Financial Planning

Do you have a rainy day fund? If you don’t, it is time to think again—because exactly where you hold your cash matters just as much as how much you save. A common piece of basic financial advice is that you should have enough of a cash reserve to cover at least three...

So Much for 2% Inflation on the Horizon… The war with Iran has dashed hopes of inflation falling steadily back to its target level, serving as a stark reminder of how quickly global events can disrupt local economies. The Bank of England’s Optimistic Outlook When the...

House Prices Versus Inflation: The 10-Year Reality Check It is a common belief that "bricks and mortar" are an infallible investment, but the data over the last decade suggests a more complex reality. When we look at the figures from January 2016 to January 2026, a...

"How long am I going to live?" is a question that carries more weight the older we get. While many turn to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) life expectancy calculator for a quick answer, the raw numbers often mask a more complex reality. For a one-year-old...

The government quietly revealed unexpected tax changes in late December, at a time when most of the public attention was elsewhere. The timing brought to mind the famous political saying: “a good day to bury bad news.” More than twenty years on, this strategy of...

That familiar time of year has arrived again. As 2026 begins, how will you balance your finances in the year ahead? With New Year’s Day falling on a Thursday, many people will not return to work until Monday 5 January. That extended break offers a rare opportunity —...

The Autumn 2025 Budget risked becoming a “winter Budget”, arriving at the latest possible opportunity on 26 November after a prolonged and rumour-filled run-up. This marked the Chancellor’s second Budget. Her first, delivered on 30 October 2024, followed early...

A Growing Issue for Millions of Young Adults HMRC’s latest data reveals that the total value of unclaimed Child Trust Funds (CTFs) has climbed to more than £1.5 billion. With hundreds of thousands of accounts now matured — but untouched — the scale of the problem...

With changes to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) expected in the Autumn Budget, one variant has come under heavy criticism from the Treasury Select Committee: the Lifetime ISA (LISA). The Origins of the Lifetime ISA A Product of George Osborne’s Final Budget The...

Understanding Retirement Living Standards Determining the ideal income for a comfortable retirement is a common concern. Every year since 2019, the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), in collaboration with Loughborough University, publishes crucial...

Inflation & Rising Rates Expose HMRC's Capacity Issues Over the past several years, a consistent strategy employed by successive governments to boost tax revenue has been the freezing of tax allowances and bands. This approach, coupled with rising inflation that...

The Office for National Statistics has taken a fresh look at our mortality. Source: ONS Roughly every two years, stories in the media tell us how many children will live to the age of 100. The latest projections are that 11.5% of boys and 17.9% of girls born in 2023...