Happy 20th birthday ISA! The consumer-friendly simplicity of the ISA, which benefits from no Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax, has resulted in its popularity today, with around 42%3 of us holding one. At launch in April 1999, the annual allowance for an ISA was just £7,000. Over the years, the limit has steadily [...]

Retirement: two-thirds risk making the wrong choices by going it alone Pension reforms introduced in 2015 mean there is much greater freedom, both for investors and for those wanting to access their pension pots. Despite having to make many important decisions, both in the years running up to retirement and afterwards, a recent survey2 shows [...]

Let’s talk about intergenerational financesThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced its desire to start a conversation about intergenerational differences and the changing financial needs facing consumers from different age groups. While it’s certainly good to talk, this is obviously an extremely complex issue and the financial narrative is not one that everybody may want [...]

shoppers rein in spending     The latest batch of retail sales statistics suggests that consumers have become increasingly cautious in recent months adding to concerns over the current state of the UK economy.   Official data published by the ONS revealed that retail sales volumes dropped by 0.5% in May compared to April’s [...]

Article from July 2019 While the Brexit process effectively remains on hold until the Conservative party membership elects the country’s next Prime Minister, further warnings over the potential consequences of a no-deal withdrawal have been issued.  The race to elect the next leader of the Conservative party, and the country, is now in full [...]

Global markets largely closed June in positive territory, capping gains on the best first half for global equities since 1997. Investors grew optimistic of some progress being made in the meeting at the G20 Summit in Osaka, between President Trump and China Premier Xi Jinping. The Summit delivered some good news as the two [...]

The BoE has again left interest rates on hold and reiterated its belief that the monetary policy response to Brexit could ultimately push rates in either direction.   Following its latest meeting on 19 June, the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to maintain its existing monetary policy stance. This marks the tenth [...]

The Bank of England (BoE) has reduced its growth forecast for the UK economy amid growing concerns over global trade tensions and fears of a no-deal Brexit.   In its latest policy statement, the BoE said it now expects economic growth to be flat during the second quarter of this year, a downgrade from [...]

How can my property provide for me? For many people, their property is their biggest asset. Unlocking this value via equity release is an option being considered by an increasing number of over 55s as a way to help financially plan for retirement. Equity can be released via a lump sum or in stages [...]

EQUITY RELEASE MARKET RECORDS BUSIEST START TO ANY YEAR AS PROPERTY WEALTH HELPS MEET DIVERSE FINANCIAL NEEDS £936m of housing wealth unlocked by homeowners aged 55+ during Q1 2019, an 8% increase year-on-year Total customers served between January and March increased by 10% annually to reach 20,397, including 10,854 plans agreed Despite market’s growth, [...]