Due to be held this November in Glasgow, the United Nations 26th Conference of the Parties – COP26 – is recognised as the most important climate change event since the 2015 Paris Agreement. The summit will bring together world leaders to build on the work left unfinished by COP25. Countries are being asked to co-operate […]
Author archives: ruby
Home Finance – In the news
Rising interest in equity release More than half of homeowners are interested in releasing equity from their property in later life1, with the majority aiming to boost pension income and savings or pay for care. The amount of equity available for release in British homes has also reached a record high of £730bn2, with the […]
Residential Property Review – October 2021
Supply still lagging demand Steady buyer demand and a sixth successive month of net negative new instructions, were the stand-out trends in the September UK Residential Market Survey published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). At the national level, new buyer enquiries had a net balance of zero in September, up from -13% […]
Commercial Property Market Review – October 2021
Strong recovery for UK flex market According to Workthere research, the flexible office sector regained momentum in H1 2021 following its pandemic-induced slump, with renewed appetite for flex space in both enquires (+30% on pre-pandemic levels) and transactions (+36%). Flexible workplaces – a catchall term encompassing anything from serviced offices to fitted plug and play […]
Money – In the news
A third enter retirement in debt Retirement. You’ve paid off your mortgage, said goodbye to your colleagues for the last time and now it’s finally time to put your feet up and enjoy some well-deserved rest, free of commitments. That’s the ideal, anyway. Unfortunately, many retirees enter this stage of their lives with significant commitments […]
Wealth – In the news
ESG assets will exceed £36.5trn by 2025 ESG assets are forecast to exceed £36.5trn – over a third of projected global assets – by 2025, according to Bloomberg Intelligence1. The analysis comes as environmental, social and governance factors are becoming increasingly important to investors across the globe. Adeline Diab, Head of ESG and Thematic Investing […]
News in Review
“The global recovery continues, but momentum has weakened” In its latest assessment of world economic prospects published on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its 2021 global growth forecast slightly to 5.9%. The international soothsayer also stated that risks to economic prospects have increased, while policy trade-offs have become more complex in the ongoing […]
Triple lock changes for 2022-23
After much speculation, in September, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, confirmed suspension of the average earnings component of the pension triple lock, to avoid a disproportionate rise of the State Pension following the pandemic. For the 2022-23 tax year only, the new and basic State Pension will increase by the higher of […]
National Insurance and dividend tax rises
A new health and social care tax will be introduced across the UK from April 2022. The tax will initially begin as a 1.25 percentage point increase in National Insurance, paid by both workers and employers. From April 2023, it will become a separate tax on earned income, calculated in the same way as National […]
Percentage sales at decade high
Analysis1 suggests that almost seven in ten UK properties for sale, found a buyer in the year to June 2021, the highest rate in a decade. Regional differences Scotland led the way with 89% of homes finding a buyer, while Yorkshire & the Humber was the second most successful area at 77%. Property hotspots included […]