HIGHLIGHTS · A new Job Support Scheme, primarily targeted at small and medium employers, will be introduced covering employees who work at least one third of their normal hours · The Chancellor confirmed that the furlough scheme will end on 31 October. · The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will be extended to April 2021, with a revised basis. · The closure date for the four existing business loan schemes will be extended to the end of November. · Repayment terms

National Saving and Investments (NS&I) product are used by a vast amount of people as part of their investment portfolio and saving pots. The NS&I is an HM Treasury backed body that offers a number of different saving options. However, in a surprise announcement this week they have cut their interest to as low as 0.01%. What does this mean for investors? Investor in the NS&I products affected will see a drop in their expected returns and struggle to keep up with inflation. Th

After travelling to London from Australia in 2003, I retired my backpack replacing it with a more stable career choice. Initially my travel agent background lined up a role in Credit Swiss within the in-house travel department. Soon however my skills progressed and I moved across London to Deutsche Bank. Over 9 years here, I learnt so much and enjoyed organising the in-house conferences working as an Executive assistant in the London and New York offices. In 2015 I finished t

Around 6.3million children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 can now begin to be able to access billions of pounds paid into Child Trust Funds when they turn 18. These tax-free savings accounts were set up for all children born throughout most of the 2000s with government vouchers of £250, or £500 for those from lower income families, with parents, family and friends able to contribute too. Cash and investment options were available, with the total amount saved

The main US stock market index hit several new all-time highs in August. So far, the US has had a difficult 2020: · Its performance in the battle against Covid-19 has been widely criticised. In the first part of August the country was still experiencing around 50,000 new cases each day. · In the second quarter of the year, the economy shrank at an annualised rate of 32.9% (i.e. 9.5% across the quarter), following a 5.0% shrinkage (1.3%) in the first quarter. · Unemployment in

The reality of investing today We’ve seen some turbulent markets this year, with the repercussions of COVID having a significant impact on the UK and global markets. Generally speaking, markets have partially recovered but remain extremely volatile and saving accounts are providing the customer with extremely low-interest rates. Investing can seem too confusing, too risky, or 'not for me'. Like everything, the more you know about it, the better informed your decisions are. W

The housing market in England could be heading for a boom followed by a bust, according to feedback gathered by surveyors. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said anecdotal evidence suggests that the temporary stamp duty holiday introduced from July 8 in England is playing a significant role in lifting demand. The stamp duty threshold for homes has been temporarily raised to £500,000, saving some buyers as much as £15,000, but the threshold will be lowered ba

Having spent four weeks across the past two months here at Bluecoat, I wanted to write a little about my experience as an intern at Bluecoat. Throughout my time here I’ve learned a lot about the financial planning process, the client journey, and how advisers assess the best course of action for each client, resulting in bespoke, personalised, and effective financial advice. I have also learnt about how a family-run business functions, and I have seen first-hand how at Blueco