Third of retirees financially supporting family
A third of potential retirees continue to financially support their families, with regular handouts amounting to more than £3,700 a year1. Those planning to retire expect an average income of £20,663, but anticipate around a fifth of this (£3,700) will be used to support the finances of younger family members. This equates to £311 a […]
The best time to sell your home
We’re all relieved that spring is here – it’s been a long, difficult winter. But for sellers, there’s some good news: spring to early summer has historically been the best time of year to put your house on the market1. Where flowers bloom, so does hope Spring is traditionally an optimistic time of year, buoying […]
The world’s happiest retirees
A study1 suggests Helsinki is the happiest place to live out retirement. The analysis also found that people typically need a pension pot worth around £225,000 to retire comfortably in one of the world’s happiest cities. Retirement heaven In order to rank cities from across the globe, a ‘happiness index’ was calculated, based on findings […]
A little more than a year after coronavirus hit our shores…
COVID support understandably featured front and centre of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s second Budget on 3 March, in what is an extraordinary and challenging time for the UK and global economies. The Chancellor’s pledge to “continue doing whatever it takes” set the tone for proceedings, with the statement centring around a three-point plan offering support for […]
What did the 2021 Budget have to say about housing?
Rishi Sunak stood up on Wednesday 3 March to give his highly anticipated Budget speech to the House of Commons. While other coronavirus support measures were first on the agenda, the Chancellor’s speech also revealed some important housing measures. Extension of Stamp Duty holiday The Chancellor announced a three-month extension of the temporary £500,000 nil […]
Hopes of a “swifter and more sustained economic recovery”
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his second Budget on 3 March, which centred on a three-part plan to continue supporting people and businesses through the pandemic, to fix public finances once recovery is underway and to lay the foundations for the future economy. The Chancellor opened his statement by revealing the latest predictions […]
Key Points Spring Budget 2021
Job support Furlough scheme extended until 30 September 2021 – the government will continue to pay 80% of employees’ wages up to £2,500 a month until the end of June, employers then pay a 10% contribution in July, rising to 20% in August and September The Self Employment Support Scheme also extended until the end […]
Mortgages: A brief history
To reach their dream of homeownership, most aspiring buyers depend on being offered a mortgage. In Q2 2020, the outstanding value of all residential mortgage loans had reached a staggering £1,513.3bn1. But where did it all start? Pre-1900s Estimates of homeownership are sketchy prior to the 20th century, but data from 1831 has led to […]
How much space can £231k buy you?
A study1 has revealed that, based on the UK’s average house price of £231,000, the West Midlands is the UK region with the most living space. Many properties in this region have around 30% more space than average at 104.92 sq m. Buyers can also expect to benefit from a higher-than- average number of bedrooms […]
Struggling to save for retirement? Try this tip
More than ever, UK savers are struggling to prioritise their pension, with over half saying they are likely to review or reduce their pension contributions in the wake of the pandemic1. It’s true that it can be easy to think of pension contributions as a drain on your resources. And yet, despite travel restrictions, Britons […]