The pandemic has affected almost everyone in myriad ways, whether medically, socially or financially; its death toll has been appalling and overshadows all other consequences. The vast majority have fortunately come through the pandemic, but the speed of recovery from its consequences has been variable. Medically, many patients have recovered well, but some with prolonged …
Author archives: servicedemoevolvesites
Do you know your home’s true worth?
Most people have a rough estimate in their head of how much they could sell their home for if they ever decided to move – but how accurate is it? In a survey1, nearly half (45%) of homeowners undervalued their property by £46,305 on average, while 25% overestimated by an average of £44,313, with under …
Residential Property Review – September 2021
Signs of solidity in UK housing market After reaching record highs in June, the housing market is now ‘taking a breather‘, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors’ (RICS) August survey. New buyer enquiries fell for a second consecutive month, with the latest net balance dropping to -14%. Despite this slip in demand, supply …
Continue reading “Residential Property Review – September 2021”
Property Market Review – September 2021
Robust figures for commercial property market Commercial property investment volumes reached £31.4bn at the end of July, according to the most recent UK Commercial Market in Minutes report from Savills. This was 32% above the same period in 2020 and 4% higher than the five-year average. Savills also noted a promising rise in the three-month …
Rising inheritances and deficit may hasten IHT change
In 2018, Chancellor Philip Hammond asked the Office of Tax Simplification to review Inheritance Tax1. However, subsequent events have meant that the tax regime for transfers of wealth between generations has not been revised, though Mr Hammond’s next-but-one successor Rishi Sunak could yet dust-off two OTS reports2. A big deficit caused by the pandemic points …
Continue reading “Rising inheritances and deficit may hasten IHT change”
‘Secret accounts’ slow the probate process
According to the first Bereavement Index from probate software specialist Exizent1, many people fail to put their financial affairs in order before they die, leaving behind a ‘financial mess’ and a stressful experience for those tasked with administering their estate. The Index revealed that one in seven (14%) of those tasked with gathering the assets …
Continue reading “‘Secret accounts’ slow the probate process”
Taking the emotion (and colour!) out of investment decisions
The psychology of investing is fascinating. There are so many behavioural traps that investors may find themselves falling into as markets fluctuate and knee jerk reactions take hold. The anchoring trap is a prime example, where investors over rely on their perceptions of an investment which may be totally incorrect, rather than being flexible in …
Continue reading “Taking the emotion (and colour!) out of investment decisions”
Economic Review – August 2021
Strong second quarter growth The latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed that the UK economy grew strongly in the second quarter, although more recent survey evidence does suggest the recovery is losing momentum. Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed the economy grew by 4.8% in the second quarter of this …
Equity release availability hits record high
The number of equity release products on the market is the highest it has ever been, with rates over two percentage points lower than five years ago. Data1 shows that the number of equity release products now exceeds 500 – the highest on record. The analysis also reveals that the maximum available LTV has remained …
Continue reading “Equity release availability hits record high”
Social media and the younger investor
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is concerned about the influence social media is having on younger investors, who it believes are taking on significant financial risks. This younger, more diverse group of investors, it said, is highly reliant on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok for investment tips and advice, but lacks …
