For first-time buyers, getting onto the property ladder may seem a daunting process, but there’s more help available than you might think. With supply and demand at an imbalance, the average UK house price has been pushed beyond the reach of many first-time buyers....
Keeping your heart healthy
Dementia and Alzheimers have replaced heart disease as the leading cause of death in England and Wales, but the latter still accounted for 11.5% of all deaths in 2015. In fact, every three minutes someone in the UK has a heart attack and 30% of those are fatal. The...
Britain’s Happiest Places
Leigh-on-Sea tops Rightmove’s Happy at Home Index, with Harrogate dropping to third. Rightmove’s annual study asks 24,000 people across England, Wales and Scotland to rank where they live against 12 factors relating to their local area. The factors range from...
What’s your repayment plan?
Thousands of people with interest-only mortgages expiring this year do not have a repayment plan, putting their homes at serious risk of repossession. 40,000 interest-only mortgages are set to mature in 2016, but experts suggest that only half of these homeowners have...
The Search for a Reliable Retirement Income
The April 2015 pension changes scrapped compulsory annuities, giving pensioners greater choice over how to take their retirement income. In principle, this historic change to UK pension legislation opened up a range of investment opportunities. With increased control...
Risk vs Reward
While homeowners can still benefit from low mortgage rates, savers will be struggling to enjoy any kind of growth on money they have on deposit, leading some to consider a riskier investment. If you're considering investing in the stock market, one crucial and very...
Pack Up Your Troubles
Moving home can be stressful, especially if you’re new to the property ladder. But, by following a few simple tips, you can help ensure your move goes as smoothly as possible. Seek mortgage advice Try and get a mortgage offer in place before you start the buying...
Managing your money as a freelancer or contractor
Research carried out by the Small Business Research Centre at Kingston University revealed there are an estimated 1.9 million freelancers in the UK, representing 36% growth over the past eight years. Almost two thirds of all freelancers work in four main industry...
New State Pension: What’s Your Entitlement?
Between December 2015 and May 2016 around 400,000 people accessed their State Pension statements, a 40% increase on 2015 when there were 400,000 requests in total for the entire year. This significant increase is down to the launch of a new online system which...
Are you considering remortgaging?
With continuing low interest rates, you may be considering remortgaging to save money. Even if your mortgage provider has recently reduced its Standard Variable Rate (SVR), moving to a new mortgage deal could save you money. But before you’re tempted by an attractive...







