27 October 2020

The intergenerational impact of coronavirus

The pandemic has touched the lives of billions of people. Everybody, it seems, has been impacted in some way. However, evidence shows that the pandemic has affected different age groups in very different ways. A recent report1 indicates that although older generations have suffered the greatest health impact, young people have borne the social and […]

27 October 2020

Changing equity release motivations in Scotland

The pandemic and ensuing lockdown forced many of us to adopt a back to basics approach to everyday life, a shift which has transcended to many people’s financial motivations too. For people choosing to release equity from their homes in 2020, different reasons emerged for doing so during the pandemic as a direct result of […]

27 October 2020

Scottish property boom – the 3D effect

The reopening of the Scottish property market on 29 June has caused a post-lockdown housing boom, with homes in Glasgow and Edinburgh selling faster than anywhere else in the UK. According to Zoopla1, Glasgow properties sold within just 16 days between 13 May and 13 August this year, with Edinburgh hot on its heels at […]

27 October 2020

Mortgage market recovery in Scotland

At the height of lockdown, dire predictions of economic disaster, huge job losses and a deep property market slump were relentless. It seemed there was no good news to be found. While uncertainty still prevails, sparks of hope are beginning to creep in. The July Residential Market Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors […]

21 October 2020

Titanic disaster led to historic life insurance payouts

When the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, life and accident insurance companies lost $3,464,111, according to a contemporary article published in The Shore Press. The accident led to some of the largest insurance payouts ever, with the beneficiaries of business magnate John B. Thayer receiving a total accident insurance payout of […]

13 October 2020

Age 20 or 50+? – Maintain your retirement focus

Research1 has revealed that almost a fifth of people aged 50 or over believe their retirement will be affected by the pandemic. Of these, a quarter say they have not been able to retire due to their finances, a fifth have had to use some of their retirement savings whilst out of work and a […]

13 October 2020

‘Astonishing’ recovery for mortgage market

At the height of lockdown, dire predictions of economic disaster, huge job losses and a deep property market slump were relentless. It seemed there was no good news to be found. While uncertainty still prevails, sparks of hope are beginning to creep in, though infection rates started to rise in early September. New data from […]

7 October 2020

Are you on your best investor behaviour?

In uncertain times, where we’ve witnessed periods of stock market volatility, it’s easy to let emotions influence investment decisions, but a good strategy for investors to adopt is not to react hastily. Human instinct is to be responsive, so traversing these behavioural biases can be challenging, but once mastered, resisting the urge to flight can […]

7 October 2020

Where now for the global economy?

With the release of Q2 data over the summer, the full extent of the impact COVID-19 has had on the global economy became apparent, as a succession of countries reported record falls in output, with lockdowns causing inevitable and acute economic disruption. Although uncertainties surrounding the pandemic are still inflicting economic stress across the globe, […]

5 October 2020

The post-lockdown trends ruling the property market

The property market is gradually recovering. After an interesting few months, clear trends are now emerging that look set to dominate the market for some time. Pent-up demand speeds up sales With the property market open once more and buyers galvanised into action by pent-up demand and incentives such as the temporary Stamp Duty holiday, […]