During the Spring Budget the Chancellor announced several changes to pensions including increasing the Annual Allowance and the Money Purchase Annual Allowance. The changes, the most significant since pensions freedoms in 2015, have largely been met with positivity, bringing greater flexibility and opportunity. Some higher-paid workers faced additional tax bills as a result of building […]
Monthly archives: July 2023
News in Review
“These measures should offer comfort to those who are anxious about high interest rates” Last week, around 85% of lenders operating in the UK’s mortgage market signed a government Mortgage Charter agreeing to support borrowers, following a meeting with the Chancellor to discuss the impact of rising mortgage rates on homeowners. The Charter includes allowing […]
Where are house prices most resilient?
In a housing downturn, not all cities and towns are equal. New research1 has highlighted which areas of the UK are the most resilient in the face of falling prices. On the slide In January, overall property prices fell for a fifth consecutive month, as the market continued to cool. Sliding prices have been brought […]
Green home improvements on hold
Homeowners are delaying improvements to the sustainability of their homes, according to the latest ‘Greener Homes Attitude Tracker’ from Natwest1, as cost-of-living difficulties remain. Cost-of-living delay More than a quarter of homeowners indicated they are less inclined to implement energy saving measures in the upcoming 12 months amid enduring financial concerns. In the three months […]
Economic Review – June 2023
Inflation persistence forces rates higher The Bank of England (BoE) has sanctioned another hike in its benchmark interest rate after citing ‘significant upside news’ which suggests inflation is likely to take longer to fall back to the Bank’s target level. Following its latest meeting, which concluded on 21 June, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee […]