Citibank parent citigroup has posted another loss for the third successive quarter, though it is less than was expected.
Asset wise Citibank is the biggest bank in the United States but has been badly hit by the sub-prime lending troubles and is fighting to get out of the mire. The bank recorded losses of GBP1.3 billion in the three month period to the end of June, with around GBP5.8 billion of write-downs again hitting them hard.
The losses were less than anticipated though leading to their share price going up by a little less than 8 percent. The Citibank chairman said that although there is still a lot of work to do they are very encouraged by the progress that has already been made.
The HSBC has been looking at the different university cities to see which ones will cost the most to live in.
Totally expected was the most expensive city which is London, where the average rent for student accommodation exceeds GBP100 per week. It proved to be miles ahead of any other city in the country, with the next closest being Plymouth, with an average weekly rent of GBP63. A spokeswoman from HSBC reminded students that living costs can make a massive difference to managing as a student, and with rent such an integral part of student life it is important not to get in to an agreement that is too costly to manage.
Other cities in the list included Birmingham and Nottingham, where rents averaged GBP60, and Leeds, Manchester and Preston, with average rents of GBP50. To help manage finances the HSBC offers a student account with credit card and interest free overdraft.
A recent study carried out by the Abbey National has found that over 80 percent of people in the UK are changing their lifestyles to manage the effects of the credit crunch.
Looking at rising costs of living and less access to lending consumers in the UK are spending less, selling unwanted items to raise money and some are also taking on additional work to increase their income. With considered planning and the will to stick to it most people in the UK can feel a little better about how they will be able to manage in the future say the Abbey National.
Lifestyles do not have to change drastically in order to make a big change, rather it comes down to selecting the best options when spending money. It may be choosing an alternative provider to save money or perhaps cutting back a little on non-essential spending. As the Abbey National study also highlighted increasing income is another great way of balancing the personal balance sheet.
