Bank Rate raised again Last month, the Bank of England (BoE) sanctioned a further increase in its benchmark interest rate as inflation continues to surge significantly ahead of the Bank’s target level. Following a meeting held in mid-March, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by an 8-1 majority to raise Bank Rate from […]
Author archives: charlie
News in Review
“This is a moment of consequence and peril for the world” Last Thursday, major news broke as Joe Biden ordered an unprecedented release of crude oil from America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves to tame rising energy costs. In an attempt to combat what the US President branded “Putin’s price hike,” he issued the release of one […]
Getting a mortgage when retired – what you need to know
Becoming a homeowner later in life is not uncommon these days, but is it possible to get a mortgage if you’re retired? All the fives It’s true that getting a mortgage becomes a lot harder after the age of 55. First because it is more difficult to prove retirement income than it is to prove […]
News in Review
“The government will support the British people” Rishi Sunak opened the Spring Statement on 23 March by speaking about his admiration for the Ukrainian people, commending the strength of the UK economy to help fund their army and impose sanctions on Putin’s regime. The Chancellor warned that actions against Russia are costly and present a […]
Residential Property Review – March 2022
Sales up as demand stays strong 2022 has picked up where 2021 left off, with near-record demand leading to the busiest January and February since 2016, according to Zoopla. Sales agreed in February were 31% above the 2017-19 average for the month, according to TwentyCi, matching levels last seen at the start of 2021. Meanwhile, […]
Commercial Property Market Review – March 2022
Prime space snapped up by legal firms More than one million sq. ft of Grade A office space was taken up by the legal sector in 2021, highlighting the importance of the ‘best’ space in the post-pandemic landscape. London’s resilient legal sector has enjoyed strong revenue and increased headcount over the last year, which has […]
Spring Forecast Statement 2022
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his 2022 Spring Statement on 23 March, confirming implementation of the politically contentious 1.25 percentage-point rise in most National Insurance contributions, though with revised thresholds to mitigate the impact. He declared that his overall plan “builds a stronger, more secure economy for the United Kingdom.” The fiscal update […]
News in Review
‘The economy has recently been subject to a succession of very large shocks’ Last Thursday, as highly anticipated, the Bank of England (BoE) announced the third increase in Bank Rate in four months, placing more pressure on household finances. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members voted by an eight to one majority in favour of […]
News in Review
“At the Spring Statement, Rishi Sunak has to make a huge judgment call” With a week to go until the next fiscal event in the government’s calendar – the Spring Forecast Statement on 23 March – new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has highlighted its belief that the Chancellor has some big […]
Preserving your retirement from the risk of mental decline
Many of us can now look forward to a longer retirement, due to increased life expectancy, however this unfortunately comes at a cost. The prevalence of age-related cognitive decline is on the rise, which could leave us vulnerable to costly financial errors. There are nearly 885,000 people living with dementia in the UK1, with estimates […]