Striking a balance 

While recent financial challenges have taken their toll on everyone’s pockets, it comes as no surprise that parents are putting concerns about their children’s finances above their own, as highlighted in a recent survey of advisers1.  Over half (55%) of the advisers surveyed noted that adult children were taking priority in clients’ wealth planning at …

BTL landlords ‘retiring’ 

Older buy-to-let (BTL) landlords are selling up in large numbers, new analysis suggests1, leaving a void when they ‘retire’ from the business.  Ageing population  The median age of individual landlords was 58 in 2021, according to the latest English Private Landlord Survey, significantly older than the general population. In contrast, only 15% were under the …

Your retirement – don’t do it a disservice 

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that 90% of those currently in their 30s and 40s are saving less than they need to if they want to have a decent standard of living in retirement. Whilst the IFS researchers found that the current generation of pensioners is doing better than any before it, …

Big changes for holiday lets?

Turning homes into short-term holiday lets could soon require planning permission if new government plans come into force.  Conversion crackdown  The motivation behind plans is to save residents from being pushed out of their towns, the government says. Specifically, the government aims to target the practice of ‘industrialising’ online rental platforms, whereby entire apartment blocks …

HNWIs cutting pension contributions 

Research has highlighted that in an effort to alleviate daily financial pressures, including rising mortgage rates, one third of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) have reduced their pension contributions or intend to do so in the next six months1. Those with assets of £250,000 plus are more likely to have reduced their pension contributions in the last …

Housing stock high 

The number of houses for sale has soared new figures show1, further strengthening the position of buyers.  Supply surge?  Ever since the pandemic days of frenetic buying, demand outstripping supply has been a familiar picture in the UK housing market. As interest rates have risen sharply in the past year, moreover, some potential sellers have …

The benefits of being a new tax year front runner

The longer days of summer are the ideal time to think about what you want for yourself and your family in the future, to set specific financial goals and to benefit from getting plans organised early in the tax year.  Setting your goals  Considering your individual financial goals and developing a financial plan that aligns …

Where are house prices most protected?

In a housing downturn, not all cities and towns are equal. New research1 has highlighted which areas of the UK are the most resilient in the face of falling prices.  On the slide  In January, overall property prices fell for a fifth consecutive month, as the market continued to cool. Sliding prices have been brought …