Bank of England

Core inflation surged in December largely because of higher fuel duties according to latest Office for National Statistics data, justifying, economists say, the Bank of England's interest rate rise of last week.

Research published by Heartwood Wealth Management suggests half of City workers intend to spend their entire bonus this season, and most of that on residential property.

Nicolas Moreau, the new chief executive of Axa's UK operations, plans to beef up the insurer's asset management business and enter the direct motor insurance market, says the Daily Telegraph .

The House of Lords have criticised the Treasury for producing "over-optimistic" forecasts which is making it "more difficult than it needs to be" for the Bank of England to set interest rates.

News out this week investment banks may be lowering their forecasts on average oil prices through 2007 should spell good news for anyone considering investments of any kind.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) has frozen rates at 5% as widely expected.

The first bust company pension schemes to be bailed out under the recently-formed Pension Protection Fund were named today, says the Daily Telegraph .

Mortgage lending hit a three-year high of £9.8bn in October, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England.

Pension buyouts have received a ringing endorsement from Mike Samuel, the chairman of a new pensions advisory group, reports the Daily Telegraph .

A typical British household pays more than £200,000 in indirect taxes over a lifetime, according to a report by Axa, says the Scotsman .