Posted on September 29, 2026
Retirees are handing an average of £4,522 a year to their children and grandchildren, according to new research from Quilter published on 28 September. The survey of more than 5,000 retirees also found something more worrying: 39% say the political environment is affecting their inheritance tax planning, and 62% of those who withdrew tax-free cash from their pension ahead of the last Budget now regret doing so.
With the next Budget on 28 October and speculation swirling about inheritance tax, that last figure is a warning worth taking seriously. Here's why rushed estate planning decisions so often backfire, and what you can sensibly do in the weeks ahead.
Read More Posted on September 29, 2026
The government has unveiled "Your First Home", a new scheme that will let first-time buyers in England purchase a new-build home with a deposit of just 2.5%. Announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham on 28 September, it pairs that small deposit with a government-backed equity loan worth up to 20% of the property's value, with an initial interest-free period. Full details, including price caps and income limits, are expected in Chancellor John Healey's Budget on 28 October, and pre-registration is due to open by the end of 2026.
For anyone who has watched house prices outpace their savings, this sounds like a breakthrough. It could be. But an equity loan is a legal and financial commitment that lasts for years, and buying a new-build brings its own conveyancing pitfalls. Here's what first-time buyers need to know before signing up.
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