Market Update:

The British Bankers Association has issued figures showing a Gross rise in mortgage lending of £0.3Bn for July 2009.

For the same period the Net rise is shown as £1.6Bn; with £2.2Bn for June & £2.9Bn over the last six month period.

Total loans for July were £9.7Bn of which £5.2Bn was represented by 38,141 house purchase loans, an increase upon June of  2,577.  Re-mortgage numbers also edged up slightly by 2,146.

Confused?  You’re probably not alone

We’ve commented in the past about such numbers – See Think of a Number  and  What the Numbers really mean.  Unfortunately,  as is often in the finance markets, the changes are subtle and the numbers can be baffling.

  
The Council of Mortgage Lenders  ( CML ) has revealed 2008’s Big Four UK Mortgage Lenders. Illustrating  a par-for-the-course  and little change from last year.  Once again, look beyond the numbers and look at the purpose of such a list.  

Fitch Ratings  have downgraded financial institutions which have taken State Aid, ahead of possible EU Commission intervention. The implications of this will be interesting to follow especially with regard to some Building Societies and Foreign Banks.

Lincoln Financial Group’s research  has found that around 2 million adults have no idea where their pension funds are being invested or, indeed, who their pension provider is.

(Image and Article credit: Copyright SUF)