Widespread uptake of low-deposit mortgages by borrowers who could not afford them was seen as a major factor in the 2008 global financial crisis.

But today’s deals have much stronger affordability checks and do not pose the same risks, says David Hollingworth, associate director at brokers L&C Mortgages.

Borrowers of Skipton’s zero-deposit mortgage, for example, have to prove they have kept up with their rent for at least 12 consecutive months and credit payments for the last six months.

And Lloyds won’t issue one of its £5,000 deposit mortgages for new-build properties and shared ownership homes.

Hollingworth says lenders are recognising that some people have “good affordability but may be struggling to save for a deposit while paying a rent and dealing with cost of living pressures”.

Following a recent rule change, he adds, lenders are also offering more “flex” on how much someone can borrow as long as it’s within their means.

Nevertheless, he urges borrowers to use common sense.

“Think carefully – what do monthly payments look like? Are you aware that interest rates could go up?”

“I think it’s wonderful that people can get to hear the early Davie Jones music,” said Dana Gillespie, an early collaborator of Bowie’s.

She met him after a performance at the Marquee Club in London when Bowie was 17.

“They’re songs that don’t really sound like David but it’s him trying to find his voice. He was experimenting.”

Gillespie became close friends with Bowie, eventually working with him on his “Ziggy Stardust” album. Talmy worked with both artists and Bowie’s song “Andy Warhol”, on his fourth studio album, was originally written for Gillespie.

“He was very driven,” remembered Gillespie, who is still touring and making music at the age of 77.

“Some time in the sixties, he asked me to come and visit his parents. We were in his little house in Bromley, and when his parents left the room he turned to me and said: ‘Whatever it takes, I want to get out of here.’ And he did,” she said.

It is a decade since Palao found the recordings. Since then, it has been a long process to bring them to market. The result is an album that he says is “absolutely pure rock ‘n’ roll”.

“If you’re looking for clues as to what he was to become, there’s maybe less of that,” said Palao, “but objectively speaking, I feel it’s important stuff.”

Gillespie is excited by one song in particular.

“There was a famous café called the Gioconda in Denmark Street where I often used to go with David,” she said, recalling the centre of musical life in London in the 1960s.

“One day when I was sitting there, David rushed in and took me by the hand. He said: ‘You have to hear this’.

“He ran with me around the corner and squeezed us into a small listening booth. I had one speaker and he had the other, and he played me ‘I Pity The Fool’.”

A remastered version of the song can be heard in the new album.

For music historians, fans of Bowie, and those who were there, the new album is another chance to reconnect with an enduring cultural icon.

“David always wanted to be a big star,” said Gillespie. “I’m so happy that his early stuff hasn’t been forgotten.”

Toys R Us is launching its biggest U.S. expansion in years, with 120 new standalone stores set to open in time for the holiday shopping season.

The retailer announced Thursday that it will open the new standalone stores across the U.S. this holiday season through a partnership with Go! Retail Group, bringing its total number of standalone U.S. stores to 160.

The rollout marks a major step in the brand’s yearslong effort to rebuild its brick-and-mortar presence since its 2017 bankruptcy and the closure of its U.S. stores the following year.

The company did not provide a full list of the new locations, their opening dates or store sizes in its announcement. It also did not specify whether all 120 stores will remain open after the holiday season.

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A classic Toys R Us store displays the iconic multicolored logo above its entrance. The toy retailer is expanding its brick-and-mortar presence in the U.S. years after shuttering its stores nationwide. (Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

The new stores will stock toys, collectibles and gifts tied to major brands and entertainment properties, including LEGO, Barbie, Hot Wheels, Pokémon and “KPop Demon Hunters,” the company said. Select locations will also feature candy shops, cafés and Creator Studios, where influencers and toy companies can create content and host product launches.

“This is a major moment for Toys ‘R’ Us as we significantly expand our presence across the United States,” Jamie Uitdenhowen, executive vice president of Toys R Us at parent company WHP Global, said in a statement.

Uitdenhowen said the company is attempting to reach shoppers through several formats, including standalone stores, Toys R Us shops inside Macy’s, airport locations and Navy Exchanges.

Go! Retail Group CEO Gideon Schlessinger said the companies expect the 160 standalone stores to bring the Toys R Us shopping experience to millions of customers during the holidays.

The announcement accelerates a yearslong effort to revive a retailer that was once a fixture of American childhood.

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A view of Macy’s Toys R Us July 11, 2022, in Jersey City, N.J.  (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Macy’s, Inc. / Getty Images)

Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2017 after years of declining sales and under the weight of $5 billion in debt. The company shuttered its remaining U.S. stores in 2018 before reemerging under new parent company Tru Kids Brands the following year.

The retailer attempted an initial brick-and-mortar return in late 2019 with smaller-format stores in Paramus, New Jersey, and Houston, Texas. Both locations closed in January 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHP Global acquired a controlling stake in Toys R Us in March 2021 and opened a 20,000-square-foot flagship at the American Dream complex in New Jersey later that year.

The comeback gained more ground in 2022 when hundreds of Toys R Us shops opened inside Macy’s stores nationwide. Macy’s said at the time that its first-quarter toy sales were 15 times higher than during the comparable period before the partnership.

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Toys R Us and Babies R Us signage is displayed outside a retail location as shoppers walk through the parking lot. Toys R Us has continued rebuilding its brick-and-mortar presence after its 2017 bankruptcy and 2018 U.S. store closures. (RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images / Getty Images)

WHP Global then partnered with Go! Retail Group in 2023 to roll out more U.S. flagship stores under an expansion strategy dubbed “air, land and sea.” The effort pushed the brand beyond traditional malls and included its first airport store at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Toys R Us is now expanding that travel footprint in Florida. One shop-in-shop opened at Orlando International Airport in August through a partnership with WHSmith North America, and another is scheduled to open in summer 2027.

The company also operates locations through the Navy Exchange Service Command, which serves members of the military and their families.

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Toys R Us said its global business generates more than $2 billion in annual retail sales through more than 1,680 stores and e-commerce operations in 37 countries.

With a market cap of $27.1 billion, DTE Energy Company (DTE) is a diversified energy company engaged in energy-related businesses and services across the United States. Its operations include electric and natural gas utilities serving millions of customers in Michigan, along with businesses focused on custom energy solutions, renewable energy, and energy marketing and trading.

Companies worth more than $10 billion are generally labeled as “large-cap” stocks and DTE Energy fits this criterion perfectly. DTE Energy is also committed to accelerating carbon reduction, supporting community development, and promoting economic progress through philanthropy, education, employment initiatives, and volunteerism

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Shares of the Detroit, Michigan-based company have dipped 16.3% from its 52-week high of $155.74. The stock has fallen 11.9% over the past three months, lagging behind the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s ($DOWI) marginal return over the same time frame.

DTE stock is up 1.1% on a YTD basis, underperforming DOWI’s 8.4% gain. In the longer term, shares of the company have risen 4.4% over the past 52 weeks, compared to DOWI’s 13.5% increase over the same time frame.

The stock has been trading below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages since late July.

Despite reporting better-than-expected Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.32, DTE Energy shares fell marginally on Jul. 28 as investors focused on weaker core utility performance, with electric segment profit down 15% to $270 million due to higher rate-base costs, unfavorable weather and tax-related timing. The gas segment also swung to a $4 million loss from a $6 million profit a year earlier, highlighting pressure across DTE’s regulated operations despite a 70.8% increase in quarterly operating profit from its energy trading unit.

In comparison, rival The Southern Company (SO) has lagged behind DTE stock. SO stock has declined 1.4% on a YTD basis and 6.9% over the past 52 weeks.

While DTE stock has underperformed over the past year, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from 18 analysts’ coverage, and the mean price target of $155.20 is a premium of 19% to current levels.

On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com