News

When the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, life and accident insurance companies lost $3,464,111, according to a contemporary article published in The Shore Press. The accident led to some of the largest insurance payouts ever, with the beneficiaries of business magnate John B. Thayer receiving a total accident insurance payout of […]

Research1 has revealed that almost a fifth of people aged 50 or over believe their retirement will be affected by the pandemic. Of these, a quarter say they have not been able to retire due to their finances, a fifth have had to use some of their retirement savings whilst out of work and a […]

WINTER ECONOMY PLAN Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out a series of revamped measures designed to halt job losses and stem business failures as part of his Winter Economy Plan. Mr Sunak’s statement, delivered in the House of Commons on 24 September, was a last-minute replacement for the planned Autumn Budget which the Treasury had […]

Property transactions slow, but warehouse demand rises Figures from PropertyData show that commercial property transactions slowed to just 89 in August, compared to 232 transactions a year earlier. Meanwhile, the Savills average prime yield remained static at 5.23%, maintaining the highest level since September 2013. Total investment volumes for the year have now reached £23.1bn. […]

“If we follow these simple rules together, we will get through this winter together” Last week began with the government’s most senior science and medical advisers issuing a stark warning about the rise in coronavirus cases witnessed over recent weeks. At a Downing Street data briefing, Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Chris Whitty said that, […]

Contactless payments the new norm According to research1, the pandemic has accelerated the transition to contactless payments, with two thirds (66%) of card transactions in the UK now contactless. The contactless limit was increased from £30 to £45 on 1 April. Almost half (45%) of UK adults – surveyed between 10-12 April – admit their […]

The pandemic has placed immense pressure on financial markets across the globe. Markets hate uncertainty and, in recent months, that has been one commodity not in short supply. Heightened volatility, however, does always demonstrate one investment certainty – the importance of portfolio diversification as a means of guarding against market turbulence. Time to take stock […]

 “Everything is being done that we possibly can to increase testing capacity” All over the country, people have been struggling to get tested for coronavirus, with appointments paused and the system under immense pressure as demand spikes. Some people in need of a test have reported being directed to sites located hundreds of miles from […]

“It is so important that we take these tough measures now” With the number of coronavirus cases rising across the UK, the Prime Minister was back on the Downing Street podium last Wednesday to announce new measures. As we enter the autumn, with the country at a critical moment and the average rate of new […]

FASTER REBOUND; SLOWER RECOVERY As recent economic statistics confirm the UK officially entered recession, Bank of England (BoE) forecasts suggest the slump will be less severe than previously thought, but the ensuing recovery is likely to take longer. Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the economy shrank by 20.4% between April […]