“Our job is to get inflation down” At its meeting last week, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) narrowly voted to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%, ending a run of 14 consecutive increases. Five members voted to keep the rate at 5.25%, while the four dissenting voices all favoured another 0.25% increase to […]
Monthly archives: September 2023
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 […]
News in Review
“The broader picture looks more positive, with the economy growing across the services, production and construction sectors in the last three months” Latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate that the UK economy contracted by 0.5% in July. The reduction was higher than the 0.2% decline which had been forecast by […]
The impact of age on 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. […]
Investment myths
To many, the world of investing is shrouded in mystery; the realm of financial whizz-kids and the super-rich. In reality, however, this is not the case and, once myth is separated from reality, it should be clear that investing is actually accessible to all. Can’t invest, won’t invest! Research1 has highlighted several reasons why people […]
Over 50s reconsidering life insurance
Continued high inflation is prompting over 50s to reconsider whether they really need their life insurance policies, research has suggested1, sparking fears of vulnerabilities. Cutting costs A survey of 1,000 people aged 50+ has shown that 22% of customers are thinking about cancelling their monthly payments as a result of the rising cost of living. […]
Your financial empowerment toolkit
Traditionally, people might have assessed their financial health by simply checking the balance on their bank account or totalling their amassed level of wealth. In recent years, however, a different measure has emerged which seeks to balance financial stability with emotional wellbeing. Financial empowerment This new concept places greater emphasis on goals and developing a […]