Welcome to our blogs which relate to the financial services you may be interested in from mortgages to pensions; protection to auto-enrolment and many more. So why not grab a drink and enjoy the read.
The Government has confirmed that the normal minimum pension age will rise to 57 in 2028. This intention was originally included in the pension freedoms consultation paper in 2014 (see wording below) but wasn’t then passed into the subsequent legislation. The government… proposes to increase the age at which an individual can take their private pension savings at the same
The rise of Environmental, Social and Governance Investing. The impact companies have in terms of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors are becoming more important to investors. They are taking an interest in how their investments affect the world around them. What is the official definition of ESG? Over the last few years, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has started
With the introduction of the stamp duty holiday, the property market is booming, with sales in October up 52 per cent on last year, but property surveyors, mortgage lenders, conveyancing lawyers and local authorities are all now buckling under the sheer weight of demand. The current stamp duty holiday runs until 31st March 2021, so any house purchase will need
Investing according to environmental, social and governance principles (ESG) has been a fast growth area, according to figures, UK-based ESG funds saw record inflows between March and July 2020, with £362m invested in July alone. The acronym, ESG, refers to three key factors used by investment companies to evaluate corporate behaviour: Environmental criteria – such as; carbon emissions, waste management
Child Trust Funds (CTFs) are long-term tax-free savings accounts that were set up by the government for every child born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011. Over 6 million CTFs were opened, with the first of these maturing in September 2020. Every year between now and January 2029, the government estimate that 800,000 18-year-olds will receive access to
The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has published a report examining the growing problem of small deferred pension pots and how the issue might be addressed. The number of deferred pension pots in the UK is likely to rise from 8m in 2020 to around 27m in 2035. Member charges often erode small, deferred member pots over time and small pots
When the Individual Savings Account (ISA) was launched in 1999, the allowance was £3,000 for a Cash ISA or £7,000 for a Stocks and Shares ISA each tax year. Now at the grand old age of 21, the overall allowance has risen to a generous £20,000. In the early days, choice was limited to either a Cash ISA or a
When the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, life and accident insurance companies lost $3,464,111, according to a contemporary article published in The Shore Press. The accident led to some of the largest insurance payouts ever, with the beneficiaries of business magnate John B. Thayer receiving a total accident insurance payout of $120,000 (equivalent to around $3.2m
In recent weeks, there has been an 800% rise in Brits searching for ‘Staycation UK’, as the uncertainty surrounding international travel during the pandemic continues to prevail. Appreciating what you already have… Destinations such as Plymouth, the Isle of Wight and Exeter are expected to recover quickly due to the staycation tourism boost, according to new research. It would seem
If so, you’re part of 37% of the UK population who managed to put away more money during lockdown, as daily expenditure on commuting and leisure activities dramatically decreased. What’s more, it looks like Britain’s growing army of savers are here to stay, with 36% stating they aim to keep cutting costs post-lockdown. Could savings rates harm your goals? Unfortunately,