Commercial property deals at ten-year low Commercial property deals have collapsed to their lowest level in more than a decade, with just £7bn transacted in the final three months of 2022, according to CoStar. Investors have faced a series of shocks in the past year, including higher interest rates, the September ‘mini-budget’ and the prospect […]
Monthly archives: January 2023
Residential Property Review – January 2023
Housing market slowing but far from stopped Supply and demand both fell in November 2022, according to the latest UK Residential Survey from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), though sales completions remained high for the month. Transactions rose by 2.9% in November, although this is likely to include many mortgage agreements from before […]
Reminder – tax year end
As the end of the tax year approaches, a prime consideration should be how external factors such as reduced or frozen allowances, together with high inflation, could impact your finances and what action you need to take before 5 April 2023. If you are affected by the impending changes to Dividend Tax or Capital Gains […]
Resolution – review and rebalance
Did you know that during periods of market volatility, portfolio drift can be accelerated, meaning your investments may no longer be aligned with your risk preferences and objectives? This is why it’s good practice to have regular portfolio reviews, in order to implement effective rebalancing if required. Regular reviews are also a great opportunity to […]
News in Review
“The beginning of a sign that a corner has been turned” Data released last Wednesday revealed that UK inflation slowed for a second consecutive month, though prices still rose by 10.5% in the year to December. The small drop, down from 10.7% in November, came despite food prices soaring to their highest level since 1977 […]
News in Review
“Pubs and bars… did well as people went out to watch World Cup games” Good news came on Friday, when the latest data release from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that UK monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated to have increased by 0.1% in November. Beating expectations of around 0.2% economic […]
Dividend news
According to the latest Dividend Monitor1, driven by sterling weakness, 2022 headline payouts are expected to rise to £97.4bn, up 11.0% on an adjusted basis, with underlying dividends expected to rise 13.4% to £87.2bn. The provisional forecast for UK dividends in 2023 anticipates a slight drop in headline dividends but modest underlying growth. Looking ahead, […]
Global growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)1 has predicted a challenging 2023, reducing growth expectations and forecasting economic contraction in a third of the world, in its latest World Economic Outlook entitled ‘Countering the Cost-of-Living Crisis.’ With the cost-of-living crisis ‘tightening financial conditions in most regions’, the outlook suggests that in order to restore price stability, monetary […]
New year – check your protection
The start of a new year is a great opportunity to reassess your finances. In 2023, with difficult economic conditions causing cost-of-living difficulties for many, it is especially important to make sure everything’s in order. Protection is an essential part of long-term financial planning. The right protection for your unique needs is an indispensable safety […]
News in Review
“I want to make a simple commitment: this government will always reflect the people’s priorities” Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first major speech of the year, setting out five key goals on which he insisted voters should hold him to account. In a wide-ranging set of promises, Mr Sunak committed to halving […]