The UK Bank of England has cut interest rates to 5.25% from 5.5% following signs that the UK economy is slowing down. The Bank needs to ensure that growth and inflation are balanced but the move today was widely anticipated by analysts after cuts in the US, where the Federal Reserve slashed its borrowing costs to 3% from 4.25%.

Even myself, I predicted that the prices would be falling. I should have put money on it, that the interest rates would fall in February. Well actually, maybe I did as the last 3-4 investment mortgages I took out were on variable rates so I should be slightly better off every month on these mortgages. A quarter point reduction in the rates would reduce the payments by about £25 on each of these mortgages.

Not all mortgage lenders will pass the interest rate cut onto their customers soon, limiting the cut’s impact on the economy. Some banks will not cut their rates until the 1st of the next month giving them over 20 days to make some more money from their customers.

Savers will be worst off from the interest rate cut. Most banks will pass the changes in interest paid on savings almost immediately. Isn’t that nice of them?

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