Time for a spring clean? How about ‘death cleaning’ your finances?

Financial ‘death cleaning’ helps simplify finances, reduce clutter, and ensure loved ones aren’t left with financial burdens  Key steps include closing unused accounts, updating documents, maximizing tax efficiency, and reviewing investments  Open conversations with family about financial plans support intergenerational wealth planning and a smooth legacy transfer  Could your finances benefit from a spring clean? […]

News in Review

US President Trump disrupted the global trade system by introducing tariffs on ‘Liberation Day’   Global markets continue to be highly volatile following the announcement  The government is to help the UK car industry cope with tariffs by relaxing electric vehicle (EV) sales targets  “This is one of the most important days… in American history. It’s our […]

News in review

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced spending cuts but no tax increases, aiming to save £14bn by 2029/30  The UK growth forecast was revised to 1% in 2025, with improvements expected later in the decade  UK retail sales fell for a sixth month and looming US tariffs threaten the car industry  “The global economy has become more […]

Protection insurers pay out record sum

In 2023, protection insurers paid out a record £7.34bn in claims in, supporting those facing bereavement, illness and injury.  The total value of critical illness claims rose to £1.2bn, with cancer the most common reason for claiming.   Over 1,660 income protection claims have been paid out for more than 10 years, highlighting the value of […]

Spring Statement 2025

“A serious plan for growth” On 26 March, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivered her Spring Statement unveiling updated economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), announced further reductions to welfare spending and confirmation of a rise in defence spending. The Chancellor reiterated her commitment to “just one major fiscal event a […]

News in Review

“We have to be quite careful at this point in how we calibrate our response”  Last week, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held Bank Rate at 4.5%, a widely expected move but one that was more emphatically supported than analysts had predicted.  At its meeting on 19 March, eight MPC members voted […]

Residential Property Review – March 2025

Housebuilding falls to seven-year low as planning delays persist   Housebuilding in England has dropped to its lowest level since 2017, excluding the pandemic period, with just 217,911 new homes completed in 2024.   This marks a 6% decline from 2023’s total of 231,000 and continues a four-quarter trend of falling completions, according to Energy Performance Certificate […]

Commercial Property Market Review – March 2025

Regional office investment rebounds as confidence grows  Investor sentiment in the regional office market has improved, with total investment reaching £2.9bn in 2024, up 10% from 2023, according to Savills.   The Big Six regional cities saw office take-up of 4.6 million sq. ft, 15% above the five-year average and the highest since 2019. Opportunistic investors […]