Ambitious sellers beware!
Selling a house is the biggest financial deal many people will ever make. Understandably, sellers want to get the best possible price; new research1 has cautioned, however, that aiming too high is not without risk. Discount dangers Analysis by Rightmove of sales over the past five years has revealed the risks associated with pricing your […]
Hopeful FTBs consider buying with friend or sibling
Did you know that 46% of aspiring first-time buyers would consider buying a home with a friend or sibling to help them get onto the property ladder?1 Most people (62%) would ideally like to purchase a home with a partner; however, many have been forced to look at alternative options. The main reason for considering […]
Get into the savings habit to enhance your wellbeing
A report from UK Savings Week shows that having a savings habit improves wellbeing. Savers on the lowest incomes were found to benefit the most from regularly putting money aside, with 53% of this group reporting that they are satisfied with their life. However, only 40% of low-income non-savers could say the same1. Interestingly, low-income […]
Buy-to-let market update: Trends and insights
The UK buy-to-let (BTL) market has seen notable changes recently. The number of new BTL mortgages granted has decreased sharply. This decline is largely due to higher interest rates and stricter taxation measures, which have served to cool investor enthusiasm. Additionally, the overall size of the BTL mortgage market has contracted. Investors are encountering more […]
A third of Gen X think they will never retire
Recently released research1 suggests a significant proportion of working age people are no longer planning a traditional ‘hard stop’ retirement, with 45 to 54-year-olds most likely to feel they will continue working beyond pensionable age. Work work work According to the survey, more than a fifth of working age adults think it unlikely they will […]
Many young mortgage holders do not have life cover
Research has found that 28% of young UK homeowners do not have life insurance1. It is estimated that 1.7 million adults aged 18-40 do not have appropriate cover in place, despite having a mortgage. This oversight puts their dependants in a precarious financial position in the event of their death. Why risk it? Of those […]
Don’t just plan – protect your money
Are you confident you have all the relevant cover in place to protect your finances? Having a financial plan should go hand-in-hand with a conversation about insurance. The statistics We may not like to think about death, but the reality is it is inevitable; however, data has revealed that only 29% of UK adults have […]
Self-employed? Remember your pension
Over one million individuals have entered self-employment since 20201, so it is important to ensure you are still planning for retirement by making regular pension contributions. A growing sector In 2023, there were 4.2 million people in the UK’s solo self-employed sector – 3% higher than the previous year. Overall, the solo self-employed contributed £331bn […]
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 […]
Home Finance – In the news
Buyers priced out Some 41% of participants in a recent survey1 agreed with the statement, ‘I cannot afford to live in the area I want or need to live in’. Many renters and homeowners alike were unhappy with their current location, with job opportunities (37%), proximity to friends and family (35%) and a better lifestyle […]