Latest News

15-August-2017 Saving for your first deposit while renting can be difficult – even with the help of Government-backed schemes such as the Help to Buy ISA and Lifetime ISA (LISA). With soaring houses, getting a foot on the housing ladder is becoming increasingly tough. It is therefore unsurprising that some tenants have turned to alterative […]

4-August-2017 A group of new-build home owners is planning legal action against developers and solicitors for the mis-selling of leasehold properties. Housing developers accused of mis-selling new properties are braced for legal action after locking buyers into leases with spiraling ground rent charges. The Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, this week announced plans to prevent homebuilders […]

31-July-2017 An innovative trial in North Wales has revealed a new weapon in fighting dementia, toddlers. Following a successful experiment in a North Wales day care centre, councils and retirement home owners in England and Wales are experimenting with sharing care for the very young and the very old. Amazing results Six pre-school children joined […]

29-June-2017 Record-breaking receipts from Inheritance Tax (IHT) boost treasury coffers. HMRC collected £5.1bn from Inheritance Tax bills over the last 12 months, records show. This is the first time that inheritance tax bills have broken through the £5bn barrier within a single year. Why are Inheritance Tax bills rising? Once the reserve of the super-rich, […]

20-June-2017 The Green Deal which was shelved in 2015 has now returned and homeowners will once again be able to finance energy efficient improvements with a fixed-term loan on attractive terms. The original Green Deal was launched by the Government in 2013 with loans available for home improvements that made properties more energy efficient. These […]

30-May-2017 The death of popular Blue Peter presenter, John Noakes, is a timely reminder of the devastating effect of dementia. Noakes was a stalwart of children’s television in the 70s and 80s. During his 12 years on Blue Peter, he climbed Nelson’s Column without a safety net and completed a record-breaking free-fall parachute jump. But […]

26-May-2017 Some families struggling to cope with the death of a loved one will be hit by a 55% tax on death-in-service payments intended to help support the surviving partner. Many workplace pension schemes include a death-in-service clause which , if an employee dies, will allow the surviving partner to take a lump sum. This […]

24-May-2017 An expert on social care believes the Tories’ care proposals could leave Local Authorities millions in debt. Luke Clements, Professor of Law and Social Justice at Leeds University, believes that Councils will have to demand extra funding from the Treasury to cover the cost of allowing care fees to be deferred until death. Professor […]

7-April-2017 With climbing house prices and more stringent mortgage criteria, it’s no wonder that more children than ever before are having to rely on the bank of Mum and Dad – or the bank of Granddad and Grandma. According to the Social Mobility Commission, over 30% of first time buyers are dependent on gifts from […]

27-March-2017 Last week the Supreme Court ruled against a daughter who challenged her mother’s right to leave her entire estate to animal charities. The case concerned Heather Ilott who took action after her mother, who had died in 2004, left the majority of her £486,000 estate to three animal charities. The daughter had been estranged […]

22-March-2017 The death of a loved one can often lead to financial hardship for their partner and family, particularly if there are young children to support. It may therefore come as a surprise that the Government plans to introduce yet further measures that will hit those already struggling to cope with their loss. Widowed Parent’s […]

9-March-2017 While those with dementia need financial support more than those without, there are no rules to prevent financial advisers from selling products to them. Advisers are entitled to contact those suffering from dementia or other conditions common in old age, advertise their products and sign up new clients, regardless of their mental health. Last […]

6-March-2017 The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the fees charged for probate on some estates will increase by nearly £20,000. The Government recently concluded a consultation on the matter which saw less than 2% of respondents in favour of the increase. Just 13 of the 831 respondents to the consultation backed the proposals, and […]

1-March-2017 New rules come into force today aimed at curbing the use of mobile phones while driving. Anyone caught tweeting, filming, or talking on a hand-held device while driving face six points on their licence and a £200 fine. Newly qualified drivers risk having their licence revoked if they accrue six points within two years […]

27-February-2017 Buy-to-let landlords have found a way around strict new rules that restrict how much they can borrow – by taking a lengthier loan. The Bank of England’s Prudential Regulation Authority set out the stricter lending rules in September of last year and these were implemented by lenders in January. Lenders now require that landlords […]

17-February-2017 A new type of therapy has been shown to be effective in treating Alzheimer’s for patients in the early or middle stages of the disease. The “NeuroAD” therapy, developed by Neuronix, involves ‘magnetic brain-training’ and is thought to help patients forge new pathways around the damaged areas in the brain. A series of studies […]

13-February-2017 The Government’s new white paper, ‘Fixing our broken housing market’, includes proposed initiatives to help the over-55s downsize from under-occupied family homes. It is hoped that by encouraging older people to move to a more suitable property, the initiatives could free up thousands of homes for younger generations. According to research, 3.4 million pensioners’ […]

30-January-2017 The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) – the safety net for savers – has raised its compensation limit from £75,000 to £85,000 for individual accounts and £150,000 to £170,000 on joint accounts. The FSCS was set up under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and became active on 1 December 2001. It provides […]

3-January-2017 During Christmas, many of us spend a little more than we should – and the New Year is the perfect time to get our finances back on track. These 10 financial New Year’s Resolutions are the ideal way to improve your financial fitness for the year ahead. 1. Consider Lisa in April Who on […]

30-December-2016 Changes to tax have hampered the Buy to Let market in the South but for landlords in the North of England the figures still stack up. Changes to stamp duty With the last April’s changes to stamp duty tax, times are tough for buy-to-let investors. Buy to let mortgage lenders are cutting the amount […]