Several months have passed since the Spring Budget, which, although not necessarily packed with good news stories, held one announcement that certainly did bring considerable cheer to higher rate taxpayers. A recent survey has revealed the dramatic impact that Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s decision to scrap the pension Lifetime Allowance (LTA) is having on people’s retirement […]
Category archives: All
News in Review
“Our new estimates indicate a stronger performance for professional and scientific businesses” The UK’s economy has grown faster since the start of the pandemic than had initially been stated, according to new data released last week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Under the updated figures, the UK’s economy is estimated to have grown […]
Older homeowners staying put
First home, family home… then what? Maybe nothing, new research suggests1, with older homeowners standing their ground and not considering downsizing. Indeed, seven in 10 respondents said that they are not looking to downsize, in a survey of 1,000 homeowners. Moreover, although 29% do plan to downsize within the next five years, only 13% of […]
FTSE 350 female board representation – a defining moment
Three years ahead of schedule, FTSE 350 companies have met the target of achieving 40% female board representation, according to the latest FTSE Women Leaders Review1. The report highlights ‘steady progress’ in getting women leaders to the ‘top table of business in the UK,’ with Nimesh Patel and Penny James, co-chairs of the Review describing […]
Economic Review – September 2023
Rate-hike pause as inflation dips Last month, the Bank of England announced a pause in its long run of interest rate rises following an unexpected dip in the UK headline rate of inflation and ‘increasing signs’ that higher rates were starting to hurt the real economy. Following its latest meeting, which concluded on 20 September, […]
News in Review
“Our job is to get inflation down” At its meeting last week, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) narrowly voted to maintain Bank Rate at 5.25%, ending a run of 14 consecutive increases. Five members voted to keep the rate at 5.25%, while the four dissenting voices all favoured another 0.25% increase to […]
Residential Property Review – September 2023
Economic uncertainty weighs on the residential market The most recent UK Housing Market Update from Savills has highlighted that buyers’ budgets continue to be impacted by higher mortgage rates, and although inflation has begun to move lower, core inflation remains ‘unexpectedly sticky.’ During July, with completed sales reducing by 18% on the 2017-19 average, market […]
Commercial Property Review – September 2023
Private investors acquire £1.3bn of London office assets over 12 months Knight Frank’s latest research report on the capital’s office market has highlighted that over the last year, family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals have purchased £1.3bn worth of London office assets. Such high transaction volumes by wealthy private investors have been a by-product partly of […]
News in Review
“The broader picture looks more positive, with the economy growing across the services, production and construction sectors in the last three months” Latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimate that the UK economy contracted by 0.5% in July. The reduction was higher than the 0.2% decline which had been forecast by […]
The impact of age on life insurance?
Age is a key factor in determining cost when you take out life insurance. Generally, the younger you are when you purchase a policy, the less expensive your regular premiums will be, because younger people are statistically less likely to die than older people, so the risk to the insurer is lower. Assessing the risks […]