Many are household names - from the Royal Bank of Scotland to ABN AMRO - others are less visible on the High Street, but significant leading actors such as Fortis and Royal Bank of Canada, as well as major investment banks like Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. Three to four year's ago few mainstream commentators predicted the confluence of factors - high oil prices, the phenomenal rise of China and its energy demand, and the recognition of climate change, and potential carbon liability - as the driving force of new energy developments.
EVERY household in the country is sitting on paper losses of almost pounds 1,000 so far on bailouts for Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, it was disclosed yesterday. UK Financial Investments (UKFI), which manages public stakes in the two banks, said every household had more than pounds 3,000 invested in Lloyds and RBS shares. But the pounds 34.5bn currently invested had shrunk to pounds 23.6bn as of June 30 - a 32% paper loss of pounds 10.9bn, equivalent to about pounds 950 per household.
IF you were told by a friend that he had 25 household bank accounts what would your first reaction be? Horror or disbelief? If their explanation then turned out to be that it was due to 'risk management' and because their wife wanted to 'take advantage of higher interest rates' you might laugh in their face.
UNCERTAINTY over future interest rises and historically high levels of household debt pose "considerable challenges" to UK financial stability, the Bank of England will warn today. In its twice-yearly Financial Stability Review, the Bank will also raise concerns over the "search for yield" which has seen City players put their money into higher-risk products such as hedge funds in the hope of improved returns in a generally flat market.
WE will survive. The back of the envelope says that we will survive. The payslips and the bank statements are transposed into new household realities on the back of an envelope, and they say we will be fine. The income levy and health levy, 6 per cent last month, combined into a single social levy of 7 per cent next month, means breathing in, but it won't break the bank.
HARD-PRESSED parents facing the prospect of entertaining their children over the Easter holiday, followed quickly by not one but two bank holiday weekends - not forgetting that extra day off for the Scottish Parliamentary elections and several in-service days - could be forgiven for panicking about how on earth they are going to keep the children amused without breaking the bank. The median household income in Scotland is pound(s)21,372 according to the Scottish Government's most recent annual Family Resources Survey. That means 50% of households live on less than this, and things look set to get worse, with the average family now pound(s)11 a week poorer than they were last year as a direct result of rising prices.
.IF you are worried about more money going out of your bank account than coming in, then you're not alone. The average household debt ---excluding mortgages -- is Pounds 9,550, according to the campaign Credit Action. But you can get out of this debt spiral.
CILLIT Bang and Durex Condoms were at the top of investors' shopping lists today, as Reckitt Benckiser clawed back some of its recent losses. The household goods titan was the star performer on the top flight, jumping 104p to 3168p, as Bank of America Merrill Lynch declared itself a fan. In a 59-page tome on the European consumer goods sector, the big-hitting broker said that it believes Reckitts now looks attractive and set a 3600p target.
BRITISH Gas parent Centrica is not everyone's cup of tea. It certainly sparked outrage in November when it boasted that annual 2010 pre-tax profits would be higher than the expected Pounds 2.21bn only days after announcing a 7pc hike in gas and electricity prices for 8m of its household customers. The worst winter for 100 years has since helped it bank yet more massive profits, the sum of which will be announced to the market this month. But in the meantime, punters suddenly took a liking to Centrica's shares as revived takeover rumours did the rounds. They chased them up to 334p amid vague talk of a bid approach at 450p a share before profit taking and the general market afternoon dip left the close 1.1p easier at 326.8p on turnover of almost 18m.
DREAMS of a worry-free retirement were dashed for millions of employees in private industry last week, when Barclays Bank and BP became the latest household names to withdraw pension benefits. Barclays, which stopped salary-linked pensions for new employees in 1997, is now ending the perk for most existing staff who thought their pensions were safe.
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