The Saturday Edge – week ending 6 November 2026
Markets, money and motivation. Week ending 6 November 2026.
The week in a minute
The Bank of England raised Bank Rate from 3.75% to 4% on Thursday, its first rise since 2023, as higher energy prices push inflation up. Shares had a bumpy week: a sell-off in US technology companies gave the S&P 500 its worst week since June, and the FTSE 100 slipped 0.5%. Oil fell sharply on hopes of a US–Iran peace deal and Gulf supplies returning, with Brent down about 13%, its biggest weekly fall since 2022.
The numbers that matter
Measure | Level | Week | Trend |
FTSE 100 (Friday close) | 10,673.94 | −0.5% | Weekly fall; touched a three-week low on Friday |
S&P 500 (Friday close) | 7,376.86 | −2.7% | Worst week since June |
£ vs $ (GBP/USD) | $1.3355 | −0.3% | Eased back from near two-month highs |
£ vs € (GBP/EUR) | €1.198 | Little changed | Near a 19-month high |
Brent oil ($ a barrel) | $98.32 | −13.3% | Biggest weekly fall since 2022 |
Gold ($ an ounce) | $4,065.78 | +4.3% | Up from its lowest in over a year on 30 October |
Bank of England Bank Rate | 4.00% | Up 0.25 points | Raised from 3.75% on 5 November; first rise since 2023 |
UK inflation (CPI, September) | 3.5% | n/a | Up from 3.1% in August |
Week = change on Friday 30 October. £ vs € is worked out from Friday evening's dollar rates; Brent is the January contract.
What it means if you're self-employed or saving
Bank Rate up to 4%: tracker and variable-rate mortgages and loans usually follow Bank Rate quite quickly. Savings rates often rise too, though not always by the full amount or straight away.
Oil down 13%: oil feeds into fuel, heating and delivery costs. Falls in the oil price tend to reach the pump and suppliers' prices gradually, and not always in full.
Inflation at 3.5%: as a rough guide, something that cost £100 in September 2025 cost about £103.50 a year later. That's useful context when you look at your own prices, costs and the interest your savings earn.
Your money: changes and deadlines
Today, Saturday 7 November: the second quarterly update is due for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, which applies from April 2026 to sole traders and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000. The next is due 7 February 2027. HMRC says there are no penalty points for late quarterly updates in 2026–27. (UK-wide)
Wednesday 25 November: Ofgem announces the energy price cap for January to March 2027. The current cap, for October to December, rose 4%. (England, Scotland and Wales)
Thursday 3 December: the draft Scottish Budget 2027–28. Scotland sets its own income tax rates and bands. (Scotland only)
November and December: Winter Fuel Payments of £100 to £300 are paid automatically to people born on or before 27 June 1960; HMRC takes it back if income is over £35,000. (Not Scotland, which has its own Pension Age Winter Heating Payment)
From January 2027: a £100 Household Energy Payment for homes in council tax bands A to D, announced in the Budget. (England only)
Wednesday 30 December and Saturday 31 January: file your 2025–26 Self Assessment return online by 30 December if you'd like tax owed collected through your tax code, where that's available; 31 January is the deadline for online returns and paying what's owed. (UK-wide)
Coming up next week
Tuesday 10 November: US inflation (CPI) for October.
Thursday 12 November: UK GDP, the first estimate for July to September, plus the September monthly figure.
The week after: UK jobs figures on Tuesday 17 November and UK inflation for October on Wednesday 18 November. The next Bank Rate decision is Thursday 17 December.
Your motivation for the week
Write down the interest rate on your main savings account and on any borrowing you have, such as a mortgage, loan or credit card.
Bank Rate moved this week, but the rates that matter most are your own. Finding them takes ten minutes and a couple of logins or statements. It's a small job, and in my experience it's one of the quickest ways to feel more in control and to have a clear starting point for any choices you make in your own time.
New this week: the new ndgoedge.com is live, and enrolment is open for the February 2027 EDGE programme: four Tuesday evenings online from 2 February, closing on Friday 29 January. Have a look at https://www.ndgoedge.com/the-edge-programme
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Sources
Ndgo Edge™ provides financial coaching and education, not regulated financial advice. The Saturday Edge is factual information only, not a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Figures are as at Friday's close where available and may be delayed. Past performance is not a guide to the future.
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