Are you thinking of buying a new build? The good news is there are more regulations than ever that protect buyers of newly built homes. It can be difficult to keep up with these changes, so here’s what you need to know. Codes of conduct Most developers are signed up to a code which lays […]
Author archives: matthew
Financial wellbeing has many facets
According to research1, 81% of the UK’s wealthiest individuals are ‘stressed’ about their finances, suggesting financial wellbeing is about more than just the totality of your wealth. So, virtually everyone has concerns about what their financial future will look like. Planning for the future The prime concerns for individuals centred around future planning and retirement, […]
Home Finance – In the news
Location, location, location Homeowners are willing to pay more for convenience, as a short walk to a town centre or high street could boost a home’s value by more than £80,0001. In England, homes that are close to a town are worth 27.6% more than the average property. Interestingly, proximity costs an extra 14.2% in […]
Your bonus, your pension?
Receiving a bonus at work as a reward for a job well done is highly satisfying, but with bonuses subject to Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions, you face losing a significant portion of your hard-earned money. A bonus may even push you into a higher tax band, meaning that you receive an even smaller […]
Economic Review – July 2024
UK growth stronger than expected Figures released last month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK economy grew faster in May than had been predicted, while survey evidence points to a more recent post-election pick-up in business activity. The latest gross domestic product (GDP) statistics revealed that economic output rose by 0.4% […]
Money – In the news
Financial goals fall by the wayside A poll has found that 57% of adults had money-related goals for 2024, such as reducing debt and wanting more disposable income1. However, two-thirds (67%) had given up on achieving their financial aims by the end of Q1; 16% said this was due to having unrealistic expectations, and 10% […]
The motivations of equity release customers
According to a lifetime mortgage lender, one in five of their new equity release plans in Q1 were taken out by homeowners with properties worth over £550,0001. When asked why they were releasing equity, 22% of customers said they planned to spend the unlocked cash on improving their home. Less than 20% of borrowers wanted […]
ISAs: 25 years and counting
Since being launched on 6 April 1999 as successor to PEPs and TESSAs, the Individual Savings Account (ISA) has become an integral part of the UK savings and investment landscape. Worth celebrating By any measure, the humble ISA has been a huge success. The latest HMRC figures show that more than 22 million UK adults […]
Why home bias’ could mean missing out on investment returns
Does your investment portfolio suffer from too much ‘home bias’? It’s natural for investors to stay close to home when thinking about investing, contemplating well-known UK companies or UK-focused funds rather than looking further afield. But if your portfolio becomes too heavily concentrated in the UK, you risk missing out on valuable diversification benefits and […]
Commercial Property Market Review – July 2024
A report from Carter Jonas indicates some growth in commercial markets recently According to MSCI, annual retail rental growth was 0.9% in May – the highest annual growth rate since 2016. While rental values have grown modestly since 2022, values are still 17% lower than the peak seen in 2018. In the retail warehouse subsector, […]
