What you need to know before rules change

In Labour’s first Budget since taking office, the Chancellor announced her plans to fix the so-called ‘black hole’ in the UK’s public finances and increase investment in public services, setting out £40 billion worth of tax rises.

While changes to stamp duty did form part of her plans, an extension or permanent change to stamp duty relief for movers and first-time buyers was sadly not included. So, what does this mean for those looking to move or buy?

What is stamp duty?

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SD...

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Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves outlined the Government’s financial plans for the next five years. The measures, which will raise up to £40 billion for public finances, aim to “restore economic stability” and put “more pounds in people’s pockets”.

On 30 October 2024, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves announced the UK Government’s Autumn Budget alongside the Office of Budget Responsibility’s economic and fiscal forecast. The measures aim to raise more than £40 billion in taxes, plugging an alleged £22 billion black hole i...

Fraudsters use a variety of approaches to convince you to part with your money. Here are 8 financial scams you should be aware of.

1. Impersonation fraud

Scammers often pretend to be a familiar organisation like your bank, a utility provider or HMRC. They might inform you of a (fake) threat to your account and offer to help move your money to a more secure location, or they might claim that you’ve failed to make a payment and encourage you to settle it immediately.

Fraudsters may also pretend to be an individual you trust, such as a famil...

Don’t put it off

Retirement can often seem a long way off – but the choices you make before you stop working can have an enormous impact on the kind of life you enjoy when you finally call time on the nine to five. Our trusted and highly-skilled team of advisers are on hand to give you the best possible advice, making a potentially stressful process far easier.

There are several considerations you need to take into account as part of that planning process. So, we’ve put together a quick checklist to make sure that the decisions you make ...

The final edition of the 2024 Top Rated Financial Adviser Guide was distributed in The Telegraph today.  If you select the image below, you will open up a PDF listing the UK's top Financial Advisers.  Blue Heron's Rebecca Harbrow features in this guide, take a look.

Financial scams are more sophisticated than ever before, but a few telltale signs can give them away. Here are four ways to spot a financial scam and what to do if you think someone’s trying to scam you.

We’d like to think we wouldn’t fall for a financial scam, but the truth is we’re all vulnerable. Even amateur fraudsters can create convincing ads or replicate the websites, emails and phone calls of genuine financial businesses.

But no matter how sophisticated the attempt there are usually a few key signs that someone is trying to scam yo...

Critical illness cover can help ease the burden that serious health conditions place on our finances, but almost three-quarters (73%) of young adults don’t have a critical illness policy. More than half of adults aged 18 to 40 don’t understand what critical illness cover is for, according to research published by Beagle Street and reported in IFA Magazine.

After having it explained to them, however, four in five of those surveyed said they would consider purchasing it. Critical illness cover pays out if you are diagnosed with a specified se...

You and your money

1.      Income & expenditure

Tracking how much money you bring in and how much you spend can give you an accurate picture of where you could cut back, and conversely where you can spend more.

2.      Debt

Knowing how much debt you have, whether it's your mortgage, credit cards, or loans can help you make informed decisions about your spending, budgeting, and saving.

3.      Credit score

Knowing your credit score is an important part of monitoring your financial health. You should know what your credit score is, but a...