News in Review
“This rise will impact the wider economic recovery” Over the past seven days, government plans to raise National Insurance contributions to fund the health and social care system have continued to feature prominently in the news headlines. Last Wednesday, despite warnings of a mass Tory rebellion, MPs voted by 319 votes to 248 to approve […]
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Equity release availability hits record high
The number of equity release products on the market is the highest it has ever been, with rates over two percentage points lower than five years ago. Data1 shows that the number of equity release products now exceeds 500 – the highest on record. The analysis also reveals that the maximum available LTV has remained […]
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‘Secret accounts’ slow the probate process
According to the first Bereavement Index from probate software specialist Exizent1, many people fail to put their financial affairs in order before they die, leaving behind a ‘financial mess’ and a stressful experience for those tasked with administering their estate. The Index revealed that one in seven (14%) of those tasked with gathering the assets […]
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Taking the emotion (and colour!) out of investment decisions
The psychology of investing is fascinating. There are so many behavioural traps that investors may find themselves falling into as markets fluctuate and knee jerk reactions take hold. The anchoring trap is a prime example, where investors over rely on their perceptions of an investment which may be totally incorrect, rather than being flexible in […]
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News in Review
“Following the most successful vaccine programme in the world, we’re beginning the biggest catch-up programme in the history of the NHS” On Tuesday, Boris Johnson took to the Downing Street podium, following an earlier appearance in the House of Commons, to set out the government’s intentions to “help our NHS recover from the pandemic and […]
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News in Review
“Strong policy support has fuelled a vigorous but uneven recovery” With the summer holiday season drawing to a close, travel stocks were impacted last week, following the latest announcement from the Transport Secretary. Although several additions were made to the green list, some countries moved to the red list and popular holiday spots such as […]
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Retirees tempted by ‘risky’ investments
A new study conducted by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) suggests the UK’s prolonged low interest environment is encouraging retirees to consider riskier pensions and investment products, which could ultimately result in them losing significant sums of money. Taking a risk The FSCS poll of 2,000 retirees aged 55 to 75, found that one […]
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News in Review
‘It could be appropriate to start reducing the pace of asset purchases this year’ During a week in which the news agenda was dominated by Afghanistan, the US Federal Reserve warned it could start cutting back support for the economy sooner than markets had previously expected. Minutes from the Fed’s July meeting, released last Wednesday, […]
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