0.99% mortgage launches

Cheaper mortgages

Competition in the mortgage market seems to be hotting up, with a new 0.99% interest deal launching today from Nationwide. The 2-year fixed-rate mortgage is only for buyers with a 40% deposit, but the lender said its cutting rates on other deals too. The average two-year fixed-rate mortgage across all deposit sizes is currently 2.58%.

Supermarket price hikes

The big shop could make more of a dent in your wallet come autumn as food prices rise, the British Retail Consortium has warned. Brexit bureaucracy and rising food and shipping costs are putting pressure on supermarkets - and these price hikes will likely be passed onto shoppers.

Want EU back

Brexiter and ‘Spoons owner Tim Martin has joined industry bosses calling for relaxed visa rules for EU migrants. Pubs and restaurants are struggling to recruit enough staff, with many stopping lunchtime service. Trade body UKHospitality estimates the shortfall at 188,000 workers, after many left the industry - or the country - during the pandemic.