Telegraph Money explains the perks of an Armed Forces pension and how to access it

Army pensions explained: what they are and how to qualify

NatWest has broken the mould by making changes to its product pricing, according to Samuel Mather-Holgate, IFA at Mather and Murray Financial.

NatWest has ‘broken the mould’ with latest rate cut

With grandparents intending to pull more money from their pensions and parents looking to work for longer than planned or reduce their pension contributions, should Labour comes to power and introduce VAT on private school fees, cash flow planning has become even more useful in adviser-client conversations.

Can parents cover the cost of Labour’s private school VAT plan?

That is the day that the latest inflation figure is announced and it will be crucial in terms of whether the Bank of England will decide to cut interest rates the following day.

Watch out for Big Wednesday - Bank of England decides financial fate of millions

Learn about the results of the Bank of England’s Inflation Attitudes survey. Understand how the cost of living crisis is impacting households.

Bank of England inflation attitudes survey ‘suggests the cost of living crisis still feels very real’

Stay updated on the latest interest rate projections amidst inflation concerns. Find out if the Bank of England will hold rates steady this winter.

Interest rates expected to ‘hold’ amid worries ‘inflation will return’ this winter

“Lib Dems? Who are they?” - Bob Singh, Chess Mortgages.

Parallel universe? Brokers lambast Lib Dems

As clients became increasingly aware of and concerned about ethical issues, advisers are observing a significant rise in demand for sustainable and environmental, social and governance&nbsp;investment solutions.&nbsp;

What do investors want from their sustainable funds?

Mortgage brokers are hoping to see policy pledges to build houses, incentivise buyers, and promote the housing department during the election campaign.

Mortgage brokers share policy wishes ahead of election

The Tories have been ‘as good for the country as too much sugar for a diabetic’ ..…

The Tories have been ‘as good for the country as too much sugar for a diabetic’

A higher-than-expected inflation reading and general election call on Wednesday was followed by mixed signals in the mortgage market

How to navigate mortgage ‘confusion’ as some rates rise and others are cut

The rate of CPI inflation fell to 2.3% in April, edging closer to the Bank of England’s 2% target.

Specialist finance industry reacts to UK inflation falling to 2.3%

No rate reductions until August and the NIESR now predicts the next British government will have to raise taxes

Only two UK interest rate cuts forecast in 2024 as Bank of England meets

Bank of England Base Rate Cut - when will it happen?

Rising mortgage arrears, personal and business failures have sounded alarm bells among brokers, banks and building societies.

Mortgage warning as experts give their verdict on when interest rates will fall

Advisers are mixed on their allocation plans for emerging markets, according to the latest FT Adviser poll for Talking Point.

Advisers mixed on emerging markets allocation

The average house price was recorded at £260,420, compared to a slightly lower figure of £257,656 in January.

House prices see 0.7% rise in February – Nationwide

Anyone taking out a mortgage at the moment will likely be pondering the same questions - how long to fix for? Should they fix at all?

Should I fix my mortgage or take a tracker? A dozen brokers reply

Newspage asked a selection of financial services experts how they would you rate the Bank of England’s performance over the past two to three years

“Waiting for US to cut rates first risks destroying UK economy” – brokers

UK Finance’s Q4 2023 report on later life mortgage lending reveals a substantial downturn in the market, with new loans to older borrowers decreasing by 37.1% year-on-year.

UK Finance reports significant decline in later life mortgage lending in Q4 2023

The UK’s post-lockdown work-from-home boom has seen employers downsize their premises , the blame pinned on ‘entitled’ and ‘quiet quitting’ Gen Z-ers who entered the world of work remotely.

‘Graduates demanding 100% WFH and won’t come to office for interview’

EXCLUSIVE: The Government needs to consider BoE Governor’s position after today’s base rate announcement, a financial expert says.

Bank of England slammed over ‘schizophrenic’ attitude to interest rates

The financial services industry has paid tribute to the former Labour chancellor of the exchequer, Alistair Darling, after he passed away at the age of 70.

Industry pays tributes to former chancellor Alistair Darling

The report says the Bank of England has \

Reforms needed to improve BoE’s performance and accountability, new Lords report says

BoE Governor Andrew Bailey is under fire after an influential Lords committee said Threadneedle Street needs its remit pruned by the Treasury.

BoE governor is a ‘headless chicken’ who ‘should have gone months ago’

Advisers said that although a single pension pot could be beneficial for employees, it would be a "nightmare to establish".

"Unworkable" and "incoherent": advisers respond to 'pension pot for life' announcement

The reasons behind taking out equity release are changing and are now primarily as people need access to more cash

9 out of 10 equity release enquiries driven by cost of living pressures

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as more firms fall into insolvency last month

Insolvencies jump 18% in England and Wales as high interest rates hit firms – business live

EXCLUSIVE: The economy is in trouble and there is no credible plan to save it, a small business owner has said.

UK economy doom as GDP flatlines and there is ‘no credible plan to save it’

Analysts are almost unanimously urging the Bank of England to leave rates on hold at 5.25 percent this month, considering a month-on-month easing of core inflation.

Interest rates LIVE: Andrew Bailey urged to hold off Bank of England hikes

Financial services have almost unanimously urged the Bank of England to leave rates on hold at tomorrow’s MPC meeting, and most are expecting it to do exactly that.

Financial services and property experts urge Bank of England to leave rates on hold

The Bank is also in discussions regarding the sale of up to £3bn of residential mortgages.

Metro Bank secures £925m rescue package

It said the funding would provide the opportunity to grow its specialist mortgage lending operation over the coming years.

Metro Bank secures financing with £325m capital raise and £600m debt refinancing

Is The Mortgage Price War Really Over?

“The mortgage price war is over”, Mather and Murray Financial independent financial adviser, Samuel Mather-Holgate, has argued as investors mark down their bank rate expectations.

Mortgage price war is ‘over’ as investors mark down BoE expectations

Those who abused the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) Scheme are increasingly being held to account, but experts have said this is merely the tip of the iceberg and

‘Tip of the iceberg’ as Bolton Bounce Back Loan abuser banned for 10 years

Expert claims “the mortgage price war is over”

Nationwide report: House prices, unchanged in September

Mortgage rates have dropped in recent weeks, but brokers say this trend could now slow down

Mortgage price war slows as lenders’ outlook on rate cuts cools

EXCLUSIVE: The Conservative Party needs to get back to what it used to do and cut business taxes, a businessman has said.

Hunt urged to slash business tax as threat of Truss-backed Tory rebellion grows

Mortgage approvals for house purchases fell from 49,500 in July to 45,400 in August, the Bank of England reported.

Mortgage approvals slump to six-month low as interest rates scare off buyers

The latest inflation data will “signal” to the Bank of England to hold interest rates at their current level and “kickstart the property market”, according to one broker.

Latest inflation data is ‘signal’ to hold interest rates

The BoE is likely to pause on hiking interest rates further after Thursday’s decision.

Bank of England set for last interest rate hike but odds on pause rise

Brokers have suggested that the dire levels of housebuilding in the UK are down to a combination of factors including the attitude of the government, the plodding planning system and the buy-to-let sector at large.

Planning system, weak leadership and BTL to blame for housebuilding issues

Barratt sales fall | Man Utd shares slide | Beeks upbeat – Daily Business

In addition, the housebuilder’s adjusted profit before tax was also down, falling by 16.2% to £884.3m.

Barratt Developments sees annual completions fall by 3.9%

Brokers Issue Warning Over ‘Cut Price’ Housing Market

Gross mortgage lending declined from £20.4bn in June to £18.7bn in July as approvals for house purchase also fell.

Gross mortgage lending and purchase approvals fall in July

Net approvals for house purchases, a predictor for future borrowing, fell to 49,400 in July, down from 54,600 in June.

UK mortgage borrowing rises, but net approvals and gross lending decline in July, says Bank of England

It’s War! Lenders Battle for Market Share

Nationwide and Santander slash mortgage rates - ‘other lenders may follow’ - Breaking news for estate agents and the residential property industry. Independent, unbiased, and factual reporting. A forum for discussion and debate of topics of the day. Subscribe for our free daily newsletter.

Nationwide and Santander slash mortgage rates - ‘other lenders may follow’

Brokers explain what they are seeing the market

Why will some home sellers not budge on price?

Rates have reduced by up to 0.20% across residential and buy-to-let products.

Santander announces further mortgage rate reductions

The UK’s top lenders have been cutting mortgage rates after they rose dramatically from May to July, with all of the “Big Six” having cut prices on multiple occasions

Santander cuts mortgage rates but experts warn price war may end soon

Santander has announced a further round of rate reductions of up to 0.20%, which will go live from Tuesday 22nd August.

Santander makes a further round of mortgage rate reductions

Having previously expected a profit of £73.7 million in June, the group now projects profits to come to just £50 million

Housebuilder Crest Nicholson warns on profits as mortgage rates soar for first-time buyers

Housebuilder Crest Nicholson warns on profits as first-time buyer mortgage rates soar

Intermediaries have welcomed the fact that business levels in August have been low, suggesting it offers a chance to recover from the “rollercoaster” of recent months ahead of the market kicking back into gear in the autumn.

Brokers welcome ‘dead’ August as chance to recharge before market returns

EXCLUSIVE: Businesses warn they are drowning in paperwork but have rejected the idea of rejoining the EU after Brexit.

British businesses back Brexit as they warn rejoining EU is a ‘joke’

Capital is most exposed to declining buying power, with warnings of more pain to come

London house prices fall for first time in four years

The UK’s employment rate for April to June 2023 was estimated at 75.7%, a decline of 0.1 percentage points from the first quarter of the year, according to newly released data.

UK employment rate drops slightly as unemployment rises to 4.2% in second quarter of 2023, ONS

Free UK news agency, Newspage, sought the views of financial services experts and business owners on whether Liz Truss’s headline policy of ultra-low corporation tax rates, like Ireland, could have benefitted the UK if the execution had been better.

“Trussonomics wasn’t entirely bonkers after all” - experts share their views

Scheme encouraged people to buy property now beyond their means, say critics

‘I have had clients in tears’: First-time buyers burned by Help to Buy

HSBC will cut rates on selected two-, three- and five-year fixed-rate residential loans for new borrowers from tomorrow (9 August). The bank says it will update the market on the scale of its reductions on Wednesday. An HSBC spokesperson says: “The changes are planned across the residential new…

HSBC and TSB to cut rates on new business resi loans

A mortgage and pension are the two biggest financial responsibilities a person will have — but which should you prioritise in a crisis?

Should I pay off my mortgage early or boost my pension?

There were hopes that the Bank of England (BoE) would pause its base rate hike cycle today, but the modest 0.25 per cent increase may suggest the run of monetary tightening is coming to an end.

Small increase to base rate may be sign of BoE running out of steam – industry reaction - Mortgage Solutions

The latest increase in interest rates by the Bank of England is “absolute lunacy”, Mather and Murray Financial independent financial adviser, Samuel Mather-Holgate has stated.

BoE’s 14th consecutive interest rate rise is ‘absolute lunacy’

An expert has slammed the Bank of England for raising the base interest rate to 5.25 percent saying bosses need to reverse the hike.

Interest rate hike branded ‘absolute lunacy’

EXCLUSIVE: Another interest rate rise from the Bank of England will spark a housing market meltdown, a finance expert has said.

House price meltdown warning ahead of Bank of England’s next interest rate move

HSBC has become the first high street lender to announce it will be reducing rates on a number of its fixed-rate products, after better than expected inflation data.

HSBC becomes first high street lender to reduce rates

Credit card spending rose year on year in April but the number of outstanding balances that were not cleared before interest accrued fell slightly.

Credit card spending rises year-on-year - Mortgage Solutions

The property market could tumble by up to 20 per cent, experts warn, unless the Bank of England halts interest rate rises

Is London heading for a house price apocalypse?

Coventry for Intermediaries is closing some BTL products as of 8pm tomorrow (18th July).

Coventry closes BTL products with 48 hours’ notice

Coventry for Intermediaries will be closing products at 8pm on Tuesday July 18, the lender has announced.

Coventry for Intermediaries announces imminent product closure

EXCLUSIVE: Borrowers in Britain and the US are suffering as mortgage rates climb and house prices fall.

Britons to suffer US-style crash as UK housing market ‘a total omnishambles’

Some experts suggest increases of 10% are likely - though others have forecast larger falls

How much house prices could drop by due to rising interest rates, according to experts

The publication of inflation data later this week will be a case of “sink or swim” for mortgage holders, Dimora Mortgages director, Jamie Lennox, has stated.

Upcoming inflation data ‘sink or swim’ for mortgage holders

TSB has upped rates across select mortgages within its residential, buy-to-let, product transfer and additional borrowing ranges.

TSB and Halifax increase rates – round-up - Mortgage Solutions

One mortgage broker called the latest increase from Halifax ‘brutal’

UK’s biggest mortgage lender Halifax among banks to hike rates as crisis continues

Brokers noted that rates are still available below 6% but predict rates to rise further.

Average five-year fix surpasses 6% - brokers react

At least a fifth of savers do not believe annuities offer good value, despite rates being at a near 14-year high, a survey has revealed.

Still unloved: Annuities struggle to shake off their inflexible reputation

The average rate for a five-year fixed mortgage has surpassed 6pc for the first time this year as Britain's property crisis deepens.

Five-year mortgage rates pass 6pc for first time this year - latest updates

Andrew Bailey has said pay cannot keep rising at its current pace if people want inflation and borrowing costs to fall after the Bank of England pushed interest rates to 5pc.

Bailey warns wage rises are ‘unsustainable’ as interest rates hit 5pc

A new survey of 2000 people, conducted by investment comparison site Investing Reviews, has revealed that 42% of Brits would prefer to leave the UK and live

“Geographic arbitrage increasingly common” as Brits plan to spend time abroad to reduce energy bills and cost of living

Many in the financial services industry are bracing themselves for the fallout from another interest rate hike.

“If rates are raised further on Thursday, the future is bleak”

Calls for intervention were made as the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage deal topped 6% for the first time this year.

Government urged to end ‘mortgage horror show’ as average two-year rate tops 6%

Average mortgage rates hit highest level since December, as asking prices for British homes fall in June for the first time in six years

Average two-year fixed rate mortgage deal hits 6% for first time this year, as Sunak rules out extra help – business live

Average rate on two-year fix rose from 5.72 per cent to 5.75 per cent on Tuesday

Mortgage mayhem: More lenders up interest rates on fixed deals

The triple lock may not be sustainable as state pension payments could become too much for the Government to pay, experts have exclusively told Express.co.uk.

State pension warning as triple lock slammed as ‘daft policy’

Buyers ‘spooked’ by threat of yet more interest rate rise pain on mortgages

House prices falling at their fastest rate in 14 years amid higher interest rates

Lenders stand ready to help anyone who might be concerned about their repayments, according to UK Finance, which released the figures

Spike in mortgage arrears and homes being repossessed as interest rates soar

Lenders stand ready to help anyone who might be concerned about their repayments, according to UK Finance, which released the figures.

Jump in mortgage arrears and homes being repossessed

NATIONWIDE today unveiled plans to return £340 million direct to members as new chief executive Debbie Crosbie pledged her commitment to the mutual status that has seen the group thrive.

Nationwide to hand back £100 to 3.4m members

Experts expect inflation to increase prices by more than 9% by 2027, and if the amount people earn matches, those currently earning as little as £46,000 could be dragged into the higher band.

Jobs that may be ripped into 40p tax band if wages rise with inflation

The launch by Skipton Building Society of a deposit-free mortgage, specifically aimed at renters has taken the headlines by storm.

Brokers call for more lender innovation after Skipton 100% mortgage launch

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed inflation still at 10.1 per cent in March after a surprise acceleration in February.

How UK inflation affects YOU: From mortgage rates to fuel costs

The FTSE 100 retail bellwether reported a 0.7% drop in full-price sales for the three months to the end of April, better than the 2% decline it had forecast.

Next keeps guidance despite smaller-than-feared dip in sales

We gathered commentary from experts and analysts to gauge their reaction and gain insight into how the future looks for the high street giant.

Industry reacts to NEXT results: “It’s doing everything investors could ask of it in a difficult retail environment”

Sunak is reportedly drawing up plans to bring back the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme.

Sunak considering relaunching Help to Buy scheme - brokers react

I have been working in financial services for twenty years. My specialism is later life advice, focusing on inheritance tax planning, pension advice and equity release. 

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