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, […]
Author archives: servicedemoevolvesites
Summer retirement round-up – developing a coherent strategy
The last few years have created an increasingly complex backdrop for retirement planning. Not only has the post-pandemic era seen attitudes to work alter significantly, but macro-economic headwinds from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have created significant unhelpful market volatility. In combination, this has inevitably heightened the need for everyone to engage […]
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 […]
Economic Review – July 2023
UK inflation rate declines Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK inflation rate fell by more than expected in June, leading analysts to predict that interest rates are now likely to rise less sharply than previously feared. The latest inflation statistics revealed that the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate […]
Residential Property Review – July 2023
RICS survey shows demand falling Activity in the residential sales market deteriorated in June, according to the latest UK Residential Survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with negative net balance readings returned across many indicators. New buyer enquiries fell to a net balance of -45%, compared to -20% recorded in May, the […]
Commercial Property Review – July 2023
H1 hotel investment The latest Knight Frank analysis of the UK hotel sector shows that transaction volumes were around £860m in H1 2023, 60% below investment volumes for the same period one year earlier. There is a challenging environment in the UK, reflective of the macro-economic environment, with sluggish GDP growth. Some deals have […]
Home Finance – In the news
Apartment sales drive recovery Agreed residential sales have returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time since September 20221. The number of sales in March 2023 was only 1% behind March 2019, with the recovery largely driven by sales of apartments, which are now 10% above 2019 levels. In total, agreed sales remain 18% below […]
Money – In the news
National Insurance (NI) gap If you want to boost your State Pension and plug a gap in your NI record, the government has just extended the deadline for doing so from 31 July 2023 to 5 April 2025. The government has been allowing eligible people to retrospectively build up their April 2006 to April 2016 […]
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 […]
