According to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA)1, a ‘moderate’ standard of living that includes £55 per week on groceries, a two-week all-inclusive holiday, £10 a week on takeaways and £100 a month to take others out for a meal, could cost a single person £31,300 a year, which is £8,000 more than last […]
Author archives: servicedemoevolvesites
Investor confidence returns
Increased investor confidence in equity funds over the last few months has been evidenced by a leading Index1, with UK investors at their most bullish in almost three years. Equity fund inflows reached £2.01bn in January, one of the top ten months on record and the highest since April 2021. In addition, the January Index […]
Spring Budget overlooks first-time buyers
It was a disappointing Spring Budget for anyone looking to get onto the housing ladder. There were no announcements on Lifetime ISAs, no changes to Stamp Duty thresholds, no replacement for Help to Buy and the Chancellor had already scrapped plans for 99% loan-to-value (LTV) mortgages after resistance from the banking community. A deafening silence […]
Economic Review – March 2024
Short-term growth forecasts upgraded New economic predictions produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) suggest the UK economy is set to grow by more than previously expected over the course of the next two years. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled the independent fiscal watchdog’s latest forecasts during his Spring Budget delivered to the House of […]
News in Review
“Another month of growth for UK car production is welcome news” New data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed that UK car production increased by 14.6% in February, marking the six consecutive month of growth in the sector and the best February performance since 2021. Almost 80,000 units were manufactured […]
What could this election year have in store for investors?
If elections have consequences, as Barack Obama said, then 2024 looks like being a highly consequential year. Some 64 countries are due to hold elections this year (including the US, India, Brazil, Russia and very probably the UK), representing over half of the global population and, in economic terms, half of the world’s gross domestic […]
A plan to grow the economy
With the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicting the UK economy will expand by 0.8% this year, and by 1.9% in 2025, Jeremy Hunt delivered his last Spring Budget ahead of the General Election, highlighting reforms aimed to ensure the tax system is simple, fair, keeps pace with economic developments, and supports public finances. Expectations […]
News in Review
“We have turned a corner after the shocks of the past few years” Inflation has fallen to its lowest level in almost two and a half years, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) increased by 3.4% in the 12 month period to February […]
Residential Property Review – March 2024
RICS responds to the Spring Budget The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released a statement in response to the Spring Budget. On 6 March, the Chancellor announced that twenty more towns will join the Long-Term Plan for Towns, each receiving £20m. RICS was supportive of this investment, as well as the government’s deeper […]
Commercial Property Review – March 2024
Commercial property industry largely disappointed by the Spring Budget The Chancellor’s Spring Budget has been mostly met with disappointment from the commercial property industry, with many experts left wanting a stronger financial commitment to the sector’s development. Jeremy Hunt announced that Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) on Stamp Duty Land Tax in England and Northern Ireland will […]
