Source: Sharecast
They were once called a “ticking timebomb” but interest-only mortgages could become easier to get hold of as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) looks at ways to support home ownership. Interest-only mortgages were hugely popular but almost became extinct following the 2007-08 financial crisis, with some viewing them as one of the worst examples of irresponsible lending. – Guardian
Asda’s chairman Allan Leighton has made a point not to read too much into industry data. He was “not bothered” about figures published by Kantar last month showing Asda’s share of the grocery market had tumbled to a record low. Its shopper numbers versus rival supermarkets were “of no consequence”. “We don’t really care what anybody else does,” Leighton told The Telegraph. – Telegraph
The government has been “dangerously flat-footed” in its approach to recovering billions of pounds of taxpayer losses from an emergency pandemic loan programme, MPs said. Efforts by the Department for Business and Trade to recoup fraud-related losses from the £47 billion bounce-back loan scheme have been “passive” and “largely unsuccessful, with only a small fraction of losses recovered”, the public accounts committee said. – The Times
Fermented from grapes ripened in the sun-soaked southern climes, Spanish wines have a long-held reputation for being a shade more powerful than their delicate European cousins. While that boldness has for decades been a draw among oenophiles seeking the hit of a full-bodied rioja or the earthy kick of tempranillo, it is now proving a headache for the country’s vineyard owners. – The Times