Central London office market – a Q1 update Data from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) shows that the central London office market had a slightly weaker start to the year. January to March saw the lowest quarterly leasing activity since Q1 2021, with 1.5m sq. ft transacted. This is nearly a third (31%) lower than the […]
Author archives: matthew
Buy-to-let landlords growing portfolios
New research1 indicates that more than half (52%) of buy-to-let (BTL) landlords have been actively expanding their property portfolios over the past year, with 25% acquiring one property and an additional 27% acquiring multiple properties. Looking at the next twelve months, 26% intend to acquire a single property, while another 26% plan to expand their […]
IHT receipts at record levels
Figures released by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) show that IHT receipts have hit record levels while new data shows the taxman is hunting down thousands of families that have not paid the correct liability on inherited estates. Record sums In the first ten months of the 2023/24 financial year, HMRC collected £6.3bn in death […]
Home Finance – In the news
Equity release trends According to the Equity Release Council1, total annual lending reached £2.6bn in 2023, compared to a record-breaking £6.2bn in 2022, returning the market to the level of activity last seen between 2016 to 2017 (£2.1bn to £3.1bn). The total number of plans agreed last year was 26,119, a drop of 47% from […]
Planning children’s financial futures
We all want a good start in life for the children in our family. After providing for the immediate needs of younger children, thoughts turn towards the future and consideration of longer-term goals. You may want to consider investing for your child’s future to potentially build something significant which they can call on in later […]
In the news
Find lost money! Up to £800m of pension and insurance assets and an even higher amount of savings could be lying dormant, according to new data1. Bank and savings accounts may be declared dormant if you don’t touch the account for several years and any letters from the bank or building society may fail to […]
Economic Review – April 2024
UK economic recovery gains momentum Official statistics published last month showed the UK economy returned to growth in the first two months of 2024, while more recent survey data suggests the recovery from last year’s shallow recession continues to gather momentum. The latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures released by the Office for National Statistics […]
More FTBs later in life
The challenges young people face in getting on the property ladder are a regular feature in the media. A less-often discussed impact of the UK’s housing market, however, is the rising age of first-time buyers (FTBs). Average age rises The biggest increase in FTBs in the last five years has been among older homebuyers, a […]
Where next for the global economy?
While the latest forecast released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does suggest global growth is likely to remain below its long-term historic average, the update did strike a relatively optimistic note with the organisation’s Chief Economist saying a global “soft landing” was in sight. Global growth upgraded In its first assessment of world economic […]
The cost of dying
Nearly half (48%) of adults aged 18 to 40 don’t have life insurance1. This puts many in a precarious position, as the unfortunate reality is that the cost of dying is high. Research has found that a premature death can cost surviving family members an average of £195,475 over the course of ten years2. These […]
