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Enjoying your happy and healthy retirement

As people are living longer, retirement planning increasingly spans multiple decades, giving a large window to prepare As priorities, health and spending needs change, review plans regularly to keep the right balance Retirement planning is about much more than money. A well-planned retirement should support your broader life goals With a clear sense of purpose, […]

A new shape to homeownership

First-time buyers are now entering the market later than previous generations, around age 33 on average Longer mortgage terms and later entry naturally lead to borrowing extended well into later life Refinancing is now popular for older borrowers. Many are remortgaging to secure better rates or release equity The traditional journey of buying a home, […]

Why is life insurance back in focus?

Pension tax efficiency needs to be considered as it will start to fall within IHT from April 2027 Life insurance can play a valuable role by providing a lump sum on death to help cover the tax bill Acting early can help ensure that any cover is affordable and increase your options Changes to Inheritance […]

News in Review

The Chancellor has acknowledged financial conditions are difficult but his “first priority” is to control borrowing and reduce pressure However, UK business confidence reached a five-month high last month, increasing to 53%, the highest level since March The UK manufacturing sector stalled slightly last month, but there was moderate expansion of the overall service sector […]

Retirement planning for the self-employed

Three in five self-employed workers could be missing out on crucial peace of mind and tax benefits Making regular contributions can be more achievable and build a bigger retirement pot than waiting for ‘surplus’ income Retirement saving can be more complex for self-employed workers. It’s never too late to improve retirement readiness Around 40% of […]

Remortgaging on the rise

Remortgage applications have risen sharply as pandemic-era fixed deals come to an end Shorter-term mortgage fixes are gaining popularity in uncertain interest rate conditions Landlords are increasingly refinancing to improve returns and release equity Remortgaging is firmly back in focus. Recent analysis1 shows applications surged by around 45% in Q1 2026, driving overall mortgage activity […]

Positive momentum in protection – but gaps remain

Data shows that around £21.9m is paid out daily in protection claims – a 10% increase in individual claim value There are also encouraging signs among younger consumers. Many are locking in lower premiums early While the trend is positive, protection should be part of a wider plan with the right level of cover in […]

News in Review

In August, home searches were up 7%, marking the strongest annual increase in 12 months According to a trade body survey, 37% of the hospitality sector believes the new government will provide a boost Retail sales volumes fell further last month, with activity falling from a weighted balance of -26% in July to -48% in […]

Keep your cool in the housing market

Organisation and preparation are key to helping reduce stress throughout the homebuying journey Realistic budgeting and taking account of all costs helps avoid affordability issues and unexpected expenses Future planning can prevent the need for repeating the whole process again too soon and resulting in an unexpected move Few people imagine buying a house to […]

Economic Review – August 2026

Recent data shows the UK second-quarter growth was more resilient than anticipated – 0.4% growth The latest Labour Market Overview published by ONS in August painted a muted picture of the UK jobs market According to ONS, consumer spending slowed as the volume of goods sold fell by 0.5% over the month UK second-quarter growth […]