Buying a new home is possibly one of life’s biggest and most exciting events. It’s also a major financial commitment – one that could be with you for 25 years or more.

Your ability to maintain your mortgage payments relies on a constant income, so how would you continue to make your mortgage repayments if your income was reduced – or stopped? Here we look at two similar scenarios with very different outcomes.

David

David arranged a new mortgage with his financial adviser. They discussed protection insurance and David agreed to take out co...

Buying a house… is a valuation sufficient, or should you opt for a full structural survey?

Buying a house is probably the biggest financial purchase you’ll make in your lifetime and at a time when you’re already spending a lot of money, a survey can sometimes seem like a big expense. However, knowledge is power and it’s better to be informed of any potential issues before proceeding with the purchase otherwise it may end up costing you further down the line.

When you're at the exciting stage of buying a new property it's easy to get seduce...

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In this edition, we cover:

Plugging the protection 'gap'

Becoming your own boss could leave you exposed.

Valuations vs Surveys

Which should you choose when buying a new home?

The value of our advice

How we help people to set and realise their financial goals

Given the nature of social media and the millions of us who use it every day, you probably weren’t alone in posting pictures, videos and status updates showing off your recent Christmas presents and festive celebrations.

But did you stop to think that posting information like this on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat could be advertising your property, your whereabouts and your latest expensive Christmas gadget to criminals, and potentially void your home insurance?

Counting the cost of burglary
There were 650,000 domestic burglarie...

If you think an increase in your mortgage repayments could have a negative impact on your lifestyle or financial wellbeing, you may want to consider fixing your mortgage.

With a fixed rate mortgage, your payments are set at a certain level for an agreed period, regardless of whether your lender changes its Standard Variable Rate (SVR). Such an increase typically occurs when the Bank of England Base Rate starts to climb.

Fixed rate mortgages can offer protection from rate rises for an agreed period, but there are several considerations you’...

If you do, you probably have one or more key employees that are integral to its success. They may even possess the skills, knowledge, experience or leadership that makes a vital difference to your bottom line. 

But have you considered what would happen if they suddenly died, or suffered a critical illness that forced them to be absent from work for a long period of time? If the unexpected happened, it could pose a serious risk to your business, so make sure you have the relevant safety nets in place to avoid any financial difficulty.

Prote...

The news is always full of stats about first-time buyers:

• in 2016 there were an estimated 335,750 first-time buyers - the highest figure since 359,900 in 2007
• the average first-time deposit has more than doubled since 2007 to more than £32,000 
• the average price of a first home broke through the £200,000 barrier for the first time in 2016
• those buying their first homes have an average age of 30 across the UK 

And then there are the schemes to help people get a foot on the property ladder:

• Help to Buy ISAs let first-time buyers sa...

When it comes to protection insurance, we hold two firm beliefs:

1. It should form the foundation of your financial plan.
2. Cover should be reviewed regularly to make sure it continues to meet your needs.

The latter is particularly important when you are at a particular 'life stage'. Whether that's buying a house, getting married, starting a family, setting up in business, or all of the above, protection insurance will help to protect your loved ones and your financial responsibilities. 

So what type of cover is right for you?

• Term I...

The decision to sell up and move to a smaller property could come as a result of children flying the nest, the need to free up cash, or both. Whatever the reason, there are costs to downsizing that are important to know about before you make the move.

The ‘hidden’ fees

Research from online estate agent OwnerSellers.com suggests it costs an average of £17,843 to downsize, thanks to estate agency fees, stamp duty, conveyancing fees, surveys and removal costs. These add up to a sizeable chunk that can eat into any equity released from the s...