UK banks see demand for mortgages picking up in second quarter - BoE survey

LONDON (Reuters) - British banks expect demand for mortgages to rise in the next three months, a Bank of England survey showed, in another sign the housing market is regaining speed.

RBS shares jump as bank’s bad debts improve

Royal Bank of Scotland is erasing £800m of bad debt provisions because of a dramatic improvement in its Irish operations and other troublesome areas of its business.

Ed Balls proposes spending watchdog role in vetting expenditure plans

Ed Balls has sought to reassure voters that Labour can be trusted with public finances by announcing plans to allow the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to check future governments’ spending commitments are affordable.

Global economy one shock away from another crisis

The world is sliding towards another debt-ridden disaster, with the eurozone and China one shock away from a fresh crisis, according to a leading economics consultancy.

Rapidly rising UK house prices not just a 'London problem' - BoE's Cunliffe

LONDON (Reuters) - The problem of rapidly rising house prices is not isolated to London, a top Bank of England policymaker said on Thursday.

Bank may yet need to go nuclear to burst the housing bubble

The Bank of England did not need the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to point out the risks of a property bubble in the UK.

Britain's property market posts highest sales level in more than six years

Britain's property market recorded the highest level of sales in more six years over the first three months of this year – but the surge came with a health warning from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics).

RBA says no immediate financial stability risks from house prices

The Reserve Bank of Australia does not see financial stability risks from rising house prices, but with its cash rate at a record low 2.5% it is actively monitoring the industry, according to comments from the biannual Financial Stability Review published Wednesday.

UK inflation hits new four-year low in February, house prices up sharply

(Reuters) - British inflation fell to its lowest in more than four years in February, dipping further below the Bank of England's target and easing the pressure on Britain's living standards.

Canada Consumer Confidence Rises on Resilient Housing

Canada’s economic mood rebounded last week as consumers head into the holiday season buoyed by rising house prices, according to the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index.

Norway Poised to Relax Rules to Fight House Price Deflation

Norway is moving closer to easing mortgage lending standards as the nation’s deflating property market prompts concern among lawmakers that existing regulations are too tight.

BOJ Struggles to Convince on 2% as Abenomics Shine Fades

Half a year after Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda unleashed record monetary easing, economists see the bank failing to meet its inflation target, underscoring the case for stronger steps to revive the economy.

Not Bank of England's role to regulate house prices - policymaker

Oct 21 (Reuters) - It should not be the Bank of England's job to regulate house prices, a BoE policymaker said on Monday.

Banks are falling short in planning for the worst: Federal Reserve

Most large banks appear to have been sailing through the annual "health checkups" they have had to undergo since the financial crisis.

Consumers more confident, less worried about jobs: Survey

LONDON: Global consumer confidence rose in the second quarter with more optimistic perceptions about jobs, personal finances and spending intentions in the United States, China and Japan, a survey shows.

Banking industry's year of shame ends in a blizzard of Libor revelations

The pledge made by one UBS trader – "I'm a man of my word" – seems a fine sentiment, until the realisation dawns that the promise he is making is to do "one humongous deal" with a broker to help him manipulate the Libor rate.

China's Premier vows to prevent housing bubble

China must “unswervingly” press ahead with controls to keep house prices down, Premier Wen Jiabao warned, highlighting fears of a renewed property bubble in the world's second largest economy.