Login

News

News in Review

“We know that families across Britain are still struggling with the cost of living”  UK inflation was 2.3% in October, according to figures released last week by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the first rise in the UK’s consumer prices index (CPI) for three months.  As well as faring worse than economists had expected, […]

Read More
Residential Property Review – November 2024

Budget caused uncertainty in the market  There was some uncertainty within the housing market ahead of the Autumn Budget at the end of October, which was reflected in muted consumer activity.   House price growth slowed ahead of the first Labour Budget in 14 years according to Savills. Mortgage rates rose slightly at the end of […]

Read More
Commercial Property Market Review – November 2024

Commercial property market outlook   Despite anticipation of the Autumn Budget, Savills reported that the commercial property market remained stable in October, with some areas of growth.   There was no change in pricing across any commercial asset class last month, with the average prime yield remaining at 6%. Eight sectors are now experiencing a downward pressure […]

Read More
News in Review

“Harnessing the power of this multi-billion-pound industry is a win-win, benefiting future pensioners, and our wider economy”  Last Thursday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves used her first Mansion House speech to outline her new plan for pension funds, intended to shake up UK pension saving and unlock £80bn of investment.  Ahead of the speech, the Chancellor revealed […]

Read More
Equity release update

Data suggests that confidence is growing among new and existing equity release customers.  Equity release customers rose by 12% in Q2 of this year, with total lending increasing by 15% to £578m1. There was also a quarterly and annual increase in the average loan size, which indicates that customer confidence is being restored.  More taking […]

Read More
In the news

Equity fund inflows on the up  Statistics1 show that, during the first half of 2024, net inflows to equity funds were over £11.3bn, the best six-month recording for equity funds according to global fund network Calastone’s ten-year record. Of the most positive inflows, North America and global funds recorded £7.8bn and £7.2bn respectively, with emerging […]

Read More
News in Review

“This is a magnificent victory for the American people” Last week, after intense months of campaigning, Donald Trump made a triumphant comeback to be voted 47th President of the United States. The Republicans secured a decisive victory, winning crucial swing states, also regaining control of the US Senate. Trump’s victory was surprisingly conclusive after opinion […]

Read More
Which pension personality are you?

A recent study1 has identified several distinct pension personality types, each with its own strengths and challenges. Which one resonates with you?  Procrastination Pete and Paula are the most common type, often overwhelmed by the complexities of pensions. This group is likely to make poor decisions, such as hastily withdrawing a 25% tax-free lump sum […]

Read More
HNWIs on the rise – and their needs are changing

A new report1 suggests the wealth of ‘high-net-worth-individuals’ (HNWIs) – grew by 4.7% in 2023, with the HNWI population increasing by 5.1% to 22.8 million globally.  What’s behind the increase?  Global economic uncertainty, higher interest rates and rising political tensions led to significant declines in HNWI wealth (3.6%) and population (3.3%) in 2022. However, the […]

Read More
In the news

Northern cities surge in mortgage searches   As buyers consider more affordable housing options beyond the capital, the six major Northern cities of Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle have witnessed a significant increase in purchase mortgage searches and now account for almost 11% of all mortgage search activity, up by two-thirds on last year1. […]

Read More