The Covid-19 pandemic led to a huge rise in the number of people working from home. Four years on, 4 in 10 workers still work from home at least some of the time.

Whether you miss the office or are pleased to work from the comfort of your own home, no one can deny that the shift to working from home has affected people across the world. However, some of the impacts hybrid and remote working are having across the UK are stranger than others.

Read on to discover 10 unexpected effects of the work from home trend.

1. Workers are less likely...

If you face a serious illness, it could place pressure on your finances and mean you’re not able to focus on what’s most important – your health. Yet, research suggests many families could be overlooking the protection that critical illness cover could provide. Read on to find out how critical illness cover works and how it could improve your financial resilience.

Critical illness cover may pay out if you were diagnosed with a serious illness. It could help you pay off large financial commitments, such as your mortgage, maintain your life...

The State Pension is often a useful foundation when you’re creating an income in retirement. Yet, a survey from Just Group found that a third of people didn’t check their State Pension forecast before stopping work.

While the State Pension might not be your primary income in retirement, it’s often valuable because it’s reliable – you’ll receive a regular income when you reach State Pension Age for the rest of your life. In addition, under the triple lock, the State Pension also increases each tax year, which could help maintain your spend...

It’s been more than a decade since auto-enrolment was introduced, and now most workers automatically become members of their employer’s pension scheme. While more people saving for retirement is excellent news, it could mean you end up juggling multiple pots.

One option is to transfer one pension to another, known as “consolidation”. It’s usually simple to do and there are many reasons why you might want to transfer a pension. However, there are also some potential drawbacks that you may wish to weigh up first.

Here are four compelling r...

Financial planning can help you to reach your life goals, and give you and your loved ones security and peace of mind. Over the next few months, you can read our blog to discover exactly why a financial plan that’s tailored to you can add value – and we’ll start with the financial benefits.

When you think about seeking financial advice, one of the first advantages that may come to mind is the opportunity to grow your wealth. Making the most of your assets could be essential for reaching your aspirations, from retiring early to passing on ...

Embarking on a holiday is about more than simply sightseeing – it’s also your chance to experience new and tantalising local dishes from around the world.

An increasing number of people worldwide enjoy exploring exotic flavours during their time abroad. Acorn Tourism Consulting states that food tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing tourism markets today, with 95% of travellers seeking a positive food activity while on holiday.

If you’re a self-proclaimed foodie who savours any opportunity to sample local delicacies an...

Effective retirement planning often involves weaving together lots of different threads. As you think about your retirement, you might be unsure how to bring everything together, but a bespoke financial plan could put your mind at ease.

Over the last few months, you’ve read about the importance of deciding how you’ll retire, why you should set out your goals, and your options for accessing your pension. Now, read on to discover the challenges of bringing together these different strands of retirement planning and why a tailored financial ...

Taking a tax-free lump sum from your pension could be a fantastic way to kickstart your retirement plans. If it’s something you’re thinking about, it’s important to consider the long-term implications and understand how much you could withdraw from your pension before facing a tax bill, as the rules have changed in 2024/25.

Previously, you could take up to 25% of your pension as a tax-free lump sum. This could be through a single withdrawal or spread across several. However, following the removal of the pension Lifetime Allowance, there i...

Since they were introduced in 1999, ISAs have become a finance staple for many households thanks to providing a tax-efficient way to save and invest. As ISAs turn 25, chancellor Jeremy Hunt unveiled plans to launch a new UK ISA and has previously announced changes that could provide you with more flexibility.

Read on to find out what you need to know about ISAs.

The UK ISA could increase your allowance by £5,000

The government will carry out a consultation about the introduction of the UK ISA until June 2024. So, there are currently onl...