Rubbish Check
Daily Mail Money · 17 September 2026
source“Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% for sixth time in a row: What it means for your mortgage and savings”
R2/ 10
Lightly altered
Rubbish Rating — 1 = base fact, 10 = pure rubbish
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In short
Rubbish Talk rates Daily Mail Money's claim that the Bank of England "held interest rates at 3.75% for sixth time in a row" a 2/10 because the figure and meeting count match the article's own reporting; the only gap is that the headline doesn't flag the bigger story buried below, that markets are now pricing in hikes to 5% rather than the cuts previously expected.
The Verdict
Lightly altered. The headline states the base fact cleanly, correct rate, correct number of consecutive holds, and pairs it with a genuinely useful consumer angle. It loses a point only for treating this as a routine "no change" story when the article itself reveals the real news: a hawkish repricing by markets that undercuts the calm implied by a simple "hold."
What actually happened
The Bank of England kept its base rate at 3.75% for a sixth consecutive meeting, unchanged since December 2025. The article's own reporting notes rates had been expected to fall this year, but concerns about an inflation spike and a possible winter energy shock pushed the Bank to stay cautious, with investors now betting on a rise to 5% by next November.
Key facts
- Base rate held at 3.75% for the sixth meeting in a row, unchanged since December 2025, as stated in the article.
- Inflation was 3.1% in the 12 months to August per the ONS, with headline CPI forecast to hit 3.4% the following month on higher petrol prices.
- The energy price cap is set to rise 4% in October, with early forecasts pointing to a further 25% rise in January.
- Five-year mortgage swap rates hit 4.78%, up from 4.28% a month earlier; two-year swaps rose to 4.7% from 4.17%.
- Average five-year fixed mortgage rate is at its highest since 8 November 2023, according to Moneyfacts.
- The average easy-access savings rate of 2.54% remains below the 3.1% inflation rate, while 27 deals currently pay 4% or more.
What to watch for
Watch whether the Bank's November meeting actually delivers a hike, given the article notes investors are pricing a move to 5% by next November, a sharp reversal from earlier expectations of cuts. Also watch how January's energy price cap forecast (up to 25%) feeds into the next CPI print and whether that forces the Bank's hand faster than markets currently expect.
About this scoreThe R-Score is Rubbish Talk's editorial opinion on how far a headline's framing sits from what the underlying facts support. It is a judgement about presentation and emphasis, not an allegation that any outlet has acted dishonestly. Every figure we rely on is linked under Receipts so you can check it yourself.
