According to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)1, a ‘moderate’ standard of living that includes £55 per week on groceries, a two-week all-inclusive holiday, £10 a week on takeaways and £100 a month to take others out for a meal, could cost a single person £31,300 a year, which is £8,000 more than last […]
Author archives: natalie
Confidence returns
Increased investor confidence in equity funds over the last few months has been evidenced by a leading Index1, with UK investors at their most bullish in almost three years. Equity fund inflows reached £2.01bn in January, one of the top ten months on record and the highest since April 2021. In addition, the January Index […]
Spring Budget overlooks first-time buyers
It was a disappointing Spring Budget for anyone looking to get onto the housing ladder. There were no announcements on Lifetime ISAs, no changes to Stamp Duty thresholds, no replacement for Help to Buy and the Chancellor had already scrapped plans for 99% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages after resistance from the banking community. A deafening silence […]
Investing in an election year
If elections have consequences, as Barack Obama said, then 2024 looks like being a highly consequential year. Some 64 countries are due to hold elections this year (including the US, India, Brazil, Russia and very probably the UK), representing over half of the global population and, in economic terms, half of the world’s gross domestic […]
A plan to grow the economy
With the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicting the UK economy will expand by 0.8% this year, and by 1.9% in 2025, Jeremy Hunt delivered his last Spring Budget ahead of the General Election, highlighting reforms aimed to ensure the tax system is simple, fair, keeps pace with economic developments, and supports public finances. Expectations […]
What’s your retirement dream?
Research1 has revealed that the ultimate retirement dream is actually very simple – financial security for the rest of your life. This is according to a survey1, which questioned 2,000 respondents aged 50 and over on their aspirations for later life. Hopes and dreams Nearly all the respondents to the survey (94%) said that financial […]
In the news
Gazundering in a buyer’s market Research1 has found that, in 2023, there was a 97% increase in people googling the term ‘gazundering’ – when a homebuyer reduces their offer on a property at the last minute, often just before exchange of contracts. About a third of sellers were subjected to gazundering last year2, indicating the […]
Equity release – on the rebound?
After a challenging few years, equity release is picking up steam again, with the market experiencing growth for the first time in a year, according to market statistics1. New customers (10%) and total lending (8%) both saw a quarterly rise in Q3 2023. During that period, 17,078 new and existing customers used equity release products. […]
Time for a midlife MOT?
Just to be clear, we’re not talking about your physical health here (that’s the doctor’s remit). We’re talking about a check-up to assess your financial wellbeing. And we’re asking because nearly one in six people aged between 45 and 54 are now making significant financial sacrifices to ensure their pension pots are up to scratch […]
In the news
Pension Tracing Service swamped People who think they could be missing out on thousands of pounds in pension savings have flocked to the phonelines to try and track down their lost money. Through a freedom of information request, it has come to light that The Pension Tracing Service received a total of 251,733 phone calls […]