Vincent Rainey Finance

23/08/2026

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8xg2wj173o?at_link_origin=BBC_News_NI&at_link_id=5ACDE4B0-9BD1-11F1-8C22-E8F897FAEE4E&at_medium=social&at_format=image&at_ptr_name=facebook_page&at_bbc_team=editorial&at_campaign=Social_Flow&at_campaign_type=owned&at_link_type=web_link&fbclid=IwdGRjcAT3vcpwZG9mAWZkaWQWUNBPeG6uP4ZL59eFOkgd606fb1URBGV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4yWfxxAeDID8WHy7UOZlKlLpxsRVeVj4x9TD87euhMLpBV8X1FbBNLJy4sPw_aem_thOA5EfDCUqZCAdlko-c7w

The average price of an NI house is above £200,000 for the first time since the property crash of the late 2000s.

19/08/2026

ONS Office for National Statistics latest figures

The average UK property was valued at £272,000 in June, with prices increasing by just 0.1% between May and June. The ONS said annual growth slowed for the second consecutive month as price increases this summer have been weaker than during the same period last year.

In England, the average house price increased by 1.8% annually to £293,000, while Wales recorded growth of 1.8% to £213,000. Prices in Scotland rose by 2.3% to an average of £195,000.

Northern Ireland recorded stronger growth, with the average price reaching £202,000 in Q2, up 9.2% compared with the same period in 2025.

10/08/2026

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/santander-reduces-majority-of-residential-and-buy-to-let-rates-by-up-to-025.html?SRC=MC&dm_i=7MRH,2Y1BC,TIMBT,7G976,1,0,0,0

The Bank has also introduced new two-year tracker rates from 4.03%.

08/08/2026

🚜 Could your farm benefit from the Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme?

There are a wide range of eligible investments available under SFIS Round 1 — but with so many different items, specifications and scheme requirements, it can be difficult to know exactly what is eligible and what you can apply for.

Some examples include:

🐄 Beef & dairy
• Electronic heat & health detection systems
• Cattle weighing & monitoring equipment
• Automated feeding systems
• Specialist footbaths
• Ventilation systems
• Milk meters

🐑 Sheep
• Automated lamb-rearing systems
• Sheep handling & weighing equipment
• EID equipment
• Specialist housing equipment

🐔 Poultry & laying hens
• New poultry drinker systems
• Poultry powerfoggers
• Autonomous litter-scarifying robots
• Automatic poultry weighing systems

🐖 Pigs
• Automatic feeders
• Precision feeding systems
• Ventilation systems
• Electronic weighing equipment
• Robotic high-pressure washers

🌱 Arable & grassland
• Drills & cultivation equipment
• Rollers & aerators
• Fertiliser & spraying equipment
• Grassland monitoring equipment
• Guided weed-control equipment

💧 Water, energy & slurry
• Rainwater harvesting systems
• UV water treatment
• Heat-recovery systems
• Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment

This is where I can help.

With such a large eligible-item list and specific requirements attached to individual items, it can be difficult to know what applies to your farm and what doesn't.

I can help you identify suitable eligible investments, guide you through the process and complete your SFIS application, taking the hassle out of trying to work through the scheme yourself.

📣 I am now onboarding clients for SFIS Round 1.

The application process can take some time to work through properly, so I’m encouraging farmers to get in touch early rather than leaving it until the deadline.

⏰ The Round 1 application deadline is 3 September 2026.

If you're considering investing in your farm, now is the time to start looking at what you may be eligible for.

📩 Send me a message saying “SFIS” and I'll get back to you to arrange an initial chat.
No obligation and no hard sell.

All items are subject to the individual specifications, eligibility requirements and scheme rules. The full official eligible-item list is available from DAERA.

Contact Hannah Faulkner

The products and services promoted here are not part of The Openwork Partnership offering and are offered in our own right. The Openwork Partnership accept no responsibility for this aspect of our business. These products are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

07/08/2026

Formerly the Halifax house price index, the dataset shows that Northern Ireland continues to record the UK’s strongest annual growth at 7.4%.

06/08/2026

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/barclays-cuts-residential-mortgage-rates-by-up-to-050.html

The largest reductions are to 10-year fixed rates.

04/08/2026

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/nationwide-cuts-purchase-and-remortgage-rates-by-up-to-019.html

The rate cuts will benefit first-time buyers, home movers and people remortgaging.

20/07/2026

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/rise-in-state-pension-age-set-to-be-brought-forward-by-seven-years.html

The state pension age could rise to 68 from 2037 to 2039 under government plans.

08/07/2026

🚜 Need help applying for the Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme? 🚜

The new £40 million Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme (SFIS) will provide 40% grant support for eligible technologies and equipment, with grants of up to £25,000 available to help Northern Ireland farm businesses improve productivity and environmental performance. Eligible investments range from £3,000 to £62,500.
Applications are due to open from 21 July until 3 September.

If you're planning to apply, I can help with:
Completing the application form
Preparing a strong business justification
Demonstrating productivity and environmental benefits
Ensuring your supporting documentation is complete
Maximising your chances of a successful application

Whether you're investing in slurry management equipment, precision farming technology or other eligible items, I can guide you through the process from start to finish.
Get in touch today to discuss your application and book your place before the scheme opens.

Find the link here:

https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/sustainable-farming-investment-scheme?fbclid=IwZnRzaAS7jeRwZG9mA2ZkaWQWUKIh9u-qvmo-EtLsknj7Z1o9Kv9zsWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7-zU87s-3g2UZaDd-yg2d6cPNgvdY2rquT9c_vF0QWaojRGOpKDbNbl99LgA_aem_XeARc3_vCO5qOkQEfo-bXQ

The Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme (SFIS) is a capital grant scheme under the Sustainable Agriculture Programme to support investment in equipment and technology. The scheme aims to help primary food producers in the agricultural and horticultural sectors to improve their environmental perfor...

08/07/2026

https://www.financialreporter.co.uk/barclays-cuts-residential-mortgage-rates-by-up-to-066.html

The majority of the rate reductions are to higher-LTV mortgage rates.