The typical US home sold for $389,601 in the four weeks to 25 October. [1] That is 0.1% less than a year earlier, the first yearly fall in over 3 years. [1] Redfin, a US estate agency, counts sales in more than 900 US metro areas. [1][5] Back in June, the typical sale price had hit a record of $408,776. [5]

Monthly costs have not fallen with prices: the typical loan payment is $2,786. [1] That is 10.7% more than a year ago, and second only to the week before. [1] Freddie Mac put the average 30-year home-loan rate at 7.24% on 29 October. [2] A year earlier it averaged 6.17%. [2] Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae handle most US home loans. [8]

The US central bank held its main rate at 3.75-4% on Wednesday. [7] 10 of its 12 voters chose to hold, and 2 wanted a rise. [7] Holding means rates on new home loans are less likely to change, the BBC explains. [7] It also means savings rates are unlikely to rise. [7] One website's daily average still jumped 0.22 points, to 7.32%, on Thursday. [3]

Pending sales, homes with a signed deal, hit their lowest level in records back to 2021. [1] Pending sales fell in all 50 of the biggest US metro areas, a third week running. [1] Owners are holding back too: new listings fell to their lowest since January. [1] In September there were 63% more sellers than buyers, Redfin estimates. [4] That was the widest gap in its records, which start in 2013. [4]

Asad Khan, a Redfin economist, called it 'a buyer's market born out of caution, not strength.' [4] Realtor.com says typical asking prices fell 1.4% in a year, to $414,000. [2] Homes for sale rose 8% in a year, Realtor.com counts. [2] A US home now takes 61 days to sell on average. [6]

Why it matters. Buyers who can afford today's payments can bargain harder than in over a decade. [1] Many others have been priced out or scared off, Redfin says. [4] Sellers face the first yearly fall in sale prices in 3 years. [1] The US central bank meets again on 8 and 9 December. [7] Traders put the chance of a rate rise there near 80%. [2]

The European Central Bank kept its main rate at 2.5% on Thursday. [9] It sets interest rates for the 21 countries that use the euro. [9] Prices there rose 3.8% in a year, almost double its 2% goal. [9] Christine Lagarde, the bank's head, said its board seriously debated a rise. [10] Home-loan rates in the euro area rose to 3.8% in August, from 3.5% in July. [10]

Why it matters. Lagarde said dearer ten-year borrowing makes home loans dearer and slows spending. [10] Before the December meeting, she said 'the direction of travel is quite clear'. [10] She leaves the bank on 7 February 2027, about nine months early. [9]

Europe will release 42 million barrels from its emergency oil stocks over three months. [11] Half of it will be diesel, said Roland Lescure, France's economy minister. [11] France's own 10 million barrels of diesel will be sold at cost, with no profit added. [11] That should cut pump prices by 12 to 18 cents a litre, he said. [11] It is the first time France has used its reserves to bring prices down. [11] Fuel sellers were encouraged to advertise lower prices from 1 November. [11]

Why it matters. The cut is per litre, so drivers and firms who buy more fuel save more. [11] Lescure called the release 'short-term relief'. [11]

Pakistan raised diesel by 0.85 rupees, to 400.67 rupees a litre, from Friday. [12] Petrol stayed at 377.91 rupees a litre. [12] Diesel cost 281 rupees before the US-Iran war began on 28 February. [12] It peaked at 520.35 rupees on 3 April. [12] Pakistan's government takes 100 rupees a litre in taxes and duties on diesel. [12] A relief scheme from September covers only motorbikes, rickshaws and cars up to 800cc. [12]

Why it matters. Diesel moves lorries and runs power plants, so its price reaches almost everyone. [12] Jamaat-i-Islami's leader, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, says his party will march in mid-November unless relief comes. [12]

Pakistan's central power buyer asked to add 2.56 rupees per unit to November bills. [13] It would recover about 33 billion rupees spent on power in September. [13] Fuel for power cost 10.02 rupees a unit, against an expected 7.46 rupees. [13] Costly diesel and furnace oil filled in for imported gas that was in short supply. [13] Industry says the fuel tax adds about 10 rupees to every unit of power. [13] Nepra, the power regulator, held the hearing on Thursday. [13]

Why it matters. The power buyer said the net rise would be at most 1.45 rupees a unit. [13] Every household on the grid would pay it, more for each unit it uses. [13]

More than a dozen EU countries oppose a plan to tax gas more than electricity. [14] The plan comes from the European Commission, the EU's executive. [14] It wants homes and firms to switch from gas to electricity. [14] Germany, Italy, Poland and Hungary were among those against, at a meeting on Thursday. [14] They say tax rules need every country to agree, not just most of them. [14] Spain, Denmark and Luxembourg backed the plan. [14]

Why it matters. Before the war, Europe's power already cost twice as much as in the US and China. [14] Ireland, which is mediating the talks, wants a deal on grid charges in December. [14]

Silver in India has fallen almost 55% from its record in January. [35] It fell to 192,800 rupees a kilo on 23 October, from about 420,000. [35] Indian families usually buy silver coins and idols for festivals and gifts. [35] This year many are holding back, fearing prices will fall further. [35] 'People are scared,' said Surendra Mehta of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association. [35] At Shaya, a silver jewellery brand, coin sales have all but stopped. [35]

Why it matters. India raised import duties on gold and silver from 6% to 15% in May. [35] Jewellery sales have held up better than coins and bars. [35]

The FTC, a US government agency, ordered 9 companies to explain how they set prices. [20] They include Delta, United, JetBlue, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart, Walmart and Target. [20] It wants to know if prices differ from person to person, using personal data. [20] It also asks how gig apps use personal data to set each worker's pay. [20] Chair Andrew Ferguson said people should know if firms seek 'the highest price' they will pay. [20] The companies have 45 days to answer. [20]

Why it matters. If they do not answer, the FTC can take them to a federal court. [20] The question is whether two people pay different prices for the same ride or flight. [20]

A notice was filed on Thursday to appoint administrators to Poundland, a UK discount chain. [32] The notice protects Poundland from the firms it owes money to for 10 days. [32] Poundstretcher's owner is said to want 200 to 250 of its stores. [31] Iceland, Lidl and B&M are among more than half a dozen chains interested. [31] Its US owner, Gordon Brothers, wants to break the chain up, the BBC understands. [31] Poundland has 600 stores and about 12,000 staff. [32] Staff protested at its support centre in Walsall on Thursday. [31]

Why it matters. Prime minister Andy Burnham said: 'We want to see jobs protected.' [31] He asked why an offer to buy the whole chain was turned down. [31] A breakup would let creditors recover more, a Gordon Brothers insider said. [31]

Policy costs add about £300 a year to the average UK household energy bill. [15] About 60% pays for greener energy and about 40% helps poorer households. [15] Colin Nolden, an energy researcher, sets this out in The Conversation. [15] A charge that is the same on every bill takes more of a poorer family's income. [15] Paying through tax instead would make people who earn more pay more. [15] The Budget's changes, including £100 for some homes, might save about £130 a year, he estimates. [15]

Why it matters. Bills are expected to rise by about £400 from January. [15] E3G, a think tank, says tax-funded basic energy could cut bills by about £300. [15]

Prices rose in 78% of US metro areas from July to September, a realtors' report says. [17] The report is from the National Association of Realtors, released on Thursday. [17] The typical existing single-family home rose 1.7% in a year, to $432,900. [17] In Florida, 18 of 19 markets saw prices rise, after falls in 2025. [17] Miami rose 3.3%, nearly twice the national rate. [17] But 21% of markets saw prices fall, up from 20% in spring. [17]

Why it matters. First-time buyers spent 36.3% of their income on housing this summer. [17] These figures stop in September; Redfin's newer weekly figures run to 25 October. [1]

CrossCountry Mortgage, a US lender, says a newer credit score saved some borrowers about $2,500 each. [18] The score is VantageScore 4.0, now allowed on loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. [8] It can count rent, utility and phone payments. [8] VantageScore says it can score 33 million more Americans than older models. [8] Rocket Mortgage said borrowers who saved with it saved $1,600 on average at closing. [18] Lenders can choose which score to use, so not all use it yet. [8]

Why it matters. People with thin or new credit records can benefit, says Naeem Siddiqi of SAS. [8]

HMRC, the UK tax office, will give each of over 200 billionaires a dedicated manager. [24] For the first time, it has listed every billionaire who must pay UK tax. [24] It aims to raise at least £500 million this way. [24] Tax the rich owed but did not pay was about £3.6 billion in 2024-25. [24] That was 6% of all tax owed but not paid in the UK. [24] It will also use AI to watch people earning over £200,000 or holding over £2 million. [24]

Why it matters. It is part of a plan to raise £10 billion more tax by 2030. [24]

Bereaved families will no longer be taxed just because a pension payout came after 2 years. [25] Before, some lump sums paid on a death stayed tax-free only if paid within 2 years. [25] Delays at Capita, which runs the civil service pension scheme, pushed some families past it. [25] Capita's backlog grew to 120,000 cases by February. [25] Rob Wassell waited over 2 years for his brother's payout, then lost 45% to tax. [25] The change covers payments made from 28 October. [25]

Why it matters. Families already taxed can seek compensation through the scheme or the Pensions Ombudsman. [25] Pensions minister Torsten Bell said the change covers every pension scheme, not just the civil service. [25]

The FTC and 8 states sued Toast, which sells payment and ordering systems to restaurants. [21] They say Toast hid fees and made its plans hard to cancel. [21] Toast added a $0.99 fee to diners' online orders over $10, the FTC says. [21] That ran from September 2021 to late July 2023, and the money went to Toast. [21] Restaurants pay about $900 a month on average for its plans, the FTC says. [21] One owner was charged a $5,318.87 fee to cancel after 4 years. [21]

Why it matters. Toast says it strongly disagrees and will fight the case in court. [21] No court has ruled on the claims yet. [21]

Gamblers in Great Britain lost £2.7 billion on slot machines last year. [30] The most common machines take a £2 bet every 2.5 seconds. [30] A Guardian reporter lost £100 in about 5 minutes in Peterborough. [30] Each machine earns £40,000 a year on average. [30] Most venues, called adult gaming centres, stay open 24 hours a day. [30] The Budget raised the tax on these machines from 20% to 25%. [30]

Why it matters. The machines pay back a fixed share, so regular players always lose. [30] The shops sit disproportionately in poorer areas, the Guardian found. [30]

Apartment prices in Abu Dhabi, the UAE's capital, rose 24% in the year to September. [34] Villa prices rose 10.2%, says ValuStrat, a property research firm. [34] Apartments in Al Reef rose most, by 36.6%. [34] Rents rose far less: 1.5% for apartments, to 121,500 dirhams a year. [34] Since 2 June, Abu Dhabi has frozen rents, replacing a 5% yearly cap. [34]

Why it matters. Home sales fell 7%, to 6,085, a Savills report found. [34] About 13,534 new homes are due to be finished this year. [34]

Homeowners in Magnolia Cove, North Carolina, will pay $2,500 a month from 1 January. [19] The fee goes to their homeowners association, run by the estate's developer. [19] Four years ago the fee was $158 a month. [19] It rose to $350, then to $1,250 earlier this year. [19] A draft budget put $1.1 million of its $2.07 million towards legal fees. [19] The association blames lawsuits that owners lost, and owners who have not paid. [19]

Why it matters. 'Unpaid assessments do not vanish,' it said, so the owners who pay cover them. [19] Owners of the 80 homes fear they could lose them if they cannot pay. [19]

Former clients of Verus Financial Services can now claim from the FSCS. [28] The FSCS is the UK scheme that protects customers of failed financial firms. [28] Verus advised people on investments, pensions, mortgages and insurance. [28] It has not been allowed to give financial advice since 2025. [28] The FSCS has opened an investigation and is checking who is eligible. [28] Complaints already with the Financial Ombudsman will be passed on without new evidence. [28]

Why it matters. The FCA says most clients gain nothing by paying a claims company. [28] It warned that fraudsters may call pretending to be from Verus. [28]

Island Energy supplies energy to homes in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. [16] It has no plans to drop its standing charge, a fixed daily fee. [16] The UK Budget is scrapping that fee on gas bills in England, Scotland and Wales. [16] The firm said low users could save, but heavy users could pay more. [16] It serves about 40,000 customers across the 3 islands. [16] The Isle of Man will keep 0% VAT on home electricity until 30 June 2027. [16]

Why it matters. It also keeps a 5p-a-litre cut in fuel duty until then. [16] Any change would need CURA, the island's utilities regulator, to agree after a consultation. [16]

Jersey's minimum wage will rise to £13.97 an hour from 1 April 2027. [26] That is 2.8% more than today's £13.59, matching Jersey's price rise to June. [26] Social security minister Elaine Millar accepted the Jersey Employment Forum's advice. [26] Trainee rates stay at £10.50 and £11.75 for another year. [26] What employers may count for meals and housing rises by the same share. [26]

Why it matters. The UK's adult minimum wage will rise 3.9%, to £13.21, from April 2027. [27] The forum said these had been challenging times for businesses and workers. [26]

The FCA, the UK's financial regulator, checked whether credit products give fair value. [29] Fair value means a price that is reasonable for what customers get, it says. [29] The rule behind it, the Consumer Duty, is 3 years old. [29] Some firms treated all customers as one group and missed some paying more. [29] Some home energy equipment deals promised 'pay as you save' over up to 25 years. [29]

Why it matters. The FCA said such savings depend on energy prices and are not assured. [29] It held up one card firm that set its cashback against the fees customers paid. [29]

Americans over 60 lose over $28 billion a year to financial abuse, AARP found in 2023. [23] Most of it is done by someone the victim knows, not by strangers. [23] Two US regulators, the FDIC and the CFPB, ran a webinar on it on Wednesday. [23] They warned of people charging veterans to file pension claims, which should be free. [23] Another scam buys a veteran's future pension for one lump sum, with hidden fees. [23] The course they used, Money Smart for Older Adults, began in 2013. [23]

Why it matters. Older homeowners are targeted because they often hold more wealth. [23]