The word recession is one that strikes fear into the hearts of many, particularly those that remember the dark days of the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, over recent months the nation has seen financial markets dry up, house prices plunge, credit conditions become increasingly tight, inflation levels soar, and consumer confidence dwindle. It [...]

Since the global credit crunch took a hold in the UK in the late summer of last year, there has been growing concerns over the state of the economy. Consumers were already facing financial difficulties as the result of five interest rate rises between August 2006 and July 2007, and consumer confidence levels had already [...]