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House price growth creeps up in July – Nationwide


By Dan McGrath

UK house prices increased by 2.4% in July, after jumping by 2.1% in June, Nationwide has revealed.

The building society’s latest house price index showed that the average property price in the UK stood at £272,664 in July, as prices increased by 0.6% month-on-month.


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Number of estates paying IHT climbs 13% in a year

The number of estates subjected to inheritance tax (IHT) has risen by 13% in the space of a year, new figures from HMRC have shown

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Residential property prices jump 17% in June – HRMC

The number of residential property transactions increased by 17% in June compared to May, new data released by HMRC has revealed

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BWS strikes £2.4bn deal to acquire Just Group

Just Group has agreed to a £2.4bn acquisition offer from the Bermuda-headquartered retirement services firm, Brookfield Wealth Solutions (BWS)

PRA unveils options to enhance mortgage market competition

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has announced a new series of options that could make it easier for mid-sized firms to “scale-up and compete” in the residential mortgage market

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FCA begins court action over £23m unauthorised scheme

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has begun high court proceedings against Concept Capital Group (CCG) over a £23m unauthorised collective investment scheme.

Riverrun Consulting, Gateridge Consulting, and six individuals – Ian Elliott, Adrian Felix, Ayub Swaibu, Edmund Brew, Ernest Kargbo, Raymondip Bedi – are also alleged to have taken part in a scheme involving consumer investments in static homes
Over-65s start cash gifting in response to IHT changes

Seventeen per cent of active savers over the age of 65 have started gifting cash in response to the Government’s plans to include pensions in inheritance tax (IHT) calculations from April 2027

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Titan Wealth acquires Finance Shop and FS Wealth Management

Titan Wealth has announced its intention to acquire East Anglian-based advisory and discretionary portfolio management (DPM) firms, Finance Shop and FS Wealth Management

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Number of estates paying IHT climbs 13% in a year

The number of estates subjected to inheritance tax (IHT) has risen by 13% in the space of a year, new figures from HMRC have shown

IHT inclusion of pensions to drive significant growth in later life lending

The inclusion of unused pension assets in inheritance tax (IHT) calculations will have a significant positive impact on the later life lending market, according to Key Advice

UK CGT liabilities fell by 18% in 2023/24; property disposals hit record high in 2024/25

Capital gains tax (CGT) liabilities in the UK fell by 18% year-on-year to £12.1bn in 2023/24, despite the number of people paying CGT increasing, the latest figures from HMRC have revealed

Almost one in 10 estates liable for IHT paying over £500,000

Nearly one in 10 (9%) estates liable for inheritance tax (IHT) paid more than £500,000 in the latest available year of data, with the number expected to continue rising as pensions come into the scope of IHT

FCA begins court action over £23m unauthorised scheme

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has begun high court proceedings against Concept Capital Group (CCG) over a £23m unauthorised collective investment scheme. Riverrun Consulting, Gateridge Consulting, and six individuals – Ian Elliott, Adrian Felix, Ayub Swaibu, Edmund Brew, Ernest Kargbo, Raymondip Bedi – are also alleged to have taken part in a scheme involving consumer investments in static homes

Former H2O deputy CEO fined £1m and banned from financial services

The former deputy CEO of asset manager H2O, Jean-Noel Alba, has been fined £1m by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and banned from the financial services industry

FCA announces simplified mortgage rules

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has simplified its mortgage rules to make the remortgaging process easier for borrowers, while saving them time and money

FCA fines Barclays £42m for crime risk management failings

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Barclays Bank and Barclays Bank UK £42m for separate instances of financial crime risk management failings

Over-65s start cash gifting in response to IHT changes

Seventeen per cent of active savers over the age of 65 have started gifting cash in response to the Government’s plans to include pensions in inheritance tax (IHT) calculations from April 2027

HSBC publishes ‘messy' set of results

HSBC has recorded a "messy set of results" in the second quarter according to one analyst, after its pre-tax profit fell by 29% year-on-year to $6.3bn. The bank said that this drop was due to the recognition of dilution and $2.1bn in impairment losses in BoCom

Barclays exceeds expectations in first-half results

Barclays has reported a pre-tax profit of £5.2bn in the six months to 30 June, increasing by 23% year-on-year and beating expectations

Structured checklist key to IFAs for evidencing value for money

Independent financial advisers (IFAs) could get more clarity about value for money (VFM) from their investment providers by using a simple checklist, Hymans Robertson has suggested

Quarter of UK adults don’t feel financially independent – Scottish Widows

A quarter (25%) of UK adults have stated that they do not feel financially independent, research by Scottish Widows has found

Govt publishes legislation to bring pensions into scope of IHT

The Government has confirmed it is proceeding with its plans to include unused pension pots within inheritance tax (IHT) from April 2027 with the publication of draft legislation

Gender pension gap rises to 'stark' 48%

The gender pension gap has risen to a "stark" 48%, figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have revealed

Honda Group pension scheme completes £800m buy-in with L&G

The Honda Group UK Pension Scheme has completed an £800m buy-in with Legal & General (L&G) Assurance Society Limited, securing the retirement benefits of over 1,700 retirees and over 3,000 deferred members

BWS strikes £2.4bn deal to acquire Just Group

Just Group has agreed to a £2.4bn acquisition offer from the Bermuda-headquartered retirement services firm, Brookfield Wealth Solutions (BWS)

Titan Wealth acquires Finance Shop and FS Wealth Management

Titan Wealth has announced its intention to acquire East Anglian-based advisory and discretionary portfolio management (DPM) firms, Finance Shop and FS Wealth Management

AJ Bell reports record net inflows in Q3

AJ Bell has reported its highest ever quarterly net inflows in Q3, which totalled £2.5bn in the three months to 30 June

PFS announces £1m investment in financial planning initiatives

The Personal Finance Society (PFS) has announced a £1m investment in initiatives designed to attract talent for the benefit of the financial planning profession

Fiducia announces partnership with Doc2

Fiducia Commercial Network has launched a partnership with Doc2, a software firm that provides automated document creation and eSigning

Lantern launches tech integration with DebtStream

Lantern has adopted new software, powered by DebtStream, to improve its customer-facing portal and provide clients with support as they manage their financial situations

Verso develops strategic platform partnership with Nucleus

Wealth management consolidator Verso has developed a strategic partnership with Nucleus to launch a new platform

AJ Bell launches new advice platform

AJ Bell has launched a new streamline platform, AJ Bell Touch, to help financial advisers implement investment advice for their clients

News in brief - 1 August 2025

Today's round up of developments coming out of the consumer finance space, featuring Halifax, Market Harborough Building Society and Coventry for Intermediaries

Iress announces sourcing integration with Acre

Intermediary platform Acre has chosen Iress as its new partner for protection sourcing

NatWest launches partnership with Landbay

NatWest has announced a new partnership with fintech platform for buy-to-let (BTL) mortgages, Landbay

Wealth & Asset Management Awards 2026: Open for entries

The Wealth & Asset Management Awards 2026 is now open to entries from companies in the wealth and asset management sectors

Mortgage Awards 2026: Open for entries

The Mortgage Awards 2026 are now open to entries for firms across the mortgage space serving clients in the UK

Lending with a difference: A conversation with Family Building Society’s Nathan Waller

With demand growing for more flexible mortgage solutions, Family Building Society is carving out a strong reputation in later life, family-assisted, and buy to let lending. We speak to Nathan Waller, Business Development Manager at Family Building Society, to discuss how they’re supporting brokers, addressing complex borrower needs, and adapting to an evolving market.

BLOG: Expand the holistic solutions you can offer with Royal London Equity Release

Royal London Equity Release discusses the importance of holistic support for clients when it comes to later life lending

BLOG: The younger generation have spotted an alternative route into the housing market – and we should embrace it

Head of business development at Saffron for Intermediaries, Tony Hall, discusses how the younger generation can find their way onto the housing ladder

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