Posts by splash

The average interest rate on new mortgages in Ireland fell slightly in June, according to new figures from the Central Bank. The average interest rate on new mortgages was 3.6%, down one basis point from 3.61% in May. The average fixed rate was 3.52%, while the average variable was 4.08%. Despite the downward trend, Ireland…

Budget Day will take place on Tuesday, 7 October, according to Government sources. Budget 2026 comes against the backdrop of 15% tariffs on goods exported to the US, and threats by US President Donald Trump of even higher tariffs on pharmaceuticals. Last month, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform…

64% of Irish SMEs were unaffected by crime in the past 12 months, according to new research by ISME. Of the 36% which did experience crime, 68% were targeted more than once. Anti-social behaviour, vandalism, burglary and phishing attacks were the most common offences. For businesses affected, the costs are considerable with 28% reporting increased…

US consumer prices increased moderately in July, though rising costs for goods because of import tariffs led to a measure of underlying inflation posting its largest gain in six months. The US consumer price index rose 0.2% last month after gaining 0.3% in June, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said today. In the…

What does ageism in the workplace look like? It can be hiring bias, stereotyping, early layoffs, forced retirement, microaggressions or exclusion. Sometimes it’s loud and visible; other times it’s subtle and silent. Unlike many other forms of workplace discrimination, ageism often remains invisible and undiscussed, yet it profoundly affects the lives, careers, and mental well-being…

Australia’s central bank cut its key interest rate to its lowest in two years today, but warned global challenges continue to cause uncertainty. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.6%, citing steady progress in bringing inflation down. “Uncertainty in the world economy remains elevated,” the bank’s monetary…

The latest doddl.ie Mortgage Switching Index suggests that thousands of mortgage holders on variable rates could be paying over 2.25 percentage points more than necessary. Doddl.ie said that despite the return of sub-3% variable rates to the market, many borrowers remain on legacy variable products of up to 5.25%, adding that while fixed rates have…

Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, posted a 698 billion Norwegian crowns ($68.28 billion) profit for the first half of the year, lifted by strong returns among stocks in the financial industry, it said today. The fund’s overall return for the January-June period was 5.7%, which was 0.05 percentage point lower than…

Almost 12,000 home energy upgrades were carried out in the first three months of the year through Government funded grant schemes. This is up 2% on the number of upgrades carried out during the same period last year. New figures from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) reveal that Government expenditure across all schemes…