You need to be wealthy

You can invest with less than you may think. Making small, regular investments can provide more benefits than investing in a lump sum. Even with rising interest rates, leaving money sitting in a bank account can be less profitable than investing it in the market.

It’s too much of a risk

With any type of investment, it’s going to be a risk. However, if you understand the risks involved and how these can change, you’ll be able to make an educated decision as to whether it’s worthwhile.

You need to know the best time ...

Homeowners who sold their properties in 2023 made an average profit of £74,000 according to data from property website Zoopla. But you don’t have to sell your house to benefit from rising property prices – they could help you get a better interest rate on your mortgage.

9 in 10 homes sold for more than their purchase price

Concerns that the Bank of England’s decision to increase its base interest rate might cause property prices to stagnate or fall appear to be unfounded as homeowners continue to benefit from long-term growth.

The average...

Affordability challenges prompted a fifth of first-time buyers to opt for a mortgage term of 35 years or more in Q4 of 2023 according to a report from UK Finance, twice as many as the year before.

A longer mortgage term might seem attractive at first glance, but there’s a hidden catch. Let’s look into it.

A longer mortgage term could reduce monthly repayments, but...

This is the main draw of a longer mortgage term for first-time buyers. Borrowing a large sum of money and opting to spend more time paying it back means your monthly repaymen...

Welcome to a landmark episode of Business Growth Talks, hosted by podcaster, Mark Haywood.  This special episode commemorates the 500th instalment of the podcast, recorded live at Riverside Studios in London.  Rebecca Harbrow owner of Blue Heron Financial Services was invited to participate in the podcast to share her strategies for her success.

As a distinguished Chartered Financial Planner, Rebecca shared her innovative approach to financial advising, which includes a comprehensive range of services such as inheritance tax, pensions, and ...

Lisa is a university lecturer and a keen kayaker in her early 50s. She’s also a single mum to two teenage daughters – Lila and Eliza. Lila is in the final year of her A-levels and Eliza is in the first year of her GCSEs. Both daughters are very academic – Lila wants to be a doctor and Eliza a vet.

 With the cost-of-living crisis showing no signs of lessening its grip, despite earning over £50,000 a year, Lisa is finding she has less and less disposable income at the end of the month. With the cost of her daughters’ continuing education and ...

How important is your credit history for mortgage lenders?

The cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressures has put pressure on people’s finances and made it harder for people to get on the housing ladder due to affordability constraints and more people having a less than perfect credit history.

How important is your credit history for mortgage lenders?

Looking into your credit history is one of the ways in which a mortgage lender will gain information on how reliable you have been at paying back debts and loans in the past. A mortg...

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised everybody on 22 May – including many in his party – with his announcement of a general election on Thursday 4 July.

At the start of 2024, Rishi Sunak said that his “working assumption” was that the general election would be held “in the second half of the year”. His unexpected choice of 4 July just passes that midway threshold, so what happens next?

Election timeline

The run-up to the dissolution of parliament will see a week of frantically trying to pass outstanding legislation (including the Mar...

Every year brings new possibilities – and at the start of the 2024/25 tax year, it’s time to maximise your financial options and opportunities. If you’re an investor or saver then there are plenty of tax perks you can take advantage of. But the clock is ticking before the tax year door slams shuts and our team of experts are on hand to ensure that you receive the information you need to make the best decisions for you and your finances.  

So, what should my priorities be?

Well, there’s little benefit to having an ISA allowance if you ...