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…
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…
UK High Street Has Most Empty Shops Since 2014
04-09-2020The impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent recession is clear to see while walking through any high street in the UK. With shops being forced to close for several months during lockdown and consumer confidence at a low, many retail units have been unable to reopen at all and the number of empty shops has…
Over 100 Million Meals Eaten Through ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ Scheme
01-09-2020The Treasury has announced that over 100 million meals were covered by its ‘Eat Out To Help Out Scheme’, which ran on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout the month of August. Restaurants who signed up to the scheme offered diners a 50% discount off their food and (non-alcoholic) drink bill, up to £10 per person. The…
Could Post-COVID Life Become Cashless?
25-08-2020The use of physical cash has already dwindled across the UK in recent years, with the introduction of contactless cards making spending more convenient than ever before. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the use of physical money has reduced much further, with shoppers wary of spreading germs and many businesses refusing to accept cash. The…
Retirement Planning in the Time of COVID-19
08-08-2020The COVID-19 outbreak has signalled the dawn of a worrying time for everyone. As well as anxiety about our own health and the wellbeing of our loved ones, many of us are understandably worried about the financial future.