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The latest house price data feels about as clear as mud. According to Rightmove, there was a smaller than usual monthly increase of 0.6 per cent in May, leaving prices up just 1.2 per cent on this time last year. But by Nationwide’s measure, annual house price growth was a more buoyant 3.5 per cent. And according to the official UK House Price Index (HPI), the latest monthly rise was 1.1 per cent, leaving house prices 6.4 per cent higher year on year.IndexRightmoveNationwideUK HPIMonthly house price increase (%)0.60.51.1Annual house price...

Stock market uncertainty from President Donald Trump’s tariffs has even casual investors anxiously watching the VIX, commonly called Wall Street’s panic index or fear gauge.The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index – known as VIX – measures market expectations of stock price changes over the next 30 days, according to Cboe Global Markets, which manages the index.Investors use it to anticipate how stocks will react in stressful economic times, including those caused by tariffs. If VIX activity goes up, the stock market will probably go down.On April 7, the index...

4-minute readPresident Trump calls tariffs 'medicine' as stock market plungesPresident Donald Trump spent the weekend at a golf tournament in Florida as the stock market continued to plunge.The worst market crash was seen in 1929 and led to the Great Depression. It was caused by speculative investments, excessive debt and banking system weakness.The Dot-Com Bubble collapse caused a global financial crisis from 2007 to 2009.COVID-19 caused a sharp and rapid decline in the market, but it also was short-lived and regarded as one of the shortest plunges in history.The U.S....

Howard Schneider  |  ReutersInterest rate decision looms as Fed discusses tariffs and trade war impactsWith rising tariffs looming, experts warn of increased consumer prices as the Federal Reserve convenes to address economic implications. (Scripps News)Scripps NewsTumbling stock markets and signs of tightening credit may make the Federal Reserve's job even more difficult this week as U.S. central bank policymakers try to weigh whether consumer spending will suffer as households take stock of the potential blow to their net worth and greater difficulty in obtaining loans.U.S. retail sales for February, reported on Monday in the...