Bank of England

Robin Hepworth, CIO of Ecclesiastical Investment Management, looks at the options now the supposed safe havens of cash and government bonds are out of bounds for most investors

Unsecured lending to consumers fell the most in almost 20 years last month, the Bank of England (BoE) said, reigniting expectations it would authorise further asset purchases next month.

A draft report released by the FSA today has further detailed the relationship between the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).

The Treasury today published the Financial Services Bill, which when passed will enshrine the new regulatory structure in law.

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) once again voted unanimously to maintain interest rates at 0.5% and keep the quantitative easing (QE) programme at £275bn in January, despite fears inflation may fall below target levels.

Bank of England governor Mervyn King last night backed calls for limits on boardroom pay, in a speech in which he also said the UK's economic recovery would be "arduous" and hinted at a further round of quantitative easing.

The Treasury Select Committee has criticised proposals by the Bank of England to increase accountability, saying they fall "well short" of what is needed.

Fears of a period of prolonged inflation are "unfounded", Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Adam Posen said, after UK inflation dropped sharply.

Bank of England governor Mervyn King has urged investors and public authorities to pay less attention to ratings agencies, which he said have often "rushed" to downgrade.

The Bank of England has proposed setting up an internal oversight committee to monitor and assess the processes employed in making financial stability policy decisions.