Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts have been consistently rising, with new data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) showing takings for the 2022-23 tax year totalled £7.1bn, up a massive £1bn from the previous tax year (£6.1bn 2021-22). According to HMRC, this huge uplift can be [...]

UK growth rate exceeds expectations The latest gross domestic product (GDP) statistics revealed that the UK economy grew more strongly than expected in June, although more recent survey data does suggest a renewed contraction looks ‘inevitable.’ Official data released last month by the Office for [...]

Demand down but activity remains robust The residential sales market experienced further negative indicators in July, according to the latest UK Residential Survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with new buyer enquiries and agreed sales volumes continuing their decline. At the national [...]

While recent financial challenges have taken their toll on everyone’s pockets, it comes as no surprise that parents are putting concerns about their children’s finances above their own, as highlighted in a recent survey of advisers¹. Over half (55%) of the advisers surveyed noted that [...]

The last few years have created an increasingly complex backdrop for retirement planning. Not only has the post-pandemic era seen attitudes to work alter significantly, but macro-economic headwinds from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have created significant unhelpful market volatility. In combination, [...]

After a difficult 2022, with pessimism still abundant at the start of the year, most markets got off to a surprisingly good start in Q1. January and February saw positive returns from most markets and asset classes. March proved rather different with the failure of [...]

A new tax year has begun and with it comes the chance to start your tax planning early, but why rush when there’s almost a year to go? Here are a few reasons: You can take advantage of various tax allowances available for the year, [...]

Residential market update Demand, sales and new listings all remain in negative territory, according to the latest UK Residential Survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), with agreed sales dropping to -31% this month, below the -25% recorded in February. New buyer enquiries, [...]