News

“Our plan for the British economy is working” On 22 November, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt unveiled the government’s latest tax and spending plans saying “we back British business” announcing 110 growth measures which he said would boost business investment by £20bn a year. The Chancellor said the government had taken difficult decisions to […]

Home insurance offers protection against the most likely things that can go wrong in your home. While we often think of outside threats like theft or fire, a new study1 has shown that more claims result from clumsiness than malice.  Accidents happen  Accidental damage and escape of water are the most common reasons people claim […]

Succession, the hugely popular TV show, highlights the complexities of wealth transfer. There’s a lot to think about when passing on your wealth – as well as the risk of family disputes, tax implications need to be taken into consideration.  Preserving, planning and communication  As families accumulate wealth and assets it becomes important to preserve […]

Most landlords not selling yet  Two in three buy-to-let landlords have no plans to sell any of their properties in the upcoming year, new research1 has revealed. While the new Renters Reform Bill had led some to predict a selling spree, it seems most are holding onto their investments – for now. Those with a […]

More pension savers want to exclude oil  New analysis1 has revealed an increase in the number of pension savers who would like to see the oil sector completely excluded from their pension investments, up from 15% in 2022 to 21% in 2023. Of the remaining 79%, almost half said they would only continue to invest […]

Cost of raising a child soars  Recent research1 has found that the cost of raising a child has increased by 10% over the last year, with the average UK family spending £223,256 in their offspring’s first 18 years. This works out at over £12,000 a year per child. The research looked at the different costs […]

The emergence of new trends and advancements such as the advent of AI, electric vehicles and other ‘big picture’ global innovations are set to shape our future, presenting opportunities to investors interested in capturing these themes in their portfolios.  The United Nations Economist Network has identified five megatrends impacting social, economic and environmental outcomes, these […]

New-build properties remain overwhelmingly popular despite a small drop in the number of starts in the past year.  New home starts slip  Work was started on 137,800 new-build homes in England during the 2022/23 financial year to the value of £55bn1, which represents a 1.4% year-on-year decline.  Generally, a new-build house or flat is counted […]