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BRICKS AND MORTAR Becoming a landlord has been an attractive proposition for anyone who could raise a deposit, thanks to a prolonged period of low borrowing costs and generally rising property values. The housing market, helped by the temporary cut to stamp duty, has performed much better than expected over the past year, with prices […]

State pensions and the National Living Wage both increased in April. April is the month when state benefits are uprated – unless they are subject to a freeze. It is also the month when the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) are increased. In 2021, many social security benefits rose by 0.5%, […]

A recent survey of people who have or plan to retire in 2021 provides interesting insights, whatever your intended retirement year. The average age of people planning to retire in 2021 is 60, according to a recently published survey by investment manager, Standard Life Aberdeen. That is six years before current state pension age, which […]

The role of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) has changed since they were launched over 20 years ago, so are they still worth having? Since ISAs were introduced in April 1999 the ISA portfolio has been extended to include: Junior ISAs (for the under-18s). Help to Buy ISAs (no longer on sale). Innovative Finance ISAs (for […]

One of the last decade’s more infamous financial scandals has finally reached a conclusion. The name of London Capital & Finance Plc (LCF) sounds impressive, but the business behind it was anything but. In the late 2010s, LCF issued ‘mini-bonds’, raising capital from individual investors to lend on to small businesses. LCF offered rates of […]

Fraudsters are poised to target the British public with ticketing, travel and health insurance scams as consumers look to book in much-needed social activities as lockdown restrictions ease, warns UK Finance. The scam alert comes as the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign publishes guidance below on how consumers can protect themselves in the lead-up […]