Snad wrote:miltiades wrote:Having at one stage sunk to 1 euro to the pound , sterling is now poised for recovery closing today at 1.11 euros. I can see the rate rising by the end of this month to 1.17 euros to the pound . I also believe that by the end of this quarter , to the end of March , Stg will settle at 1.20 euros.
We buy Euros in the UK at 1.15 to the £ at the moment , if anyone is visiting London do contact me for the best rate available on your euros.
When the BOE make there announcement on interest rates today, this could all change. Watch this space.
If only the BoE interest reductions were passed down to borrowers. The rate currently at 2 % yet credit card companies not only have they not reduced their interest they have instead increased the. Gordon Brown as well as Lord Mandelson had meetings with credit card companies and in blunt terms asked them to stop ripping people off , to no avail. Banks are charging small businesses rates from 12 - 16% , which amounts to between 600 and 800 % more than the BoE rate.
As for credit cards , a mere 800% more is considered good since most of them are charging 1200% plus . Unless the government enacts a law to force them to behave the recession will be that much longer.
I see the BoE rate as purely cosmetic , affecting the savers but most certainly not benefiting the borrower or business .