London Market Report
London Market Report

UK banks see surge in bad debts
The level of bad debts written off because defaulting borrowers will never repay them shot up in 2009 to a new record, figures show.

Thompson warns SPL clubs on wages
Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson urges clubs to reduce wage levels in order to safeguard the future of the game.

Bad debts of £24bn knock Lloyds
Lloyds Banking Group lost £24bn on bad loans in 2009, forcing the bank heavily into the red, annual results show.

RBS reports £3.6bn loss for 2009
Royal Bank of Scotland reports a loss of £3.6bn for 2009, but is set to pay bonuses totalling £1.3bn to its staff.

RBS results: Good news for taxpayers?
With a massive 84% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland, UK taxpayers have a lot riding on the performance of the bank. So as its biggest shareholders, how concerned should we be about RBS's £3.6bn annual loss?

Ulster Bank reports loss of £368m
Ulster Bank reports a loss of £368m for 2009, compared with an operating profit of £218 million in 2008.

Commerzbank warns of tough 2010
Commerzbank says 2010 could be another difficult year as it reports a bigger-than-expected loss for the final quarter of last year.

Clydesdale bank's bad debt rises
Problems in Britain's commercial property sector have raised the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks' exposure to bad debts.

Credit card rates 'at new high'
Interest rates on credit cards are at their highest level for 12 years despite the low Bank rate, research suggests.

Are we worse off than when we were 13?
When you were 13 you probably didn't have any debts, while the typical adult often has plenty. But all that tells you is that understanding debt is a complex business, writes Michael Blastland in his regular column.

Europe's PIGS: Country by country
How bad a situation are the so-called PIGS - Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain - in compared with the UK?

City Diaries: "Mark"


Water shares up on takeover talk
Shares in Northumbrian Water jump 14% after reports it could receive a £1.7bn takeover offer from a Canadian pension fund.

Concerns raised over bank access
People are being wrongly refused basic bank accounts on the basis of their credit history, Radio 4's Money Box learns.

End of recession offers little respite
How the UK recession has left one firm battling to survive, even as the economy improves.

City Diaries: "Laura"
Laura (not her real name) works for a commercial bank in London. She is commenting on the frustrations of working in the financial services in the current climate.

Credit card write-offs hit banks
The amount of money that banks write off on their credit cards doubled in the third quarter of 2009.

US bankers braced for big bonuses
US banks are expected to show they're making steady money but paying heady bonuses.

Icelandic views on repaying debt
Icelanders tell the BBC what they think of their president's decision to reject a $5.4bn repayment bill to the UK and the Netherlands.

Tips on Mortgages
In lay man's term mortgage is all about the transfer of ownership of a property to a lender as a security for a debt. Due to the ongoing economic crisis a very little funding is available in the money

Mortgage: Seek for Professional Help
A mortgage is probably the biggest financial responsibility an individual ever make and it involves a lot of risk. Naturally, people are eager to know about the mortgages suitable for them. Fortunatel

Mortgage Counselling
he meltdown in the mortgage market has triggered the hullabaloo in the money market across the globe. Mid-September 2007 has witnessed the most dramatic fallout so far from the US sub-prime mortgage c

How to Shop for the Best Mortgage
Shopping for mortgages is a tough task. You need to make sure and be clear with when it comes to mortgages as it can affect your future undertaking. Buying a home is not at all easy and demands a lot

UK mortgage advice
If you have decided to take a mortgage, you need to understand that it is an important and serious financial commitment. Such a long term (in most cases) financial decision shouldn’t be taken in a hur

How Can You Stop Repossession?
The threat of repossession is a real one to many people. When the economy is good, mortgage lenders are willing to lend many times your salary at low interest rates. If interest rates rise, however

Lowest Interest Rate Refinance Loan Finding A Good Refi Loan
Lowest Interest Rate Refinance Loan - Finding A Good Refi Loan By Carrie Reeder Making the decision to refinance your home may save you thousands throughout the life of a mortgage. Because of low

Bad Credit Mortgage Lenders Comparing Interest Rates And Mortgage Programs
Bad Credit Mortgage Lenders – Comparing Interest Rates And Mortgage Programs By Carrie Reeder Bad credit mortgage lenders offer an invaluable service by helping individuals with low credit score

Ten Reasons why Credit Cards are Popular in the UK
According to APACS (Association for Payment Clearing Services), in 2004 we Brits charged just about £269bn on our plastic. Cash sales for the same period totaled just about £268bn. For the first time

Finding the Best Flexible Mortgage UK Deal
The best flexible mortgage UK is the one that works with the needs of the individual borrower. Flexible mortgages are home loans that allow some deviation from their repayment schedule and allow unde