After successive Bank Rate rises, the cost of a mortgage hit a 15-year high in July and will likely stay high for much of the next year. In unpredictable and unsettling times, here are some ways for mortgage holders to keep a cool head. Help is available If you’re worried about your mortgage payments, in […]
Author archives: matthew
Mortgage Charter provides relief
A helping hand for mortgage holders was announced at the start of August by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt with a view to providing support to residential mortgage customers suffering from rising interest rates. Three-part plan The Mortgage Charter has three key elements: More flexible Further flexibility relates to customers approaching the end of a fixed-rate deal. […]
Achieving your long-term financial goals
After more than a decade of putting up with paltry savings rates, the sharp increase in rates over the past two years has certainly brought considerable cheer to savers. However, while the rise is certainly welcome, it is important savers do not overly rely on cash savings but carry on investing with a view to […]
Lifetime Allowance removal provides pension boost
Several months have passed since the Spring Budget, which, although not necessarily packed with good news stories, held one announcement that certainly did bring considerable cheer to higher rate taxpayers. A recent survey has revealed the dramatic impact that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to scrap the pension Lifetime Allowance (LTA) is having on people’s retirement […]
Economic Review – September 2023
Rate-hike pause as inflation dips Last month, the Bank of England announced a pause in its long run of interest rate rises following an unexpected dip in the UK headline rate of inflation and ‘increasing signs’ that higher rates were starting to hurt the real economy. Following its latest meeting, which concluded on 20 September, […]
Residential Property Review – September 2023
Economic uncertainty weighs on the residential market The most recent UK Housing Market Update from Savills has highlighted that buyers’ budgets continue to be impacted by higher mortgage rates, and although inflation has begun to move lower, core inflation remains ‘unexpectedly sticky.’ During July, with completed sales reducing by 18% on the 2017-19 average, market […]
Commercial Property Review – September 2023
Private investors acquire £1.3bn of London office assets over 12 months Knight Frank’s latest research report on the capital’s office market has highlighted that over the last year, family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals have purchased £1.3bn worth of London office assets. Such high transaction volumes by wealthy private investors have been a by-product partly of […]
How does age affect your life insurance?
Age is a key factor in determining cost when you take out life insurance. Generally, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the less expensive your regular premiums will be, because younger people are statistically less likely to die than older people, so the risk to the insurer is lower. Assessing the risks […]
Joint mortgages for FTBs
Traditionally, when thinking about joint mortgages, most people picture a married couple. Increasingly, however, friends or siblings are taking out joint mortgages when they buy their first home together. Stronger together A joint mortgage is the most popular way for first-time buyers (FTBs) to fund their home purchase, with more than six in ten opting […]
News in Review
“India is going to be one of the most significant countries geopolitically over the next years and decades, and it’s vitally important for the UK to deepen our ties” The G20 summit concluded in Delhi on Sunday with a joint declaration that denounced using force for territorial gain but fell short of explicitly condemning Russia. […]
