Pension changes: Government plans to let pensioners sell their annuities on a new secondary market have been universally criticised February 18, 2016 Pensioners will be able to sell on their annuities from next year, swapping regular income payments for a lump sum. It’s part of government plans to give greater freedom to the 5m pensioners who are already living with annuities. Some may be regretting their choice, and the idea of a fat lump sum instead of [...]
FTSE 100 traders catch breath, but oil prices still raising temperatures on steady day for markets April 4, 2016 It was easy-going on the stock markets today as investors caught a rare breather after a 2016 which has already had more than its fair share of twists and turns. The FTSE 100 closed the day up a modest 0.27 per cent at 6,164, though it was a day of up-and-down as an unconvincing mid-morning assault on last week's summit [...]
Focus On Southfields: This south west London suburb is bucking the London property trend ahead of Wimbledon June 2, 2016 If you went down to Southfields today, you’d be in for a big surprise. Buying London property is hardly a teddy bear’s picnic at the best of times, but as buyers rush to the leafier outskirts in search of more affordable property, outer boroughs that were once overlooked are finding they’re in high demand. London [...]
Cheers: The UK guzzles more champagne than (almost) any other nation March 8, 2016 Forget global volatility – it seems Britons are ready to splash their cash, after new figures confirmed the UK is the world's largest export market for bubbly – and it's growing fast. Champagne shipments to the UK grew 4.5 per cent by volume last year, three times the rate of growth for the world as a whole, according [...]
London and the south-east see record-breaking spike in rents June 18, 2015 Estate agents are urging housebuilders to look south, as the national average rent reaches its highest point since records began. Rents across the UK are now 4.5 per cent higher than a year ago, with London and the south-east rising faster than anywhere else, according to the latest Your Move and Reeds Rains Buy-to-Let [...]
General Election 2015: The property market is freaking out at the prospect of a Labour government May 5, 2015 The property market is terrified of Labour-led government, one of the UK's largest property search websites has suggested, thanks to the prospect of falling house prices and rising interest rates. More on this story: How Tony Blair presided over the biggest rise in UK house prices in recent history According to Zoopla, Labour's policies on [...]
Classic cars are becoming one of the UK’s best investments – but which ones should you be buying? June 9, 2016 With equities currently more volatile than Sarah Wollaston's views on the EU, and gold all over the place, it's no wonder an increasing number of people is turning to classic cars as an investment. New research suggests one in five people are now considering splashing out on a vintage set of wheels. And British marques [...]
London rents climb higher as affordability falls across the UK July 14, 2015 London rents increased in the three months ending June, new figures show, as housing affordability continues to decline. Average London rents were 4.5 per cent higher over the period compared with the same period last year, according to figures released today from Rightmove. UK rents excluding London climbed 4.2 per cent. Rightmove’s head of lettings [...]
Rising UK house prices: 31 is the average age for buying a first home, and it rarely happens without parental support June 14, 2015 The average age for Britons to buy their first homes is now 31, up from 28 in 1995 according to Halifax figures. Over the last 20 years properties have mostly trebled in value from around £61,500 to £196,000, and they are predicted to go up another 25 per cent over he next five years due [...]
Tata will start a formal sales process by Monday for its UK business after Javid hails “constructive and positive meeting” in Mumbai April 6, 2016 Indian steel giant Tata will kick off the formal sales process of the its UK business on Monday its been announced by business secretary Sajid Javid following emergency talks in India. Javid hailed the meeting as "constructive and positive". He yesterday held meetings with steel unions and the only party that's publicly expressed interest in Tata's Port Talbot steelworks, Liberty [...]