“Inflation is falling and that’s good news” Last Thursday, the Bank of England’s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted to increase Bank Rate to 5.25%, a fourteenth consecutive rise that has taken Bank Rate to its highest level in 15 years. At the MPC meeting, the nine-member committee was split three ways, with six voting […]
Category archives: All
Summer retirement round-up – developing a coherent strategy
The last few years have created an increasingly complex backdrop for retirement planning. Not only has the post-pandemic era seen attitudes to work alter significantly, but macro-economic headwinds from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have created significant unhelpful market volatility. In combination, this has inevitably heightened the need for everyone to engage […]
Big changes for holiday lets?
Turning homes into short-term holiday lets could soon require planning permission if new government plans come into force. Conversion crackdown The motivation behind plans is to save residents from being pushed out of their towns, the government says. Specifically, the government aims to target the practice of ‘industrialising’ online rental platforms, whereby entire apartment blocks […]
Economic Review – July 2023
UK inflation rate declines Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK inflation rate fell by more than expected in June, leading analysts to predict that interest rates are now likely to rise less sharply than previously feared. The latest inflation statistics revealed that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate […]
News in review
‘A resilient financial sector’ Interest rates in the UK will need to stay higher for longer than previously forecast to tackle inflation, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned last week, despite improvements in the country’s economic outlook since the start of 2023. With cheaper energy, better relations with the European Union and calmer financial markets, […]
Residential Property Review – July 2023
RICS survey shows demand falling Activity in the residential sales market deteriorated in June, according to the latest UK Residential Survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with negative net balance readings returned across many indicators. New buyer enquiries fell to a net balance of -45%, compared to -20% recorded in May, the […]
Commercial Property Review – July 2023
H1 hotel investment The latest Knight Frank analysis of the UK hotel sector shows that transaction volumes were around £860m in H1 2023, 60% below investment volumes for the same period one year earlier. There is a challenging environment in the UK, reflective of the macro-economic environment, with sluggish GDP growth. Some deals have […]
Home Finance – In the news
Apartment sales drive recovery Agreed residential sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time since September 20221. The number of sales in March 2023 was only 1% behind March 2019, with the recovery largely driven by sales of apartments, which are now 10% above 2019 levels. In total, agreed sales remain 18% below […]
News in Review
“Inflation is falling and stands at its lowest level since last March” Last week, official data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that inflation in the UK fell further than expected in June to settle at 7.9%, down from 8.7% a month earlier and its lowest point since March 2022. The ONS […]
Money – In the news
National Insurance (NI) gap If you want to boost your State Pension and plug a gap in your NI record, the government has just extended the deadline for doing so from 31 July 2023 to 5 April 2025. The government has been allowing eligible people to retrospectively build up their April 2006 to April 2016 […]
