In my two decades as a financial journalist, I've come to understand how much help the people at the lower end of Britain's wealth scale need to get richer. The Lifetime Savings idea aims to build on the success of workplace auto-enrolment pension saving to build financial resilience. Bits of this have been tried before separately but we have never combined them altogether.
I took out NS&I's fixed rate Guaranteed Growth Bond paying 6.2 per cent almost a year ago and it is about to mature.
More than 4m workers in Britain have chosen to be their own boss for the flexibility and freedom it offers.
The two main routes for most people to grow their wealth over a lifetime will be buying a home and investing in a work pension. Unfortunately, sky-high house prices mean there is a substantial barrier to entry for this generation of first-time buyers. In contrast, investing into your work pension is simple, can be done with relatively small sums of money - and gets you extra cash off the government and your employer too.
More Britons have opted for a two-year tracker mortgage in recent years as they hedged their bets on interest rates falling - but are they still a good idea?
Fierce competition has been reignited among banks, building sociteies and investment platforms providing cash Isas, with several bringing out new deals.
You are far more likely to be better off in retirement if you take an active interest in your work pension. Those you accumulate over your working life can become a very valuable asset - usually second only to your home, should you own one. The money you put in is topped up the Government in any pension, but by your employer as well if it's a work pension.
Whatever stage of life you are in, there is action you can take to secure your pension for the future.
The IFS says 52% of self-employed workers have no private pension savings whatsoever, and the status quo is not fit for purpose.
Total lifetime spending has rocketed since 2021 thanks to inflation, with buying a home and going on holiday among the biggest contributors but the rise is nothing compared to what's happened over the past 50 years. The most expensive contributors to the cost of the average life are buying a home, raising children and holidays.
High house prices, increasing living costs, insufficient savings, rising rents and mortgage rates have all combined to push home ownership out of reach for many.
A long conversation over a bottle of wine got us thinking: what if we could pay off the mortgage as soon as possible and be free to do something different?
Do you set long-term financial goals and follow a budget? Do you switch accounts to get the best deal for your savings and investments? If not, you may be missing out on the simple lifestyle trick that some savvy savers are using to boost their wealth by £65,000 on average. Managing your money with confidence is the key to doubling your net worth - no matter what you earn, new research shared with Money Mail can reveal.
If I told you that if you gave me £100, I would turn it into £225 immediately would that sound like a good deal?
A third of people set to retire in the next two years are not confident they will be financially secure, according to a study by Barnett Waddingham.
We are both 49 and have a plan to downsize once our daughter, who is 10, leaves home to help pay for retirement. My question is, is it worth trying to pay the mortgage off faster? We could probably put a £20,000 lump sum towards it, and make an overpayment of £500 each month. This would mean we could pay it off in six years rather than 18. But would we be better off just putting the money into pensions instead?
My partner and I would like to buy our first home this year but aren't sure if we can manage it. We think we could get a small house for about £270,000 in our area and should have a deposit of about £30,000. We earn a combined £75,000. Can we afford to buy?
The typical first-time buyer mortgage payment has risen by 61% since the last election year, according to Rightmove.
A sixth of homeowners said they felt pressured into making a quick mortgage decision due to the rapidly changing market
We have just had our offer accepted on what will hopefully become our first home. We're excited, but also a bit confused about what steps we need to take now, and in what order. When is the right time to apply for a mortgage, hire a solicitor - and when do we exchange and complete?
The typical house deposit is now £60,000, but finding the best interest-paying savings account can help first-time buyers get there faster.
My mortgage broker says an agreement in principle will leave a footprint on my credit file, and isn't necessary - but the agent says I need one. Who is right?
The prospect of buying a home for the first time can be as daunting as it is exciting. For the majority of people it will be the biggest financial decision of their life, and this brings up plenty of questions. But if you understand the process from the beginning, it should make things a little easier. We explain everything from how to work out your budget and find your ideal home, through to applying for your first mortgage and navigating the legal process.
We work in London and both need to be in the office three days a week. Would a a place by the sea and a train commute still work out cheaper than our £2,200 London flat?
Increasing numbers of homeowners are taking out long-life mortgages but over the lifetime of the mortgage they will pay much more in interest.
The last thing you want is to discover your beautiful new home is concealing nightmares. But what type of survey should you choose? We explain the difference between them.
From calculating how much you could borrow to your appointment with a mortgage advisor, here's how to get approved for your first home loan.
How much tax would you have to pay on a home or buy-to-let?
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