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, […]
Shared ownership and tax relief
Shared ownership involves buying a share in a property and renting the rest. It’s a cost-effective way for first-time buyers to get a toehold on the property ladder. The Chancellor’s 2018 Budget included plans to correct an anomaly from his previous Budget by cutting stamp duty for first-time buyers of shared ownership properties worth up […]
First-time buyers get two more years to benefit from Help to Buy
Under its Help to Buy scheme, the Government offers first-time buyers and second-steppers a loan of up to 20% of the price to buy a new-build property of up to £600,000. A London-only version of the scheme provides 40% equity loans. Changes announced in the Budget The 2018 Budget contained details of how the Government’s […]
New home stats – through the roof!
With the Government having pledged to build 300,000 new homes a year in England by 2025, there’s welcome news concerning the number of new homes registered in the third quarter of 2018. Builders register homes expected to be built in the coming months that are to be covered by the National House Building Council (NHBC) […]
What you need to know about retirement mortgages
Whilst much is often made of the plight of first-time buyers, a lot less attention is generally paid to older borrowers who are looking for the right type of mortgage product for their needs. However, banks and building societies are increasingly aware that borrowers are living longer and want to borrow for longer too. Many […]
Single adults find it hard to save
With more people now living alone than ever before, and the numbers predicted to rise, new research1 shows that single people in Britain are finding it harder to save for retirement than those who are married or co-habiting. More than six million single adults are under-prepared for retirement. The study reveals that just 47% of single […]
More taking out protection policies as health consciousness rises
Life is full of twists and turns, some of them good, others not so good. Protection policies are one of the best ways of ensuring your family is provided for financially, if unexpected and unwelcome events should happen. Policies can pay out lump-sums or provide an income to ease the financial burden at a difficult […]
Women are better savers than men
Women, it seems, are heeding the message about saving for retirement and are saving more for their future than men, after adjusting for earnings. However, the fact that women are saving more as a percentage of their earnings, but still achieving lower balances in their pension plans, shows the effect that the gender pay gap […]