UK Finance News, Explained For You
FTSE 8,342 ▲ BOE 4.50% CPI 2.8% BTC $94,200 ▲ Brent $86.2 ▼
Finance News · Explained
FTSE 1008,342+0.4% S&P 5005,612-0.2% BOE Rate4.50% GBP/USD1.2748+0.3% Gold£2,841/oz+1.1% CPI UK2.8%↓ Brent$86.2/bbl-0.8% BTC/USD$94,200+2.3% DAX18,241+0.3% ETH/USD$3,241+1.8% ISA Rate4.75% GBP/EUR1.1730+0.2% FTSE 1008,342+0.4% S&P 5005,612-0.2% BOE Rate4.50% GBP/USD1.2748+0.3% Gold£2,841/oz+1.1% Brent$86.2/bbl-0.8% BTC/USD$94,200+2.3% DAX18,241+0.3%
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BOE Base Rate4.50%↔ Held
UK CPI Inflation2.8%↓ −0.3pp
Brent Crude$86.2↓ −0.8%
Bitcoin BTC/USD$94,200↑ +2.3%

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Finance Glossary

Plain English
Compound Interest
Earning interest on your interest. Over time, this creates exponential growth — the longer you leave money invested, the more dramatic the effect becomes.
CPI (Consumer Price Index)
The official measure of inflation in the UK. It tracks the price of a "basket" of common goods and services over time to show how much prices are rising.
ISA (Individual Savings Account)
A tax-free savings or investment wrapper. You can put up to £20,000 per year into an ISA, and any growth or income inside it is completely tax-free.
Bank of England Base Rate
The interest rate the Bank of England charges commercial banks. When it goes up, mortgage rates and savings rates typically follow, affecting millions of households.
LTV (Loan-to-Value)
The ratio of your mortgage to the property's value. A lower LTV (bigger deposit) usually means better interest rates from lenders.
Defined Contribution Pension
The most common workplace pension. You and your employer pay in, the money is invested, and your retirement pot depends on how much was paid in and how well it grew.
Real Return
Your investment return after accounting for inflation. If your investments grew 7% but inflation was 3%, your real return is about 4% — that's what actually grew your purchasing power.
FTSE 100
An index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. It's widely used as a barometer for the UK economy and stock market health.
Quantitative Easing (QE)
When a central bank creates new money electronically to buy assets like government bonds. It's designed to stimulate the economy but can contribute to inflation.
Emergency Fund
Three to six months of essential expenses kept in easily accessible savings. It's your financial safety net for unexpected events like job loss or large repairs.
Stagflation
A painful economic condition combining high inflation, slow economic growth, and high unemployment simultaneously — making it very difficult for central banks to respond.
Yield
The income return on an investment, expressed as a percentage. For bonds, it's the interest paid. For property, it's rental income divided by property value.

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