The release of the latest Economic Outlook from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) last week, highlighted that global GDP is now projected to slow this year to around 3%, remaining at a similar pace next year. This is a downgrade following estimates of 4.5% global growth this year, made last December. Outlining […]
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BTL investors tap into domestic holiday demand
Pandemic-related travel restrictions have unleashed huge demand for UK-based rentals among British holidaymakers – with buy-to-let (BTL) investors scrambling to take advantage. According to figures1, holiday let mortgage availability has trebled since 2020, giving would-be investors ample opportunity to tap into this demand. There are now 231 buy-to-let mortgages eligible for holiday lets on the […]
How to value financial advice
In recent times the importance of expert financial advice has become greater than ever, as people seek reassurance that their pensions, investments and protection plans are being professionally looked after during uncertain times. Good financial outcomes are obviously important, but these can only be measured over the long term and are just one way of […]
News in Review
‘There’s a real pent-up desire among the population to get out and enjoy itself’ Over the last week, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations largely dominated the news. The extended bank holiday weekend provided an opportunity for people and communities throughout the UK to come together to celebrate the historic milestone. Official events over the long […]
Economic Review – May 2022
Bank warns of deteriorating outlook The Bank of England (BoE) has warned that the UK faces a “sharp economic slowdown” in the coming months as it continues to raise interest rates in a bid to dampen rapidly rising prices. Following its early-May meeting, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a 6-3 majority […]
FCA outlines plans to get people investing
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched a new strategy to give consumers the confidence to invest, safe in the knowledge they are supported by a high-quality advice market; and to help them do so safely, which should lead to fewer people being scammed or investing in products that are too risky for their needs. […]
Commercial Property Market Review – May 2022
Return to the office According to a recent business update, London’s office-leasing market is kicking back into life after its pandemic-induced slumber, with modern and energy-efficient space most in demand. Companies are willing to pay higher rents for leases than they were a year earlier, according to Derwent London, a FTSE 250 office landlord. The […]
Residential Property Review – May 2022
Three key Queen’s Speech commitments Housing featured prominently in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May, with social housing, rental reform and leasehold reform all part of the government’s priorities in the coming twelve months. Of the 38 legislative announcements, there were three significant ones relating to housing: the Social Housing Regulation Bill, the Renters’ Reform […]
Up close and personal with your mortgage rate
Do you know if you could benefit from remortgaging? If not, the first step is to compare your current interest rate to those currently available on the market. Several surveys over recent years have shown that a substantial minority of people have no idea what their mortgage interest rate actually is. Interest rates on the […]
Pensioners sitting on cash ISAs
An alarming set of data has come to light. Over three million pensioners are holding all of their ISA savings in cash!1 The analysis highlighted that during the most recent year for which figures were available (2018/19), there were 5.8 million over-65s holding ISAs, valued at just over £305bn in total, the average amount held […]