20 March 2024

House number 13 – unlucky or not? 

A recent study1 suggests that some Brits are superstitious, as homes numbered 13 are valued lower than the average property.  Over 10 million houses have been analysed, each with a door number between 1–100. It seems many homeowners would like to be number one, as the first house on the street is worth the most […]

13 March 2024

The financial pitfalls that primarily affect women 

Research1 has shone a spotlight on the financial challenges that prevent women from accumulating the same wealth as their male counterparts.  The report found that having children continues to have a disproportionately large impact on women’s finances, as do other life events such as the menopause.  The findings  Amongst the report’s findings were the following […]

13 March 2024

The sophisticated scammers targeting YOU 

According to a study from NatWest1, seven in 10 people have been targeted by scams over the last 12 months. Vulnerabilities brought on by cost-of-living challenges have likely contributed to the high numbers.  Sadly, 13% of people have fallen prey to such scams, which are growing in both number and sophistication – targeting young and […]

7 March 2024

Spring Budget 2024

On 6 March, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget to the House of Commons declaring it was “a Budget for long-term growth.” The fiscal update included a number of new policy measures, such as a widely-anticipated reduction in National Insurance, abolition of the non-dom tax status and new savings products designed […]

5 March 2024

Living the retirement dream

Research1 has revealed that the ultimate retirement dream is actually very simple – financial security for the rest of your life.  This is according to a survey1, which questioned 2,000 respondents aged 50 and over on their aspirations for later life.  Hopes and dreams  Nearly all the respondents to the survey (94%) said that financial […]

20 February 2024

In the news

Gazundering in a buyer’s market  Research1 has found that, in 2023, there was a 97% increase in people googling the term ‘gazundering’ – when a homebuyer reduces their offer on a property at the last minute, often just before exchange of contracts. About a third of sellers were subjected to gazundering last year2, indicating the […]

20 February 2024

Equity release bouncing back?

After a challenging few years, equity release is picking up steam again, with the market experiencing growth for the first time in a year, according to market statistics1.  New customers (10%) and total lending (8%) both saw a quarterly rise in Q3 2023. During that period, 17,078 new and existing customers used equity release products.  […]

13 February 2024

Are you due a midlife MOT?

Just to be clear, we’re not talking about your physical health here (that’s the doctor’s remit). We’re talking about a check-up to assess your financial wellbeing.  And we’re asking because nearly one in six people aged between 45 and 54 are now making significant financial sacrifices to ensure their pension pots are up to scratch […]

13 February 2024

In the news

Pension Tracing Service swamped  People who think they could be missing out on thousands of pounds in pension savings have flocked to the phonelines to try and track down their lost money. Through a freedom of information request, it has come to light that The Pension Tracing Service received a total of 251,733 phone calls […]

13 February 2024

Sleep easy in 2024

If you’re losing sleep over your finances, you’re not the only one. According to research1, nearly half (45%) of UK adults are lying awake at night because they’re worrying about money.  The squeeze on people’s finances caused by the cost-of-living crisis is understandably a large part of this wave of insomnia, with those surveyed saying […]