Homebuyers who want to take advantage of the stamp duty holiday have been warned to act quickly as high demand for mortgages and coronavirus restrictions are creating delays in the process. David Hollingworth of brokers L&C said getting a mortgage was taking about double the usual time as lenders struggled with the volume of business,…
The late summer and early autumn saw a modest reopening of the UK’s cultural venues. The public could visit museums and galleries, attend small-scale concerts and become the audience for socially distanced plays and films. But, since England’s belated lockdown began on Thursday, the doors of arts institutions are shut once again in much of…
I recently received a text asking me to verify whether I had made a recent purchase. This is something that happens a lot, as my bank is triggered by anything that doesn’t appear to be me. It will allow limitless funds to go on overpriced trainers, but block barbecue meats or Tottenham Hotspur merch. I…
The UK government has pledged £7.3bn in a refreshed package of support for self-employed people. But critics say that almost 3 million workers may be out of pocket, with the second coronavirus lockdown in England, and the Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leaving many freelancers and contractors out in the cold again….
One of the biggest investors in Tesla has defended the explosive growth in the US electric carmaker’s share price, arguing that it is “far from an aberration”. Baillie Gifford, the Edinburgh-based investment manager that runs the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMIT), has been the second-biggest winner from Tesla’s rocketing share price, beaten only by Tesla’s…
UK house prices rose at the fastest annual rate in more than four years in October but the mortgage lender Halifax said the market would slow over the coming months because of new coronavirus lockdown rules and a weaker economic backdrop. Halifax said in October the average price of a home topped £250,000 for the…
