95% mortgages could leave the UK taxpayer liable for £44b
At the virtual Conservative Party Conference on 6th October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestured towards a plan in the pipeline to introduce 95% Loan to Value mortgages in an attempt to reinvigorate home ownership and in his words, “help turn generation rent, into generation buy.” While the details of this…
Minimum age for pensions freedoms rises to 57
The government has confirmed that the minimum age for drawing a personal pension is to rise to 57 in 2028. Savers who pay into a personal pension either directly or through their workplace can currently access their money at 55. However, the government plans to raise the age as a…
How long term home working will affect your finances
There’s a chance that many workplaces may never return to office. Several prominent tech firms have already said that their staff can continue to work from home even after the pandemic and the evidence suggests that a large number of other employers are thinking the same thing. Essentially, the pandemic…
3 hidden ways that Covid could damage your financial security
The Covid crash has threatened the prosperity of millions across the country. While government support measures have gone some way to mitigate its effects, there has been an unseen level of redundancies and a recession of historical proportions. However, some of the financial consequences will be slightly more insidious as…
3 of the best autumn holiday destinations in the UK
After quarantine measures were imposed during August for returnees from several European countries including France and Spain, many will be looking to stay closer to home for their autumn breaks. While the UK doesn’t offer the 30 degree October sunshine that you can find in the Algarve or Costa Blanca,…
Make your lockdown saving habits last a lifetime
While the economic consequences of lockdown saw many households struggle, others have been able to save far more than usual. Data suggests that UK households could have been saving an average of around £171 per week during lockdown, with pubs, restaurants and high street shops closed. Country wide, savers have…
House prices have rebounded, but is it a “false dawn”?
At first glance, recent figures from the housing markets appear wholly positive. During July, Nationwide reported a 1.7% leap in prices. However, the country’s largest building society warned of a “false dawn” when they announced these figures. They highlighted that much of the rise can be attributed to pent-up demand…
Where does the value lie in the client/adviser relationship?
There are many ways that value is expressed in the relationship between a financial planner and a client; the most obvious being the way that an adviser can guide a client towards their financial goals, enabling a client to live the life they want in the future. Offering clear, unbiased…
Could over-40s pay more tax to solve the social care crisis?
The question of who should pay for social care is an urgent one; successive governments have wrestled with the issue and none have found a robust solution. At present, some people who don’t qualify for local council funded care have to sell their homes to cover the costs, which can…
Will triple lock state pensions survive the current economic crisis?
The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a huge blow to the British economy. The most recent forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) say that the country is on track to see the largest economic decline for 300 years, with output falling by at least 10% over 2020. While the…