Our VouchedFor ‘Top Rated’ Financial Advisers 2021
12-04-20212021 VouchedFor Awards VouchedFor published their ‘Top Rated’ advisers on Saturday 10th April in The Times newspaper. We are delighted to announce that both James Richards and Paul Glover have been recognised as Top Rated Financial Advisers by VouchedFor, for the second year running. VouchedFor is an independent service that lets you find, rate and…
Can the British High Street be Saved?
15-02-2021Back in 2018 Mike Ashley, owner of Sports Direct and other high street brands, famously declared that ‘the British high street will be dead by 2030.’ The targets of his anger were MPs in general and the then-Chancellor Philip Hammond in particular. Any more taxes on the high street, Ashley argued, and it would collapse…
4 Financial New Year’s Resolutions for 2021
28-01-2021The beginning of a new year is a great opportunity to get on top of some of the tasks you’ve been putting off for a while. For some people that means a good detox after a Christmas cake binge, picking up the exercise routine that didn’t quite make it out of last february, or committing…
Worrying about saving enough for retirement is more common than you may think
07-01-2021Determining how much you need to save for the retirement you want can be difficult enough without actually having to save the money. Your requirements and desires will change over time in the same way that your income is likely to fluctuate. You can’t be expected to know exactly what you’ll need in 5 years…
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…