Author: Practicenet

Borrowers have been warned that European interest rates are set to rise, but the increases will be gradual and it will be 2021 before they hit 1pc. This is good news for those on trackers, and people borrowing to buy homes now. European Central Bank rates are zero at the moment, but the ECB has […]

PRICES rose last month due to electricity suppliers and restaurants increasing their charges. Average prices were 0.4pc higher in December compared with the same month in the previous year. This was despite a slight fall in prices in the month of December, according to the Central Statistics Office. The annual rate of inflation rose due […]

The most highly sought professionals will pick up pay rises worth 15pc as the number of people at work pushes close to its pre-recession peak. Research reveals employees’ prospects are finally back on track with jobs and pay on the up following years of instability. There are now approximately 2.2 million people at work, close […]

Google is seeking to increase its control on internet traffic with plans for three new subsea cables, one of which will stop off in Ireland. The web giant has the world’s largest physical network, accounting for up to 25pc of worldwide internet traffic. According to Google vice-president Ben Treynor Sloss, it has spent $30bn (€24.5bn) […]

GOOD advice, they say, is best served, and observed, frequently. The surge in insurance premiums may have abated but that is no excuse for taking your eye off the ball and accepting what you’re quoted. There are still several ways to save a lot of money. Here are a few: The obvious Shop around like […]

Gross government debt was around €8bn higher at the end of September than the same month last year. The debt pile stood at €210.7bn. That compares with €202.4bn at the end of September 2016, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has said. The debt-to-GDP ratio, however, is continuing to fall […]

The re-introduction of border controls with Britain due to Brexit will not adversely impact Dublin Port, its CEO has insisted. “Over the next two months, we will finalise our plans for the required reintroduction of border controls on trade with Britain and I am confident that the controls required will not significantly hinder the movement […]

The euro has hit a three-year high against the dollar amid rising optimism about growth in the bloc. With data showing economic resurgence in the eurozone, such as the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index which is at a 20 year high, investors are growing more upbeat about the bloc’s prospects. The currency’s rise also coincided with […]

Oil hovered near a three-year high of $70 a barrel yesterday on signs that production cuts by Opec and Russia are tightening supplies, but analysts warned of “red flags” due to surging US production. International benchmark Brent crude futures were trading 3 cents lower at $69.84 by mid-afternoon, having risen above $70 earlier in the […]

More than half of Irish consumers are continuing to save for a rainy day. The Bank of Ireland Savings and Investment Index published today shows that 53pc of consumers in Ireland were saving regularly during December. But there are signs that households are less keen on the savings environment, indicating they might feel they are […]