Author: Rupert Jones
Don’t Think You Need to Be Rich Contrary to popular belief, financial advice is not just for the wealthy. Many seek financial guidance during pivotal life moments or transitions. Whether facing career changes, inheritances, or planning for the future, people from various financial backgrounds can benefit from expert advice. That said, this can be a pricey business, and the costs involved will rule it out for some However, seeking financial advice can be costly, and some advisors may turn away clients with lower investment amounts. Finding an advisor willing to work within certain budget constraints is becoming more challenging, as…
In the past five years, rural areas have outperformed towns and cities in terms of house price growth in Great Britain. According to data from Nationwide, average house prices in predominantly rural areas increased by 22%, compared to 17% in urban areas. The surge in demand for rural properties can be attributed to the “race for space” sparked by the pandemic, with more people looking to move out of cities to areas with bigger gardens, closer to open spaces, or offering more space to work from home. Top-performing rural areas include tourist hotspots like Devon and the Lake District, indicating…
Citizens Advice research suggests that the number of faulty gas and electricity smart meters is higher than government estimates, potentially reaching 20-30% of the total. This means millions of households are not reaping the benefits of these meters due to technology issues and poor customer service from suppliers. Smart meters play a crucial role in the journey towards net zero emissions by helping homeowners monitor and reduce energy consumption. However, their rollout has been slow and problematic, with many users still manually submitting meter readings and experiencing display problems. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero reported that almost…
The UK is facing a closure crisis as more than 6,000 bank branches have shut down in the last nine years, leaving 33 parliamentary constituencies without a single branch by the end of the year. The impact of these closures on local communities has been described as “disastrous” by consumer group Which?, which is urging for action to address this issue before the upcoming election. Barclays leads the pack with the highest number of branch closures, prompting concerns over the accessibility of banking services for those who still rely on in-person services. With the transition to online banking, many customers…
Taxpayers spent almost 800 years waiting on hold to speak to HM Revenue and Customs, with call waiting times more than doubling in five years, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The quality of customer service provided by HMRC has fallen below expectations, with phone lines in particular failing to deliver. In 2022-23, taxpayers spent 7 million hours waiting to speak to an adviser, compared to just 3.2 million hours in 2019-20. The NAO reported that HMRC only answered 67.2% of callers attempting to speak to an adviser, down from 77% two years prior. Average wait times increased to…