Since being launched on 6 April 1999 as successor to PEPs and TESSAs, the Individual Savings Account (ISA) has become an integral part of the UK savings and investment landscape. Worth celebrating By any measure, the humble ISA has been a huge success. The latest HMRC figures show that more than 22 million UK adults […]
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Why home bias’ could mean missing out on investment returns
Does your investment portfolio suffer from too much ‘home bias’? It’s natural for investors to stay close to home when thinking about investing, contemplating well-known UK companies or UK-focused funds rather than looking further afield. But if your portfolio becomes too heavily concentrated in the UK, you risk missing out on valuable diversification benefits and […]
Commercial Property Market Review – July 2024
A report from Carter Jonas indicates some growth in commercial markets recently According to MSCI, annual retail rental growth was 0.9% in May – the highest annual growth rate since 2016. While rental values have grown modestly since 2022, values are still 17% lower than the peak seen in 2018. In the retail warehouse subsector, […]
Residential Property Review – July 2024
A new Labour government – what next for housing? Following the Labour Party’s landslide election win, what changes might be in store for the UK housing market? In the Prime Minister’s introduction to the King’s Speech on 17 July, Sir Keir Starmer stated “Too many people currently live with the threat of insecurity and injustice, […]
Holidaying in peace – check your home insurance
Are you looking forward to a long holiday this summer? Don’t spoil the fun and relaxation; make sure you leave your home fully insured. Inform your insurance provider You may think that it doesn’t make a difference whether you go on holiday for two weeks, a month, or more. However, most insurers require you to […]
In the news
Are you a magpie investor? Almost one in ten (9%) adults are. These so-called magpie investors buy luxury items hoping for an increase in value and an attractive return, according to new research1. The assets invested in include jewellery, watches, collectibles, classic cars, art, wine, whisky, and accessories such as clothes and handbags. Magpie investors […]
Don’t score an own goal: check your pension is protected
Football presenter Jeff Stelling has warned people to be on the ball and check their pension protection in a new campaign by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Every year, the FSCS receives thousands of claims from people who have lost money from their pensions when their financial providers have gone out of business. The […]
Brighter outlook for global economy as inflation eases
At times in the past two years, it seemed to some that inflation would never come down. Double-digit inflation became routine. Now, with price rises back near normal levels, optimism is returning to financial markets. Disinflation diaries Inflation has fallen well below the multi-decade highs witnessed in many countries since 2022. In response, central banks […]
Positive news for UK dividends, but will it continue?
Dividend investors have been rewarded so far in 2024, with payouts from UK shares rising by 4.9% in the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 20231. The data tracks dividend payouts from 900 UK companies and comes as good news for income seekers. Computershare upgraded their headline forecast from […]
Economic Review – June 2024
Prospect of rate cut moves closer While last month once again saw the Bank of England (BoE) leave interest rates unchanged at a 16-year high, the minutes to the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting signalled a notable change in tone and economists now view a rate cut as the most likely outcome when the […]