News

When it comes to mundane but crucial organisation tasks – what life admin personality type are you? Do you tend to have an ‘I’ll do it later’ approach to tasks? If you live in the moment and avoid life admin completely, tend to run late, lack motivation or structure, resulting in poor organisation – you […]

Only a quarter of Brits have life insurance or critical illness cover policies in place, despite two in five knowing someone who has had a serious accident or been too ill to work, a study1 has found. Compared to protection for our homes (55%), and travel plans (20%), the take up of insurance policies relating […]

IMF cuts growth forecast The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that economic damage from the Ukraine conflict will contribute to a significant slowdown in the global economy with the UK set to be amongst the hardest hit. In its latest assessment of world economic prospects, the IMF said the war in Ukraine is driving […]

Savers say goodbye to £34m in LISA bonuses During the 2020/21 tax year, HMRC reclaimed £34m in Lifetime ISA (LISA) withdrawal charges1. Although the government reduced withdrawal charges for LISAs from 25% to 20% in 2020 (to 5 April 2021) to help those who had no choice but to access their savings during the pandemic, […]

Industrial space in high demand in Q1 Elevated occupier demand has driven strong UK industrials and logistics take-up in Q1 2022, according to the latest research. The take-up of 10.43 million sq. ft in the first quarter is double the total in the same period last year, CBRE noted. Q1 2022 saw take-up more than […]

Spring is very much a season of hope; a time to look forward and plan. While that’s not always easy amid a flurry of headlines concerning the cost-of-living and immense global political tensions, it’s important to look beyond short-term bouts of market volatility and ensure your financial objectives remain firmly aligned to your life goals […]

Bank Rate raised again Last month, the Bank of England (BoE) sanctioned a further increase in its benchmark interest rate as inflation continues to surge significantly ahead of the Bank’s target level. Following a meeting held in mid-March, the BoE’s nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by an 8-1 majority to raise Bank Rate from […]

Prime space snapped up by legal firms More than one million sq. ft of Grade A office space was taken up by the legal sector in 2021, highlighting the importance of the ‘best’ space in the post-pandemic landscape. London’s resilient legal sector has enjoyed strong revenue and increased headcount over the last year, which has […]

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his 2022 Spring Statement on 23 March, confirming implementation of the politically contentious 1.25 percentage-point rise in most National Insurance contributions, though with revised thresholds to mitigate the impact. He declared that his overall plan “builds a stronger, more secure economy for the United Kingdom.” The fiscal update […]

Jargon is common in the world of investments and pensions, which can make them seem impenetrable and intimidating. If the thought of ‘Equities’ and ‘Investment ISAs’ makes your heart race, you’re not alone, new research1 has shown that financial terms really do make people anxious. Jar-gone Researchers used a variation of the Emotional Stroop Test, […]