Spring Statement 2019
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, stood up in Parliament at 12.43pm on Wednesday, 13 March, to deliver his second Spring Statement at an inauspicious time following the House of Commons’ dramatic rejection of the Government’s Brexit deal the previous evening. He commented that: “Last night’s vote leaves a cloud of uncertainty hanging over our […]
Economic Review February 2019
MPs SECURE NO-DEAL BREXIT VETO With less than four weeks until Brexit day, parliamentary gridlock means it remains unclear whether the UK will leave the EU as scheduled, or whether the Brexit process will be postponed, or even completed at all. Although the Prime Minister continues to state her commitment to leaving the EU as planned […]
Economic Review January 2019
ECONOMIC GROWTH STRONGER THAN EXPECTED The UK economy showed signs of resilience during the final quarter of 2017 recording a higher than expected rate of growth, although Brexit concerns still weigh on economic prospects. Official data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests that gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 0.5% in the […]
Property Market Review January 2019
WORKSPACE, CO-WORKING AND SERVICED OFFICE DEMAND REMAINS STRONG In Savills latest ‘Commercial Outlook – Six Trends for 2019,’ it reveals that London was one of the most popular destinations for cross-border commercial property investment between 2016 and 2018. It adds that customer experience is the driving factor and landlords who look after their tenants are […]
Single adults find it hard to save
With more people now living alone than ever before, and the numbers predicted to rise, new research1 shows that single people in Britain are finding it harder to save for retirement than those who are married or co-habiting. More than six million single adults are under-prepared for retirement. The study reveals that just 47% of single […]
Economic Review December 2018
What next in the Brexit saga? With less than three months to the country’s scheduled EU departure, it remains unclear whether the UK will leave with an amicable deal, crash out with no deal or whether the Brexit process will even be completed at all. Following 20 months of arduous negotiations, Theresa May reached agreement […]
Reached your half-century? How to plan for retirement
Once you reach 50, it’s time to get serious about planning your retirement. True, it could still seem ages away, and you may not be thinking of giving up work anytime soon. However, putting a retirement plan together will help you understand what your finances will look like when you decide to take life easy. […]
Half of pensioners plan to work on into retirement
Retirement is a much more fluid concept than it once was. According to a recent survey1, 54% of respondents who were considering working into retirement, or who were already doing so, said they valued the opportunity to keep active in mind and body. Around 8% of those scheduled to retire in 2018 have postponed their […]
What are the main asset classes?
With investing, the old saying ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ rings true. To improve the potential for long-term gains and spread risk, the best advice is to diversify your investment across a range of companies, asset classes and geographical regions. This helps to minimise the impact a poor performing economic region or […]
A majority of Britons are ‘Trend Spenders’
A recent survey2 shows that many of us spend with our hearts rather than our heads. ‘Trend spenders’ don’t feel overly worried about splashing out and are keen to maintain their lifestyle, and are the largest group among the financial personality types. By contrast, less of us are defined as ‘Skilled savers’ and ‘Budget gurus’. […]