Whenever I write about student loans, one of the most common responses is: ‘people knew what they were signing up for’. This is entirely untrue, the terms of the loans they agreed to have been changed repeatedly and our new story shows how big a difference it has made. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

'Mis-sold' student loans to cost graduates £14,000 more than they were told

The terms under which school-leavers were persuaded to take out student loans have been changed retrospectively multiple times

inews.co.uk

New figs suggest pensioners need £44k take home pay for a 'comfortable' retirement if they have 0 housing costs Never mind retirement, for almost everyone of working age it's entirely unachievable. Col below on the lifestyles we want vs what we can attain inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Retirees need £44k for a 'comfortable' life. How are the rest of us meant to manage?

It's hard to save for a 'comfortable' standard of living in retirement, but it's just as hard - or harder - to have it before you retire

inews.co.uk

@cf0.bsky.social hi Chris, have sent you a DM about a piece I’m putting together for the i paper

Really enjoyed working on this piece with Lucian Cook & Savills - a look at house prices at a local level and how they've changed over the past three decades, with some areas seeing 800% growth.

The i Paper @theipaper.com · last yr.

🏠 Property prices have risen throughout the country in the past few decades, but costs in certain areas have been falling @callumcmason.bsky.social reports

Exclusive: A plan for schools to let teachers swap big pensions for higher pay has been thwarted by the Government. United Learning, the country's biggest academy chain, planned to launch the scheme in April, but will not go ahead after a DfE intervention. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Teachers blocked from swapping big pensions for higher wages

The Government has told a trust of nearly 100 schools that it cannot go ahead with a plan to offer teachers higher pay for smaller pensions

inews.co.uk

Exclusive: A plan for schools to let teachers swap big pensions for higher pay has been thwarted by the Government. United Learning, the country's biggest academy chain, planned to launch the scheme in April, but will not go ahead after a DfE intervention. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Teachers blocked from swapping big pensions for higher wages

The Government has told a trust of nearly 100 schools that it cannot go ahead with a plan to offer teachers higher pay for smaller pensions

inews.co.uk

Many households who took out 2yr mortgages last year hoping that rates would fall significantly when they came to renew are set to find themselves paying effectively the same price. Experts say that trying to play the markets is "fraught with danger" inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Households who took short mortgages in 2024 to save 'virtually nothing' next year

Mortgage rates have not fallen as quickly as some households predicted they would last year

inews.co.uk

I've ditched my Help to Buy ISA - I won't trust government savings schemes again inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

I've ditched my Help to Buy ISA - I won't trust government savings schemes again

With poor interest rates and punitive restrictions, savers have been shortchanged

inews.co.uk

Means-testing the state pension has been touted as a cost-saving possibility for the government in recent months - but it'd be a mammoth undertaking involving huge reforms. I spoke to experts on just how tough it would be, and the negative consequences it could have. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

The challenges of means-testing the state pension - and the risks it would pose

Though means-testing state pensions has been touted recently, the policy would be unpopular and pose problems for any government

inews.co.uk

The proportion of homes being sold for a price that would attract an inheritance tax charge is set to rise by at least a fifth in the next three years, analysis shared with @inews.co.uk by Hamptons shows inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Number of homes sold above inheritance tax threshold to rise 20% in three years

Property price growth over the next few years is likely to increase the number of estates that owe inheritance tax. Our map shows which areas are the most likely to pay

inews.co.uk

Seven ways the Government is trying to make us richer – and if they will work, by Hugo Gye and me for @inews.co.uk inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Seven ways the Government is trying to make us richer - and if they will work

The Chancellor and her allies are adamant that the Government has an armoury of policy ideas which can boost the economy

inews.co.uk

A fantastic read on the best county in the whole of the UK inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

The unassuming English county with a world-class food scene and a warm welcome

Lancashire is coming up in the food scene, thanks to a number of inspiring chefs and impressive local produce

inews.co.uk

Banks have been accused of “ripping customers off” as savings rates have fallen over the past month even though mortgage rates have risen. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Banks accused of 'ripping off' customers as mortgage costs rise but savings fall

Mortgage rates have been rising in recent weeks as markets expect the Bank of England base rate to stay higher for longer

inews.co.uk

You can leave Twitter all you want but someone out there is making up for your lost hours

Last year @inews.co.uk asked multiple major forecasters when interest rates would first be cut and where rates would reach at the end of 2024. Looking pretty certain that one of them, Bank of America, will be spot on. First cut was in August and barring a miracle we'll end the year on 4.75%.

Inflation rising to 2.3% is obviously bad news but the worse news is under the surface. Part of the rise was expected, because of the increase in energy prices, but these are always volatile. Majority of economists expected 'core' inflation to fall, but it's risen too. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Inflation rises to 2.3%: What it means for your money

Energy prices have pushed up inflation, as economists had predicted

inews.co.uk

First-time buyers are facing an “uphill battle” to purchase a home with mortgage rates for those with small deposits climbing again. They’re also set to face a reduction in the value of homes they can buy without facing stamp duty from next year. inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

New mortgages blow for first-time buyers as low-deposit deals climb above 5%

The cheapest two-year fix for those with a small deposit is now at 5.04% - and first-time buyers also face extra stamp duty costs from April

inews.co.uk

For those who are following me for the first time you can mainly expect posts about the economy, renting/housing/mortgages and pensions, interspersed with occasional comments about running. There will be very little crossover. (Follower count predicted to balloon after this so get in early).