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 […]

6 February 2024

Powering up your pension

Paying a lump sum into a pension can be a particularly effective way to save for your future. If you have accumulated extra money from a windfall, work bonus or through saving, now could be the ideal time to power up your pension with a single contribution.  Above and beyond  One-off pension payments are permitted […]

6 February 2024

In the news

Who wants to be an (ISA) millionaire?  The number of ISA millionaires – i.e. people who have built up a tax-free pot of £1m or more by investing in stocks and shares ISAs – has almost quintupled since 2017, with the figure now standing at 2,7601. With the first ISAs introduced in 1999 aimed at […]