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Insight Financial Associates

Green Mortgage

What is a green mortgage, and what can it do for you?

Back in 2017, the UK government published their Clean Growth Strategy, a report that included plans to work with lenders in order to create “green mortgage products,” that are able to “take account of the lower lending risk associated with more efficient properties and the reduced outgoings for customers living in more efficient homes.” More …

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Financial Wellbeing

Financial Wellbeing

How is your financial wellbeing? Increasingly, people are talking about financial wellbeing. But what does it actually mean? Financial wellbeing is about having a sense of confidence and security around money. It’s about having enough money to meet everyday needs and being in control of your finances; having the financial freedom to make choices that …

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Financial Market

April Market Commentary

Introduction We have commented before on the difficulty of ‘hitting a moving target.’ Sometimes in writing this commentary you run the risk of what you write being overtaken by events, and that has never been truer than this month. In the short time between us publishing notes and you reading them it is possible that …

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Market Commentary

March Market Commentary

Introduction February was another month when all the important news seems to happen in the last week of the month. President Trump delivered the annual State of the Union address on February 6th and announced a second meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. The two duly met up in North Korea three weeks later, only …

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Household Spending

A snapshot of average weekly household spending

In January, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released their latest Family Spending Survey, revealing the intimate details of British spending habits. In its 61st year, the report provides an insight into family spending habits, as well as showing how they differ between areas of the country. The average British household spent £572.60 per week …

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Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax – Could there be a better alternative?

Inheritance tax is enormously unpopular to say the least. A YouGov poll found that 59% of the public deemed it unfair, making it the least popular of Britain’s 11 major taxes. What’s more, the tax has a limited revenue raising ability, with the ‘well advised’ often using gifts, trusts, business property relief and agricultural relief …

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Pensions Cold Calling

Pensions Cold-Calling

The long-awaited ban on pensions cold-calling is finally coming into force. From January 9 2019, the cold-calling of savers about anything to do with their pensions will become illegal. The new law doesn’t just cover phone calls. Any unsolicited emails or text messages about your pension will also be illegal. As it stands, not every …

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New Year Finances

New year, new you for your finances

With the new year comes new possibilities, and most of us like to put a resolution in place. While you might not stick to your January gym membership or finally get that novel written, committing yourself to a financial resolution is an excellent way to start 2019. Improving a financial situation has proven to be …

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Financial Market

August Market Commentary

The news in July really could not have been much worse. The threat of a trade war between the US and China simmered throughout the month, and then on 31st July President Trump ramped up the tension with proposals of a 25% tariff on $200bn (£152bn) of Chinese imports. China has already placed retaliatory tariffs …

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Life begins at 40

Financial Planning in your forties

It’s a well-known fact that life begins at forty. Doesn’t it? It should be an exciting decade, full of plans and aspirations. It’s also likely to be a time of optimum earning potential. What’s more, it’s a crucial decade to take a step back and make sure your finances are on track to meet your …

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