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Household bills have been a major problem to consumers for some time now, with soaring prices pushing many to the edge of debt. The upcoming annual rises are only going to make things worse. Two recent surveys suggest a large proportion of households are going to be in serious difficulty. What Rises Are Coming for Household Bills? A number of bills will be rising substantially in April — and a massive 73% of people s

As part of the drive towards Net Zero, the Government has launched a consultation on its plans to set a minimum EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of C for privately rented homes by 2030. This starts a countdown to obligations on landlords that could cost the private rental sector as a whole nearly £20bn. What Are EPCs? Energy Performance Certificates rate the energy efficiency of a building, with the aim to

The Renters’ Rights Bill, which has been several years in preparation, is about to have its third reading in Parliament — usually the final stage before it goes to the Lords and for Royal Assent. This is a wide-ranging bill to reform the private rental sector — so what can we expect from it, and what does it mean for landlords? The Background to the Bill Legislation for the private rental sector can be extremely diff

If you’re a small business owner, you don’t need me to tell you that times have been hard for the past few years. It’s easy to assume things are improving now. After all, both inflation and interest rates have been falling this year. Unfortunately, very little of this gain seems to have been passed on to SMEs. So why is this, and what can you do about it? Fall in Inflation and Interest Rates Inflation in the UK hit a

Business insolvency figures can provide a valuable clue as to the state of the economy, but the picture isn’t always straightforward. Over the past few years, in particular, figures have sometimes been skewed by the effects of the pandemic. Many failing businesses were artificially propped up by government support, pushing the figures up when they finally entered insolvency. The figures for July 2024 have been

The private rental sector has been volatile for some time, with changing regulations, fast-rising rents and difficulties for landlords, and that doesn’t look like ending any time soon. What with a reduction in the buy-to-let market, further increases in the cost for tenants and uncertainty over what measures the new government might bring in, the whole sector is holding its breath. A Fall in the Buy-to-Let Mark

SMEs may need to access finance for various reasons. Perhaps they have plans for growth requiring money up front, or maybe there’s a delay in their cashflow — a particular problem in recent years, as the scourge of late payments has grown worse. Recent figures, from various sources, have shown both good and bad news about financing small businesses. A Third of SMEs Need Finance to Survive The most alarming figu

Bankruptcy is often seen as a badge of shame, a sign of failure — but is it really? The legal state of bankruptcy was actually introduced in the 19th century as a protection for debtors, who could previously have been thrown into prison until their debt was cleared. So is bankruptcy the end of the world, or should it be seen as a tool that can be used to get back on your feet when things have gone seriously wrong? Wh

It’s only a few weeks until the election and, whoever ends up forming the next government, most of us have hopes about what their policies will be. Small business owners are no exception, and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has released the results of a poll of its members. This suggests strongly what small business owners are looking for from the next government. Cracking Down on Late Payments Late pa

Figures just out show that private rents increased in the past 12 months at a rate well above inflation. At the same time, as prospects seem to be diminishing of the renters reform bill passing before the election, record numbers of tenants are being forced to move. It might seem at a casual glance that this is all great news for buy-to-let owners, but it’s actually not that simple. If you’re a private la