How will retailers have to adapt to Christmas under Covid?
23-11-2020Our first, and hopefully last, Christmas period to be directly affected by the pandemic will present new challenges. With all non-essential retail prohibited until the 2nd of December, this will be a Christmas defined by online sales. The reduction of footfall to zero is a challenge in itself and other stumbling blocks are likely to…
Three of the best Autumn holiday destinations in the UK
07-10-2020After quarantine measures were imposed during August for returnees from several European countries including France and Spain, many will be looking to stay closer to home for their autumn breaks. While the UK doesn’t offer the 30 degree October sunshine that you can find in the Algarve or Costa Blanca, there are plenty of stunning…
Britain’s stunning National Parks you might not have visited
07-10-2020Considering how small and densely populated the UK is, we are blessed with some amazing natural beauty. There are 15 national parks in total: 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. Each national park has its own distinct beauty and character, drawing visitors from around the globe. From the Cairngorms’ rugged mountains…
House prices have rebounded, but is it a “false dawn”?
07-10-2020At first glance, recent figures from the housing markets appear wholly positive. During July, Nationwide reported a 1.7% leap in prices. However, the country’s largest building society warned of a “false dawn” when they announced these figures. They highlighted that much of the rise can be attributed to pent-up demand and people deciding they want…
New Job Support Scheme, leaves out pensions.
02-10-2020It has been confirmed, that the new Job Support Scheme by HM Treasury, will not cover employer pension contributions, raising questions and concerns about how employers will comply with auto-enrolment obligations. Under the new scheme, pension contributions or class one employer national insurance will not be covered, and remain payable by the employer. In the…
Pandemic Property Purchases
02-10-2020First-time buyers, often cited as the lifeblood of the UK housing market, are becoming less likely to buy a home than movers. The times are changing, and researchers have predicted that movers are more likely to buy than first-time buyers. Property portal, Zoopla reported for more than a year the highest proportion of sales was…
Cash-stricken areas are looking for alternative bank branches, could churches be the answer?
24-09-2020The closure of cash machines and bank branches has led to losses for local firms and left consumers feeling concerned. As time goes on and we drift more into a cashless society, access to cash is becoming more of a concern. Trials across eight locations have been confirmed as part of a project to solve…
Tuition Fees – will the Government refund tuition fees if teaching’s now mostly online?
24-09-2020With an expected second wave of Coronavirus on the horizon, or as speculated, already here; many students starting University have found themselves in an unusual position. Anyone who has attended University has no doubt regaled plenty of stories of Freshers week, but with the pandemic restrictions in place, freshers at university will have a different…
Student Finance: What You Need to Know
15-09-2020If you’re starting university this September, it’s time to get to grips with your finances. When you’ve spent the first eighteen years of your life living in the family home, university offers that first taste of independence and freedom. It’s important to plan how you’re going to fund your new adventure, so we’ve rounded up everything…
Did Lockdown Change Our Personalities?
14-09-2020There wasn’t just one lockdown – each person had their own unique experience over the three and a half months that were unlike any before. Some were involuntarily forced into months of solitude, while others were holed up in close contact with family members. For some it was a chance to slow down while for…
Nationwide vs The Bank of Mum and Dad?
12-09-2020The effects of the so-called ‘Stamp Duty Holiday’ have dominated the recent property news. According to Rightmove, recent weeks have seen the highest number of agreed house sales in a single month since it started tracking them a decade ago. However, there has been some slightly less positive news that will affect many first time buyers…
How to Make More Ethical Spending Choices
10-09-2020The feeling of doing something that might help to make the world a better place is profoundly satisfying. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, a disaster which has heightened existing inequalities and accelerated poverty across the world, the time is right for all of us to find ways we can live more ethically. If…