Cooling demand slows sales Demand is cooling in the UK housing market, according to the latest Residential Market Survey published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). New buyer enquiries slipped to a net balance of -27% in June, a significant drop from the -9% recorded a month earlier. Net buyer enquiries had fallen […]
Monthly archives: July 2022
Commercial Property Market Review – July 2022
Strong first half for commercial property Investment and take-up performed strongly in H1 2022, according to Savills’ latest UK Commercial Property update, while vacancy rates remained low. Overall investment levels in H1 2022 were 20% above the long-term average, even after slowing in the second quarter.The total half-yearly investment of £25.4bn came mostly towards the […]
News in Review
“Food sales picked up due to the Jubilee celebrations, but this was the only sector to report an increase” Retail sales edged lower last month as people reduced their fuel consumption, while households continue to struggle with fast rising prices. According to the most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data released last Friday, retail […]
Money – In the news
Returns trump ESG for two thirds of investors Despite the growing trend towards Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing, return on investment remains the ultimate priority for the majority of investors. Research1 has revealed that 66% of investors prioritise profit over humanitarian concerns. There are significant differences between the generations, however; just 28% of Baby […]
Wealth – In the news
Numbers of those exceeding pension Annual Allowance on the rise In the past five years, the number of individuals whose yearly pension contributions breached the Annual Allowance (£40,000) has soared by more than 675%1. In the 2015-16 tax year, 5,460 people reported pension contributions exceeding the Annual Allowance in their self-assessment forms. For the 2019-20 […]
News in Review
“The economy rebounded in May with growth across all main sectors” Data released from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week shows how the UK economy returned to growth in May, recording expansion of 0.5% during the month. After shrinking in April and March, the growth experienced in May was higher than the flat […]
Investor sentiment and super trends
A new investor sentiment survey1 shows that, while investors are concerned about both the economic impact of the war in Ukraine and rising inflation, they remain confident about the stock market outlook and are not adjusting their portfolios just yet. Two thirds of investors surveyed said they expect the ongoing conflict to result in higher […]
Equity release product standard update
All equity release plans sold to new customers from 28 March 2022 must feature penalty-free partial loan repayments, enabling customers to reduce their loan size and save money on interest. The new standard introduced by the Equity Release Council (ERC) could save customers millions of pounds. While ERC standards aren’t legally binding, almost 700 firms […]
Keeping up to speed with 2022 property trends
The pandemic was a tumultuous time for us all – and the property market was not immune. As things begin to normalise, some pre-pandemic patterns are returning to property trends. Double speed Q1 2022 was the fifth busiest quarter since 2007, according to HM Revenue and Customs. Likewise, data1 analysis has found that UK properties […]
Purposeful wealth – understanding your ‘why’
Most people would agree that wealth is not about hoarding money but the financial freedom and flexibility it affords to help us achieve our passions and goals. Wealth essentially has the capacity to create a powerful purpose within our lives, provided we are able to unlock its true value. A good starting point for unlocking […]