Halifax

The price gap between the north and the south of Britain may soon be a thing of the past as the property market has made a leap in the less expensive parts of the country, suggests a survey by Halifax.

US president Franklin Roosevelt's words ending the era of prohibition have come back to haunt the pensions industry with Halifax' suggestion people give up their daily pint and packet of crisps in favour of £3 a day towards their pension pot

The average UK house burst through the £150,000 price level in March, thanks to monthly house price inflation of 2.2%, which took annualised inflation to 18.5%, Halifax says.

Private residential housing stock was valued to be worth around £3 trillion in 2003, which is almost double the value of property from five years ago, according to a study by Halifax.

First-time buyers are now unable to afford property in 25 of Wales' 35 main post towns, according to the first Halifax Welsh Annual First Time Buyer Review.

Halifax is launching a regular savings account with 6% gross interest, providing the sum is held for at least 12 months.

PLANS BY HALIFAX to launch a new savings account - as mentioned on IFAonline - has hit the national news this morning labelled as a "marketing gimmick", while another newspaper suggests it could spark a price war among savings providers.

Nurses, teachers, police officers and fire fighters can no longer afford to buy a home in most major towns, says high street lender Halifax.