“This is fundamentally a growth market, and we see it continuing to be that way” The travel industry has featured prominently in the news over the past seven days, with an easing of travel restrictions announced on both sides of the Atlantic. Last Friday, simplification of the traffic light system and testing requirements in England, […]
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Residential Property Review – September 2021
Signs of solidity in UK housing market After reaching record highs in June, the housing market is now ‘taking a breather‘, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) August survey. New buyer enquiries fell for a second consecutive month, with the latest net balance dropping to -14%. Despite this slip in demand, supply […]
Commercial Property Market Review – September 2021
Robust figures for commercial property market Commercial property investment volumes reached £31.4bn at the end of July, according to the most recent UK Commercial Market in Minutes report from Savills. This was 32% above the same period in 2020 and 4% higher than the five-year average. Savills also noted a promising rise in the three-month […]
News in Review
“This rise will impact the wider economic recovery” Over the past seven days, government plans to raise National Insurance contributions to fund the health and social care system have continued to feature prominently in the news headlines. Last Wednesday, despite warnings of a mass Tory rebellion, MPs voted by 319 votes to 248 to approve […]
Don’t believe these mortgage deposit myths…
Taking out a mortgage is something thousands of us do every year, and yet misinformation about the mortgage process – and particularly deposits – is rife. So, here are a couple of deposit myths you shouldn’t believe: You need a huge deposit to be approved Many people believe you’ll only get approved for a mortgage […]
Long COVID – a problem for your pension pot?
The pandemic has affected almost everyone in numerous different ways, whether that is financially, medically, or socially; its death toll has been appalling and overshadows everything. Fortunately, the vast majority have come through the pandemic, but the speed of recovery has been variable. Medically, many patients have recovered well, but some have prolonged symptoms which […]
News in Review
“Following the most successful vaccine programme in the world, we’re beginning the biggest catch-up programme in the history of the NHS” On Tuesday, Boris Johnson took to the Downing Street podium, following an earlier appearance in the House of Commons, to set out the government’s intentions to “help our NHS recover from the pandemic and […]
Highest ever number of equity release products available
Equity release has become an increasingly popular option for many people, with a record number of products now available on the market. With over 500 equity release options available to consumers1, rates have also dropped by an average of 2% in the past five years. The maximum loan to value (LTV) has held steady over […]
Your personal goals matter more than Keeping up with the Joneses
Did you know that this expression about the envy of others dates all the way back to 1913, when a New York Globe comic strip ‘Keeping Up With the Joneses’ first appeared and created an enduring, meaningful expression? Even further back, envy was evident in biblical times; the Tenth Commandment is proof of that – […]
Economic Review – August 2021
Strong second quarter growth The latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed that the UK economy grew strongly in the second quarter, although more recent survey evidence does suggest the recovery is losing momentum. Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the economy grew by 4.8% in the second quarter of this […]