Centuries ago, Benjamin Franklin announced that “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail”.

This is especially true when it comes to ensuring your personal finances are protected from the rainiest of days. However, with the rising cost of living likely putting pressure on your spending, you may be considering cancelling your cover, even when this could leave you more vulnerable than before. Read on to discover some of the reasons you should consider prioritising your financial protection over other cost of living worries.

Rising cos...

With inflation at its highest level in 41 years and energy prices skyrocketing, the cost of living crisis has dominated headlines since inflation began to creep up from historic lows in mid-2021.

While the Covid pandemic began the inflationary increase, this was further exacerbated by the war in Ukraine pushing up energy and food prices even further.

Following such an extended period of price rises, you may be concerned about your household finances and long-term plans.

Rising inflation affects everybody differently depending on their cir...

One wet and windy evening, Alex and Megan decided to take advantage of their newborn, Ellie, falling asleep in her moses basket by getting an early night. Picking up the basket from its regular spot in front of the fireplace, they crept upstairs. No sooner had they settled in bed when they heard a massive crash from the living room. They ran back downstairs to find a pile of rubble in the exact spot Ellie had been sleeping just minutes earlier.

Aware the incident could have been much worse, the couple were still left with an enormous mess t...

In the 2022 Autumn Budget, it was revealed that the Junior ISA (JISA) spending limits would remain at £9,000 for the 2023/2024 tax year. The JISA limit was last changed in early 2020, when it was doubled from £4,500 to its current level.

JISA and CTFs both benefit

JISAs replaced Child Trust Funds (CTF) in 2011, but those who still hold CTF will continue to benefit from the increased allowance. Both JISA and CTF are a tax efficient way to build up savings for a child. It is not possible to have both a JISA and a CTF.

Savings for children

It’s important to regularly review your mortgage. If necessary, you may want to transfer to a new deal or a different lender when you come to the end of a fixed rate. If you’re worried about your options when you come to the end of your deal, talk to us. We can help by looking at our range of lenders to see what's right for you and we'll also consider what your current lender offers.

Many lenders allow us to secure a new fixed rate for you months in advance of your current rate ending. It’s important to start early and we can help you navig...

With over 10 years of record low interest rates, fixed rate mortgages offer borrowers the stability of knowing what the mortgage payment will be for a set period, which helps with budgeting.

Because of the way many lenders decide what rates to offer, we’re currently seeing tracker products priced a lot more competitively than fixed rate products.

Unlike a fixed rate, the monthly payment of a tracker mortgage fluctuates and the rate charged on the mortgage ‘tracks’ the Bank Rate usually for a set period. Whilst you may have to pay a penalty...

Hardly a day goes by without the cost of living hitting the headlines. For many homeowners the increasing costs of owning and running a home is having a huge impact on household budgets. For those borrowers with a fixed rate mortgage, the recent increase in mortgage interest rates may not have an immediate impact. However, as mortgages are more expensive now than they were two years ago, you may see your mortgage payments rise when you next come to remortgage.

Overpaying on your mortgage now could save you more on interest down the line and...

As we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome 2023, now’s the perfect time to make sure you’re fully prepared for the financial year ahead. To make it easy, we’ve summarised the key financial dates to put in your diaries:

January

• 31st – Self-Assessment Tax Deadline – You need to pay and submit your self-assessment tax return for the tax year ending 5th April 2022.

March

• 15th - Spring Budget - An update on the overall health of the economy and progress made since the Autumn Budget.
• 31st – End of the Help to Buy Scheme – Buyers who applied ...