The Bank of England surprised us this month by holding interest rates at 5.25 per cent, bringing to an end a run of 14 consecutive interest rate hikes. So what does this mean for you and your money? Can we cautiously hope that interest rates have peaked? The Bank of England started hiking rates in …
Inheritance tax has long been a controversial levy and the debate over scrapping it completely has been rumbling on for many years. So we note with interest the swirling rumours that the government is considering cutting inheritance tax and potentially scrapping it completely. According to the Sunday Times, Rishi Sunak wants to phase out the …
The debate around providing children with financial education has been rumbling on for a very long time. After all, countless studies have shown that many adults simply aren’t comfortable managing their money, or even understand what basic financial terms, from mortgages to interest rates, actually mean. Why? Because they were never taught any of this …
Many financial planners may tell you that your will is a vitally important element of your financial plan. With this legally binding document in place, you can take control of your destiny and be sure that your assets will be distributed in line with your wishes. But simply writing a will isn’t enough, as your …
When you create a financial strategy, you’ll often have medium- to long-term goals in mind. But that doesn’t mean it should be set in stone. After all, your situation and circumstances could vary considerably over time. Perhaps you’ll land a new job that significantly increases your income, move to a bigger and more valuable property …
Worries about money can have a very real impact on your wider health and wellbeing, particularly when so many factors, such as soaring inflation, rising interest rates and climbing mortgage rates are beyond your control. Unsurprisingly, high living costs are a huge cause of stress and anxiety across the UK right now, with the Mental …
Retirement may seem like some way off, but it pays to start preparing as soon as you can. So what specific areas should you think about, in order to make sure you can afford the type of retirement you want and deserve? Set your goals Think about what you want to get out of retirement. …
Although the government has made tackling inflation one of its core priorities for 2023, the rate of price increases remains stubbornly high – staying stuck at 8.7 per cent in the year to May. As a result, many analysts and observers are expecting the Bank of England to continue hiking up interest rates for some …
If you were asked to make big financial decisions, how sure are you that you’d make the right ones. Well, a new study by PwC and YouGov has found that nearly nine in ten people feel confident or very confident in making decisions about their money. But the same research suggests that, for many, this …
Average house prices rose by 5.5 per cent in the year to February 2023, according to the latest official figures, taking the average price of a property to £288,000. That’s £16,000 higher than it had been a year earlier – and this surge in house prices has had wide-ranging consequences, most notably, pricing many people …
