on from lenders to the borrower. For the majority on fixed-rate mortgages, there will be no change until the end of the term - when rates are likely to rise. Savers are continuing to lose value on cash they have in the bank, she added, as the gap between interest rates and inflation - which is at 9.4% and could rise to 13.3% in October - remains. “While rising interest rates are generally a win for savers, our research shows that almost a third of people were planning to reduce the amount they were saving, while a fifth would stop altogether, as a result of the cost-of-living crisis," she said in June. In theory, a rise in interest rates is a positive for those putting money away as their savings will earn more interest each year. While millions deal with a cost-of-living crisis, the Bank of England has hiked interest rates in a bid to bring inflation down and ultimately tackle soaring prices.

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Interest rates rise to highest level since 2009 – are there any silver ... (British Politics and Policy at LSE)

Geoff Meeks and J. Gay Meeks discuss the potential effects of rising interest rates on income distribution and mergers and acquisitions. With the media is.

Our new book, The Merger Mystery: Why Spend Ever More On Mergers When so Many Fail?, explores how the combination of low interest rates with tax privileges, moral hazard, misaligned incentives, and accounting tricks has resulted in a booming but dysfunctional market for mergers and acquisitions. Normalising interest rates could mitigate a problem which has led to costly inefficiency in the huge market in mergers and acquisitions. The private equity industry has seized the opportunities for financial engineering arising from central banks’ interventions to force interest rates below the level they would reach in a free market. But, for example, at times of crisis, when share prices have fallen sharply and the authorities artificially depress interest rates in the hope of bolstering confidence and activity, pension fund assets shrink just when the liabilities are recorded as increasing because of the depressed interest rate. Asset and liability changes are again mutually reinforcing when, to dampen an overheating economy with a share price boom (asset values rising), interest rates are increased (decreasing liabilities). The finer points of pension fund valuations, are discussed in our earlier blog, which forewarned of the volatility of the USS fund. How far interest rates have sunk in real terms, and how hard it can be to fill a pension pot by saving is illustrated by NS&I’s Index-linked Savings Certificate, often regarded as a safe investment suitable for someone nearing retirement: it has been paying an interest rate of 0.01% (alongside indexing the principal). When a saver reaches pension age and looks to swap their pension pot for a guaranteed income until death – an annuity – the prevailing interest rate is again crucial. For example, illustrating the powerful role of interest rates, we noted that, in 2009, to pay £10,000 pounds to a pensioner 60 years later, you would have needed £1,043 with the 2009 interest rate, but £3,369 just a year later when the prescribed interest rate had roughly halved). Paul Johnson of the Institute of Fiscal Studies commented: ‘Low interest rates as you save and low annuity rates at the point of retirement make it staggeringly hard to save enough to acquire a decent pension.’ (A similar challenge has confronted would-be first-time home buyers trying to accumulate enough savings for a mortgage deposit, especially as the low interest regime has stimulated rapid growth in house prices, inflating the mortgage deposit required. Today [2019] it will buy little more than £4,000 a year.’ The recent rises in interest rates have brought some relief: £100k will currently buy an income of around £6k. Johnson continues: ‘very low interest rates have also played a central role in killing off the sort of salary-related “defined benefit” occupational pensions that many employers used to provide’. These schemes guaranteed pensions for life, and are a great source of security for the beneficiaries. The media is understandably full of the unwelcome effects of rising interest rates around the world. We mostly follow that practice here, with the caveat that measuring and discussing interest rates is tricky when inflation rates are changing. In contrast, the end of the period of ultra-low interest rates can bring relief to those trying to build a future pension.

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Image courtesy of "HuffPost UK"

Bank Of England Predicts More Than Year Long Recession. Here's ... (HuffPost UK)

On the day interest rates rise to their highest since 2008, the Bank's new forecast is certainly bleak.

Interest rates are decided by the Monetary Policy Committee, a team of nine economists. The remaining households with mortgages will see their monthly repayments increase. They’ve been at historically low levels since, and only last year, they dropped to 0.1%. He said: “There are no ifs or buts in our commitment to the 2% inflation target. For instance, energy bills soared here when Russia recently reduced its natural gas supply to mainland Europe, because the worldwide supplies were squeezed. Capital Economics analysts, for example, think the Bank of England has not gone far enough to tackle inflation with this increase, and that rates will have to go to 3% before inflation is truly tackled. This is the sixth time in a row the Bank of England has increased interest rates. As inflation is the rate at which prices rise, interest rates are used to balance it out and reduce soaring prices. So by rising interest rates as the Bank has done today, the cost of borrowing is increased, meaning people are encourage to spend less. The Bank of England has just forecast a recession lasting for more than a year and inflation climbing to 13.3% on the day that it has confirmed it is increasing interest rates to 1.75%. But, the governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, vowed last month that it still planned to stick to its 2% inflation target – and interest rates is the best way to that. Meanwhile, the interest rates hike is the biggest single increase since 1995 (reflecting the severity of the current crisis) and has taken interest rates to their highest level since December 2008 just after the financial crash.

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Image courtesy of "Daily Express"

'Savers are only winners!' Glimmer of hope as banks & building socs ... (Daily Express)

THE BANK OF ENGLAND has risen interest rates to 1.75 percent, and one bank has announced that it will pass on the full rate of interest to its savers.

“The patience of some savers may be wearing thin, but there is no guarantee they will see any benefit from a base rate rise. “Easy access accounts remain popular, but savers must be sure to check the terms and conditions as not every deal will give them complete flexibility. “Interest rates are rising across the savings spectrum. Savers with cash in the bank should be making sure they are getting the best interest rate available. Thankfully, challenger banks and building societies continue to compete in this space and the average easy access rate has risen to 0.69 percent, up from 0.20 percent in December 2021. Newcastle Building Society's decision to pass the increase on in full will see 99 percent of savers with a variable rate product benefit from a 0.50 percent increase. Currently inflation sits at 9.4 percent, which is no match for the base rate, but any extra cash could be vital for families on low incomes. Rachel Springall, Finance Expert at Moneyfacts.co.uk, said: “Loyal savers may not be benefiting from the base rate rises and they could be missing out on a better return if they fail to compare deals and switch. THE BANK OF ENGLAND has risen interest rates to 1.75 percent, and one bank has announced that it will pass on the full rate of interest to its savers. Easy access savings accounts are one of the simplest of all, and they enable savers to make additions and withdraw funds with minimal restrictions. This is good news for savers as it may prompt more banks to increase the interest rate given on savings accounts as well. The rate changes will come into effect from 25th August, and will mean all its variable rate savings products will offer a minimum interest rate of 1.00 percent.

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Interest rates rise to highest level since 2009 - here is what it means ... (Scottish Daily Record)

In a gloomy economic outlook for the UK, the Bank of England predicted inflation would continue to rise with the economy heading for a full recession.

Many companies have been unable to meet demand - with some items becoming hard to find in shops as a result. "Today’s rise in interest rates will hit such people hard, making it even harder for them to meet their daily living costs. There has also been a sharp rise in the price of oil and gas due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. One way to try to control rising prices - or inflation - is to raise interest rates. Prices have shot up around the world as a result of covid restrictions easing and consumers beginning to spend more. The rise will also come as a shock to homeowners who took out short-term fixed-rate mortgages during the pandemic and are now nearing the end of their mortgage terms. The UK's central bank announced today the basic rate would rise from 1.25 per cent to 1.75 per cent - the highest level in more than a decade - in a bid to stop spiralling inflation.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

UK interest rates see biggest rise in 27 years (BBC News)

The Bank of England warns inflation will rise over 13% and the UK will fall into recession..

It is a textbook example of the combination of a stagnating economy and high inflation - stagflation. Announcing the largest rate rise in more than a quarter of a century in an attempt to temper even higher peaks in inflation of an incredible 13% is what the Bank of England actually did today. It will eventually return to the Bank's 2% target the following year. This will be much harder to pay off with higher interest rates putting more families in financial peril." "For me, like I'm sure lots of others, there is no such thing as a holiday and not working. Those on standard variable rate mortgages will see a £59 increase. It can also encourage people to save more. The Bank warned UK economic growth was already slowing, adding: "The latest rise in gas prices has led to another significant deterioration in the outlook for the UK and the rest of Europe". But it is its prediction of a recession as long as the great financial crisis and as deep as that seen in the early 1990s that is the big shock here. You can also get in touch via WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 and Twitter: @BBC_HaveYourSay "I know that they will feel, 'Well, why have you raised interest rates today, doesn't that make it worse from that perspective in terms of consumption?', I'm afraid my answer to that is, it doesn't because I'm afraid the alternative is even worse in terms of persistent inflation." The Bank of England has warned the UK will fall into recession as it raised interest rates by the most in 27 years.

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Image courtesy of "Property118"

The Hawks increase interest rates by 0.5% (Property118)

A joint venture between Cotswold Barristers and Property118. Tax planning and facilitating the sharing of best practise among UK landlords.

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UK has seen 'worst day for British economy' with interest rates to hit ... (iNews)

Professor Danny Blanchflower warned the Bank's decision would be an 'electoral disaster for the Government' with Conservative leadership candidates 'handed ...

This new rise in interest rates means that people will again suffer the consequences. The first thing to remember about the Bank’s interest rate is that there is no cap. In a sign of what’s to come for interest rates, the Bank has warned inflation will peak at more than 13 per cent as energy prices are expected to soar further. “However if inflation goes higher and/or looks like it is becoming more persistent, then we would expect interest rates to rise even higher. [The MPC hasn’t] understood controlling inflation is not the big deal, inflation is going to disappear… The Bank of England also said the UK is set to fall into a five-quarter recession from the fourth quarter of 2023 – prompted by rising energy prices – but that it will be shallower than the 2008 crash.

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