News in Review

“As consumers gear up to spend more… there’s a brighter outlook for the coming months”  Last Tuesday, figures from the latest Barclays Consumer Spend Report revealed that consumer card spending fell to a three-year low in May. As households continue to feel the squeeze, overall spending grew by just 1.0% for the month, its lowest […]

AI & scams

Although there is much excitement surrounding the advent and development of artificial intelligence (AI), there are some serious risks involved – namely, the prevalence of scams that are becoming increasingly sophisticated.   Types of scams   There are a few main scams to be aware of:  Who is at threat?  Everyone risks falling victim to […]

News in Review

“The market appears to be showing signs of resilience”  The UK experienced a modest rebound in house price growth in May, according to the latest Nationwide House Price Index, released on Friday. Prices rose by 0.4% month-on-month to reach an average house price of £264,249. The annual growth rate picked up to 1.3%, from 0.6% […]

Wealth transfer gains momentum

Recently published research suggests the long-heralded ‘great wealth transfer’ is now firmly underway, which inevitably heightens the need for carefully considered intergenerational financial planning as assets continue to flow down the generations.  The great transfer  Dubbed by analysts the ‘great wealth transfer,’ the next two decades are set to witness the largest ever intergenerational transfer […]

Economic Review – May 2024

UK growth rate at two-year high  Last month’s release of first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) statistics confirmed the UK economy has now exited the shallow recession entered during the latter half of last year, while survey evidence suggests private sector output has continued to expand across the past two months.  The latest GDP data published […]

News in Review

“I will fight for every vote”  Last Wednesday, hot on the heels of fresh inflation data, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took to a rain-soaked Downing Street podium to announce the date of the General Election – which is due to be held on 4 July. The countdown is on. The statement signals the start of […]