Money Central - Times Online - WBLG

Who owns who?

The following banks and building societies, credit card companies and insurers are in alphabetical order. Scroll down to find out who owns yours.

House prices predictions for 2008 – a region-by-region breakdown

The housing market finally seems to have turned. Analysts have been predicting a slowdown since interest rates first went up in August 2006, yet the boom continued in many areas. Annual house price growth has been running in double digits for much of the year but all of that is now changing.

Prices fell by 0.8 per cent last month according to Nationwide – the largest monthly fall since 1995 – and the annual rate of growth has slowed from 9.7 per cent in October to 6.9 per cent. There are signs that the market is also cooling in London, which has been one of the strongest regions this year. Property values in parts of London have surged more than 30 per cent since January according to Knight Frank, an estate agency, but prices in some areas are now falling as the credit crunch and five quarter-point interest rate rises take their toll.