4 Oct 2023

In recent years, property has been viewed as an ideal investment asset. In 1980, the average house sold for just £19,273. That compares to £239,927 in 2020 – a staggering 1,145 percent increase. Against that backdrop some investors have begun to assume that property prices only move in one direction: up.And this seemed true, for

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Posted by Jon Lawson
2 Aug 2023

How Should You Respondto Rising Interest Rates?What are interest rates?Interest rates are the cost of borrowing money or the return on investment for lending money. Interest rates play a crucial role in the economy and financial markets as they influence borrowing and spending behaviour, investment decisions and overall economic activity.The Bank of England uses interest

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Posted by Jon Lawson
7 Jun 2023

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS? Inheritance tax aka iceberg tax Here at FiveWays we sometimes refer to inheritance tax (IHT) as an iceberg tax. You don’t always see it coming, but there can be a whole lot of trouble hidden beneath the surface.The first rule of IHT is that you do not usually have to pay it

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Posted by Jon Lawson
29 Nov 2022

The Autumn Statement – What was Announced and How it Affects You On the back of months of economic turmoil, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement aimed to stabilise jittery markets and restore confidence in the British economy.And much to his undoubted relief, unlike his predecessor Kwasi Kwarteng, Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement did not trigger

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Posted by Jon Lawson
6 Oct 2022

When Kwasi Kwarteng stood up to present his “mini budget” (aka “Growth Plan”) on 23rd September, he was unlikely to have considered quite how dramatic the Financial markets response would be.Pulling in opposite directionsMeanwhile, the Bank has continued to warn of higher inflation on a CPI (Consumer Prices Index) basis, raising its estimate for the

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Posted by Richard Forrest
23 Jun 2022

The Bank of England (BoE) has raised its main policy interest rate, or the Bank Base Rate, from 1% to 1.25%, in line with consensus expectations.The move, however, disappointed some investors who were hoping for a larger rise following the 0.75% increase in the US federal funds rate earlier in the week.Three of the nine-member

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Posted by Jon Lawson
11 Mar 2022

According to HMRC’s latest statistics, inheritance tax (IHT) receipts for April to November 2021 are just over £4.1 billion, which is £0.6 billion higher than in the same period a year earlier.

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Posted by Jon Lawson
17 Dec 2021

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) published data showing that twelve-month inflation on the consumer Prices Index (CPI) was at a new ten year high of 5.1% in November. On the old measure, still used on rail fares and student loans for example, the Retail Prices Index (RPI) has hit 7.1% for the twelve month period to November.

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Posted by Jon Lawson
29 Apr 2021

When one of the world’s wealthiest individuals writes a book on avoiding climate disaster – and suggests changes we all need to make to our lifestyles – it is easy to be cynical.

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Posted by Jon Lawson
10 Feb 2021

Interest rates are low and the Bank of England has signalled that it expects them to stay low for at least the rest of this year. After NS&I cut its interest rates last autumn, the commercial banks swiftly followed with rate cuts of their own. Most instant access accounts now pay under 0.2% and even a 90-day notice account pays well under 1%.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist
19 Jan 2021

Bitcoin is back in the news after its price rose through the $40,000 level for the first time. As usual when something doubles in price within a year, people start asking whether they should be jumping on the bandwagon.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist
6 Jan 2021

We have a deal. Britain’s government got there just in time, with a trade deal with the EU announced just before the December 31st 2020 deadline. Investors breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone knew how ill-prepared both sides were for a no-deal outcome.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist
9 Nov 2020

At the start of 2020, many commentators predicted flat or slightly declining house prices over the year as we waited to see what kind of Brexit trade deal the government struck with the EU. When the pandemic struck and we entered lockdown, the consensus was that prices would fall. Yet as soon as the market opened up in July, when viewings and transactions were permitted again, prices started to rise and in some areas it seems they have risen quite strongly.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist
22 Sep 2020

National Savings & investments has announced huge cuts in interest rates on all its products effective from November 2020.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist
19 May 2020

These updates are for general guidance only and do not constitute advice. Investments involve risk and you may not get back the amount you invested.

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Posted by Chris Gilchrist