POUND NOTES

FINANCIAL FACT

FIRST-TIME buyers put down a 16.2% deposit on average when getting on the property ladder, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

NEW MARKET-LEADING BOND LAUNCHED

A NEW market-leading investment bond with a rate of 2.2% has been launched by NS&I.

But the investment bond, unveiled in the government’s Autumn Statement, is only available to buy online – and its rate is below the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation at 2.3%.

Savers can put between £100 and £3,000 into the deal and the 2.2% rate is fixed for three years. The bond will be on sale at nsandi.com for the next 12 months.

BANK AIMING TO BECOME MORE ‘DEMENTIAFRIENDLY’

HSBC has outlined plans to become a more “dementiafriendly” bank with a range of initiatives.

A guide to help customers living with the condition, and those who

support them, is being piloted in 10 HSBC branches, giving tips on keeping track of spending and protecting against fraud.

HSBC aims to roll the guide out nationwide. Staff are also undergoing information sessions to understand more about dementia.

MORE THAN HALF A MILLION EMPLOYERS MEET PENSION DUTIES

MORE than half a million employers have now completed their duties under the government’s landmark workplace pension savings drive.

The Pensions Regulator said by March 31, 503,178 employers had completed their duties under automatic enrolment, with more than 7.6 million workers now saving for their retirement after being put into a workplace pension. Automatic enrolment started in 2012, with the biggest employers that tend to have the most experience of pensions. It is now being rolled out to smaller employers.