Mortgagees nervously await Bank decision

Its latest “Mood of the Nation” report says the index used has seen a swing from ‘+11’ to ‘-14’ just in the past few weeks. That 25 points drop contrasts with a 6 points increase in confidence among those without a mortgage. Key to the change was the early January interest rate hike by the Bank of England, compounded by the Christmas spending “hangover” as many people see the level of bills and other outgoings increase sharply. Alistair Whitmore, director of Ipsos MORI Financial Services, says people still seem more assured about their own personal finances than the economy as a whole...