Good morning and welcome to Monday’s Money Minute, where we look ahead to this week’s biggest financial stories.
On Tuesday, Australia’s central bank announces its latest decision on interest rates.The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to hold its key interest rate at 0.75%, but markets still expect a cut later in the year.
In the UK, we get another housing market update, this time from Halifax. Recent data on the market has suggested that it is picking up quite strongly, and the Halifax figures will likely confirm that.
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And at the end of the week, in the US, we get the all-important non-farm payrolls data, where we’ll learn how many jobs the US economy added in January. In common with most other developed countries, the labour market in the US is currently very strong. The numbers to watch are the unemployment rate - currently at 3.5% - and the figure for wage inflation, currently at 2.9%.
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RICS: Housing market continues to strengthen but 2025 could be challengingThe latest survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors reports a resilient UK housing market, but warns of headwinds next year
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Bitcoin price one of the most-asked questions on Alexa - here's how to buy the cryptocurrencyAccording to figures from Amazon, which cover September 2023 to November 2024, pop star Taylor Swift and Bitcoin were named among the most popular Alexa queries of 2024
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Halifax: House price slump continues as prices slide for the sixth consecutive monthUK house prices fell again in September as buyers returned, but the slowdown was not as fast as anticipated, latest Halifax data shows. Where are house prices falling the most?
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Rents hit a record high - but is the opportunity for buy-to-let investors still strong?UK rent prices have hit a record high with the average hitting over £1,200 a month says Rightmove. Are there still opportunities in buy-to-let?
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Pension savers turn to gold investmentsInvestors are racing to buy gold to protect their pensions from a stock market correction and high inflation, experts say
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Where to find the best returns from student accommodationStudent accommodation can be a lucrative investment if you know where to look.
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Best investing appsLooking for an easy-to-use app to help you start investing, keep track of your portfolio or make trades on the go? We round up the best investing apps
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The world’s best bargain stocksSearching for bargain stocks with Alec Cutler of the Orbis Global Balanced Fund, who tells Andrew Van Sickle which sectors are being overlooked.
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Revealed: the cheapest cities to own a home in BritainNew research reveals the cheapest cities to own a home, taking account of mortgage payments, utility bills and council tax
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UK recession: How to protect your portfolioAs the UK recession is confirmed, we look at ways to protect your wealth.
