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just now (888+ words) It can be a great way to save thousands on interest - but make sure you know the rules of your deal The Independent Money channel is brought to you by Trading 212. If you have spare cash, making mortgage overpayments can be a no-brainer. By doing so you can save thousands of pounds over the life of your loan. Mark Harris, chief executive of mortgage broker SPF Private Clients, says: "Overpaying on your mortgage, if you have the spare funds available to do so, is a great way of reducing the interest you pay. As you clear the balance sooner, you end up with a shorter mortgage term so end up paying less interest." However, overpayments aren't always the best option. Not all mortgages allow them, and some limit how much you can overpay. Plus, your spare cash might earn more…...

6+ min ago (116+ words) U.S. President "Donald Trump "said support for "immediately cutting interest rates would be a "requirement for "anyone he chose to "lead the Federal Reserve, according to "a Politico "interview ... Oops, something went wrong Trump says support for interest rate cuts is key test for Fed chair nominee WASHINGTON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President "Donald Trump said support for immediately cutting interest rates would be a "requirement for anyone he chose to "lead the Federal Reserve, according to "a Politico interview published on Tuesday. Asked if it was a litmus test "that the "new central "bank chair immediately lower interest "rates, "Trump told the news outlet "yes". (Reporting "by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew Heavens)...

7+ min ago (445+ words) United States (US) President Donald Trump criticizes Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell, in an interview with Politico during the European trading session on Tuesday, for not reducing interest rates, calling him "not a smart person". Trump also talked about the current status of truce discussions with Russia and Ukraine. Would make support for immediately slashing interest rates as a litmus test in the choice of a new Fed chair (well, duh).Ukraine hasn't had an election in a long time.No question Russia has a stronger position.On Ukraine: Europe is not handling it well.Trump declined to rule out troops in Venezuela.Could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia. US President Trump's comments seem ineffective on the US Dollar (USD). The US Dollar Index (DXY) remains steady around 99.00 as of writing. The table below shows the…...

9+ min ago (145+ words) Headline inflation climbed to 3.8 percent in October, outside the RBA's 23 percent target band. Reserve Bank of Australia Holds Interest Rates The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has kept the cash rate steady at 3.6 percent at its final meeting of the year, cautioning that inflation risks have "tilted to the upside" and signalling it would respond if price pressures persist. "The pick-up in momentum has been stronger than anticipated, particularly in the private sector. If this continues, it is likely to add to capacity pressures," the RBA said in its post-meeting statement released on Dec. 9. Australia Loans $45 Million Sweetener to Fund Tim Tam's Global Expansion Reddit Preps Lawsuit Against Australia's Under-16 Social Media Ban Clicks and Careers: Social Media Ban to Test "Kidfluencer' Dreams Shadow Housing Minister Says Housing Crisis Threatening Support for Capitalism...

12+ min ago (444+ words) Dec 9 - What matters in U.S. and global markets today Fed week got off to a rocky start in global markets, courtesy of bond market hits across the world, but government debt yields stabilized on Tuesday as the Federal Reserve started its two-day meeting. A sharp jump in yields on U.S. Treasuries, German bunds "and Japanese government bonds on Monday was fueled by a slew of factors - some hawkish policy noises from several regions, another heavy week of year-end U.S. debt sales and a likely Bank "of Japan interest rate rise next week. The jolt knocked stock markets back and the S&P 500 ended in the red on Monday. Stock index futures held steady on Tuesday. But as a widely expected Fed cut is expected on Wednesday, the picture calmed a bit overnight. "The release of October data on U.S. job openings later is likely…...

13+ min ago (1341+ words) OTTAWA " December 9, 2025 The decision will be announced at 9:45 am Eastern, followed by a press conference with Governor Tiff Macklem and Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers at about 10:30 am [2] In a Reuters poll conducted from December 2 to 5, all 33 economists surveyed said the Bank of Canada will leave its overnight rate unchanged at 2.25 per cent on December 10. A majority of them expect that rate to remain in place at least until 2027, signaling that the era of rapid rate cuts is effectively over. [3] A separate round-up of market views published today by Wealth Professional Canada reached the same conclusion: every economist in that sample also expects a hold, and traders are pricing in roughly "done for now" as the base case. [4] The Financial Post, citing economists surveyed ahead of the decision, put it bluntly: there is "no major compelling reason" for the Bank…...

17+ min ago (27+ words) The average mortgage-holder's repayments could soon jump an extra $90 a month, with another Reserve Bank interest rate hike on the cards as early as February....

21+ min ago (547+ words) Tis the season to be jolly. That is, unless you're a worker who was banking on getting a seasonal job and haven't been able to find one this season. Every year, American retailers hire extra help as the holiday shopping season approaches. In recent years, these jobs have numbered roughly around half a million per season. These seasonal jobs run the gamut. Think temporary cashiers, gift wrappers, sales associates, greeters, merchandisers, warehouse unloaders, delivery drivers. But the quintessential " and most iconic " seasonal worker has got to be" Santa Claus. In addition to sliding down chimneys to deliver presents on Christmas, Jolly Old Saint Nicholas takes gigs at places like malls, department stores, corporate events, and private parties in the weeks leading up to Dec. 25. Mitch Allen is the founder and "Head Elf" at Hire Santa, an agency that provides Santas…...

23+ min ago (1178+ words) Plus read below to see the exact amount YOU need to retire THOSE plotting to retire soon should be aware of a 3.9% budgeting rule that could save them from being penniless in retirement. Lots of people planning to retire hold some of their pension in a defined contribution scheme. These types of scheme build up a pot of money that can pay you a retirement income. You may have had one set up by your employer or you can take out a private scheme that you fund yourself. The money paid in will then be invested so it can grow over time. For years, it has been suggested that if you wanted to have enough to cover your retirement you would follow the 4% rule. Households face "162 tax penalty for moving money as "loophole" closed in Budget Huge shake-up to hated…...

23+ min ago (477+ words) UK mortgage lending recorded its strongest quarterly jump in five years in the third quarter of 2025, with gross advances rising 36.9% to "80.4bn, according to new data from the Bank of England (BoE). The increase marks the sharpest quarterly gain since 2020 amid a renewed surge in the UK property market. The total value of outstanding residential mortgages rose 0.9% in the quarter to "1,733.7bn, 2.9% higher than a year earlier. New mortgage commitments increased 1.6% to "79.4bn, the highest since the third quarter of 2022 and 20.3% higher than a year ago. Higher-risk lending continued to expand. The share of high loan-to-value (LTV) lending, with LTVs above 90% rising by 0.3 percentage points to 7.4%, the highest since the second quarter of 2008 and 0.8 percentage points higher than a year earlier. Lending to borrowers with elevated loan-to-income ratios increased by 3.3 percentage points to 44.7%, the largest quarterly rise since the third quarter of 2020, though…...