Category: Articles

Life with a newborn is a world away from a child-free life. The first month alone can put a strain on your finances; from nappies and clothing to feeding equipment, toys and furniture.

COVID restrictions have had a significant impact on people’s ability to work and earn a living, with millions of workers having been furloughed or, even worse, losing their jobs. Many people have had to adapt their way of living now that finances are under considerable strain. We all need to do more to tighten our belts by introducing what might seem small, cost-saving measures on their own, but as a collective, they go a long way and make a significant impact.

But there is a constant and loud demand for policy clarity.

Under-25s are increasingly likely to seek help for debt, according to debt charity StepChange with Buy Now Pay Later schemes such as Klarna cited as problematic for young shoppers.

The research looked at how the wealthy had amassed wealth and what they want to do with the money they have, with some surprising results. Perhaps of most interest in the times of uncertainty with COVID-19, one in five (19%) of those with more than £250,000 in assets said they intended to buy a small business in the future to keep themselves busy, and a further 35% said they are planning on investing in a new business to help kickstart the economy post COVID-19.

Customer sentiment towards 10 of the UK’s biggest high-street and digital-only banks including Starling and Monzo, fell by 7 percentage points during lockdown. While this is a blow for digital-only banks, it should be noted that high-street banks had, and continue to have, a much lower overall sentiment.

New research suggests the stamp duty payment holiday isn’t the only reason Brits can make a saving on a property this month. Watch and sunglasses specialist, Tic Watches, has conducted research and worked with experts to reveal the best time of year to find a bargain for high value products including homes, cars and holidays.

Q2 payouts fell by a third, even after allowing for one-off dividends, takeovers and companies being promoted to the main market. Two fifths of Q2 payers cancelled dividends outright and another tenth cut them, though some of the causes pre-dated Covid-19.

Retirement planning is one of the most important financial goals, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. For a successful and secure retirement, Granville Turner, Director at Company Formation Specialists, Turner Little, shares his five retirement planning mistakes to avoid.

The UK business sector as a whole needs both more financial support for the alternative lending sector which is working together with traditional banks but also more sustainable initiatives to support SMEs in more resilient sectors from the Bank of England as we come to terms with an increasingly capital hungry economy.

Gold prices continue to rally this month as the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 continues. The precious metal closed at a little above $2,000 (£1523.05) on August 5th - a record high in the history of gold. Its earlier record peak was in 2011, a few years into the global financial crisis, when investors pushed the price of gold past the $1,900 (£1446.90) threshold.

With growing levels of unpredictability around how the pandemic will unfold, there is a societal expectation that access to comprehensive digital services will continue and improve. This expectation is particularly prominent in the banking industry, which rolled out an expanded range of digital services during the early stages of the pandemic to enable customers to manage their finances safely from home.

Throughout history, whisky has proven a reliable investment even in time’s of economic decline. Whisky proved a popular choice during the Great Depression, and recent market behaviour would suggest that ‘liquid gold’ will continue to have significant financial gain despite the current climate.

Tax is a subject close to the hearts of most individuals, and business owners. 3 terms frequently used in conversations around tax savings are tax avoidance, tax evasion and tax efficiency.

The most common uses of fintech have been checking one’s accounts (88%), transferring money (80%), closing or withdrawing funds out of an investment (35%) and shopping around for new financial products (27%).

We've all dreamed about a blissful retirement, spending more time with the people we love, in places we love and doing things we love. But is it just a pipe dream, or are you financially prepared for the life you wish to lead?

Marc SYZ, managing partner of SYZ Capital, highlights ten warning signals that encapsulate the deteriorating fundamentals and illustrate the potential long-term alpha opportunities for alternative investors.

The first ever financial education textbook to hit Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be rolled out over the next 15 months.

Millennials tend to be good savers, at least compared to other generations. However, millennials still struggle with investing, often because they feel they don’t know enough about the market. However, it’s never too late to invest in your understanding.

The south is home to eight of the top ten areas with the highest credit scores in the country according to new analysis by Share to Buy.

While fears of a second wave of coronavirus bring renewed volatility to Europe and the US, investors are looking East for reassurance. China, which entered the pandemic three months ahead of the rest of the world – and now boasts positive economic growth – offers a useful template for the trajectory of the rest of the world.

The Coronavirus lockdown decimated economies all over the planet, but while some stock markets are showing signs of recovery, the UK’s FTSE 100 is taking longer to bounce back.

Auditing finances can sometimes feel like a huge chore, and things may have been forgotten about or pushed to the bottom of the to-do list during the pandemic. Here are some very easy and quick 10-minute money challenges that people can do in order to get their finances back on track if things have started to get out of control.

As we head through the agreed Brexit transition period, many questions remain. One of these uncertainties is that there's no definitive answer whether by 2nd January 2021, a deal will be in place. One of the key areas of concern is what effect Brexit will have on the standing of sterling as, inevitably, the currency will be affected.

Men over the age of 75 receive £114 a week more from their pension income than women of the same age, according to a new report.

A good reputation, hard won, can be ruined in moments. Never have those words been more true than in this strange new “normal”.

The UK Furlough Scheme is providing fixed wages to the employees who would have otherwise been unemployed

Joint research by the multi-asset investment platform and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) shows those fortunate enough to have more discretionary income during lockdown are on course to save an average of £1,434 each in the three months to June

As the name suggests, cryptocurrencies are an emerging currency based on cryptography. Bitcoin is the most famous example, but new ones are being launched all the time.

The coronavirus crisis and subsequent lockdown have finally given real clarity on how to evaluate companies’ ability to tackle social issues, “crystallising” what the S in ESG really means, according to Bas NieuweWeme CEO of Aegon Asset Management

Investors who ignore so-called “value stocks” are at risk of missing out on good long-term gains, RWC Partner’s Ian Lance warns.

Yiannis Faf, CEO, What We Want The spread of coronavirus has caused an incredible amount of disruption to lives and economies worldwide. The British Government has taken far-reaching steps in an effort to minimise the impact on the UK in both regards, by encouraging the population to practise isolating. Such a massive overhaul of day-to-day […]

There are plenty of factors that contribute to making someone a successful trader.

Acquisition of Bank am Bellevue receives regulatory approval and successfully closes

Wealth managers are there to seek counsel and guidance with your investment funds. Like a critical friend, they are there to help with strategy and suggest solutions to any financial queries. But what if your wealth manager is not helping you meet your financial goals? What are your options?

There has been a radical shift in client’s behaviour towards portfolio construction. No longer is there a requirement for costly active portfolios and instead, many would rather opt for passive low-cost investment products. With a range of advisors providing this offering, the market has become fiercely competitive.