GETTING COVER FOR NON-STANDARD HOMES
With buildings insurance, part of your premium is based on what it would cost to rebuild your home from scratch if it were to be destroyed by perils like fire or flood. If your property is constructed largely from materials such as timber, concrete or straw, rather than the more traditional bricks and tiles or […]
What time of the year is best for selling a home?
This can be a difficult question to answer as there are many factors, economic and political, that can affect the UK housing market. As many people will be aware, the protracted negotiations over Brexit have recently taken their toll, particularly on the London property market, as uncertainties affecting the future prospects of European workers coming […]
Goal-based investing explained
Although it might be tempting to think that investing is just about getting the best possible return on one pot of money, goal-based investing, structuring your investment around your specific financial aims, has become a widely-used way of helping people plan their financial futures. Thinking things through One of the most significant benefits to a […]
The impact of humble mortgage overpayments
If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s worth making overpayments on your mortgage, then new research1 could help you decide. The data shows the benefits of a monthly £10 overpayment with interest rates at their current low level and illustrates that even modest overpayments can make a difference to the day when borrowers become mortgage free. If […]
Planning your pension in the new world of work
Not long ago, work meant a 9-to-5 role, probably spent with the same employer and ending abruptly when you reached retirement age. Things are very different today. People tend to move jobs more frequently and many more of us are self-employed, thanks to the rise of the gig economy. Those past State Pension age are […]
First-time buyers help to prop up the property market
Although the housing market has slowed, due in part to the widespread uncertainties surrounding Brexit, there is some good news. The number of first-time property purchases made in 2018 reached 372,100, up by 3% on the 2017 figure. This means that for the first time since 1995, those making their first property purchase represent a […]
Where we spend our money
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2017, we spent more of our money in shops than we did online, but the growth of online sales is increasing rapidly, going up by 15.9% in comparison with 2016, to £59.8bn. The sharp rise in online sales means that store closures on […]
Make 2019 the year you get the protection you need
If you haven’t got proper insurance in place for you, your family and your valuables, then you could be vulnerable if you faced one of life’s unexpected crises. Insurance cover doesn’t just pay out if you die, it can also give you the satisfaction of knowing that if you fall ill, have an accident or […]
Time to top up your ISA?
If you’re planning to save into your ISA this tax year, don’t leave it too late and miss out on this great way to save tax-efficiently; remember you can’t carry any unused allowance over to the next tax year, so timing is important. The ISA allowance for the 2018-19 tax year is a generous £20,000 […]
Number of working women aged 60-64 has doubled
Employment statistics show that more women are staying in the workplace for longer, with 48.5% in this age bracket in employment1, compared with just 23.4% back in 1998. This is attributed variously to the short-notice rise in the state pension age from 60 to 65 or 66 currently affecting many women born in the 1950s, […]