News

UK economic growth forecast upgraded  An updated forecast published last month by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggests the UK will be the joint-second fastest growing economy among the G7 nations this year.   According to the OECD’s latest projections, the UK economy is set to expand by 1.1% across the whole of […]

Growth expected in commercial property market   Savills expects to see growth in the UK’s commercial property market in Q4.    The sector had a good start to 2024, as cross-border investment hit $14bn in H1, with the UK attracting more capital than the USA or any European peers. Investors were given a further boost by the […]

A survey1 has found that 51% of people would tell themselves to start saving as soon as they can. Meanwhile, 41% would say to take more care of their health, and a third would advise worrying less about what other people think.  How old do you feel?  The same report also asked UK adults when […]

Research1 has found that people in their 30s and 40s could be slipping through the net when it comes to protection cover. The data highlights that those in this age bracket are more likely to have inadequate protection cover for their mortgage, should the worst happen.   Has your protection caught up?   Many people experience significant […]

BoE starts to cut rates   In early August, the Bank of England (BoE) sanctioned the first reduction in interest rates since March 2020 and economists expect a second cut to be announced before the end of this year.  The closely-run decision was announced on 1 August following the latest meeting of the Bank’s Monetary Policy […]

Latest from RICS  The commercial property market remained relatively flat in Q2 of this year, according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey.   Tenant and investor demand were both largely stable as headline occupier demand stayed at a net balance of +4% – the same reading as the previous quarter. Investment enquiries […]

UK growth stronger than expected  Figures released last month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK economy grew faster in May than had been predicted, while survey evidence points to a more recent post-election pick-up in business activity.  The latest gross domestic product (GDP) statistics revealed that economic output rose by 0.4% […]

Financial goals fall by the wayside  A poll has found that 57% of adults had money-related goals for 2024, such as reducing debt and wanting more disposable income1. However, two-thirds (67%) had given up on achieving their financial aims by the end of Q1; 16% said this was due to having unrealistic expectations, and 10% […]

Since being launched on 6 April 1999 as successor to PEPs and TESSAs, the Individual Savings Account (ISA) has become an integral part of the UK savings and investment landscape.  Worth celebrating  By any measure, the humble ISA has been a huge success. The latest HMRC figures show that more than 22 million UK adults […]

Does your investment portfolio suffer from too much ‘home bias’? It’s natural for investors to stay close to home when thinking about investing, contemplating well-known UK companies or UK-focused funds rather than looking further afield. But if your portfolio becomes too heavily concentrated in the UK, you risk missing out on valuable diversification benefits and […]