Pink Financial Planning

31/10/2025

Don’t let scary mortgage rates or haunting home-buying jargon spook you this Halloween! 👻
We’re here to turn your financial fears into peace of mind — with expert mortgage and protection advice you can trust. 🏡✨

Whether you’re looking to buy, remortgage, or protect what matters most, we’ll make sure it’s all treat, no trick.

🕷️ Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep on top of your mortgage payments.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions may apply.

"

28/07/2024

07/07/2024

"It's World Chocolate Day! How are you celebrating? "

28/06/2024

Be proud of who you are! Happy Pride Month!

24/06/2024

Taking a blended approach to protection

Life insurance, income protection, critical illness cover and contents insurance - we understand it might feel overwhelming contemplating the many different types of protection you should have. But we can help make sense of it all.

Last year, 29% of adults aged 18-40 said they could not afford to have life insurance1. However, an adviser can help you to create a blended insurance plan that suits you and your budget, based on your unique requirements. After all, when it comes to protecting you and your loved ones, there is no such thing as one size fits all; there is often more to insurance policies than is shown on comparison websites, as many plans can be adapted to meet an individual’s specific needs.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply.

1 Beagle Street

17/06/2024

Under 25s at risk of underinsurance

A survey has found that younger generations are more likely to under insure their home contents1.

The study identified the three main pitfalls when it comes to contents insurance:
• Being unaware that some policies have a single-item limit
• Not knowing how to accurately calculate the value of possessions
• Not having an up-to-date contents valuation.

68% of respondents aged under 25 were likely to be caught out by all three of these mistakes, while the same only applied to 17% of over 55s. So, many young adults have not sufficiently protected their possessions and, should they need to make a claim, they risk not receiving the full pay-out.

Contact us to make sure your possessions are covered correctly.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply.

1 GoCompare

14/06/2024

More homeowners with longer mortgages

Rising mortgage rates have pushed homeowners to take out longer mortgages, with a fifth of first-time buyers (FTBs) in 2023 opting for mortgages with terms of 35 years or more1.

In 2021-22, the average age of an FTB in England was 34 meaning that many new homeowners could still be paying for their home when they enter retirement. While it’s understandable that many resort to longer loans to afford their first home, it will cost them more in the long run.

But it’s not just FTBs who are feeling the financial strain; general demand for mortgages with terms of 40 years or more increased by 16% last year3. Similarly, the number of borrowers with mortgages of 30 years or more rose from 41% to 51% between 2021-23.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

1 UK Finance
2 USwitch
3 Mojo

10/06/2024

Recent reports have highlighted that there is a general lack of knowledge when it comes to critical illness cover.

Younger generations are particularly misinformed, with one study1 indicating that a fifth of Gen Z and Millennials don’t have critical illness cover because they do not understand it or its benefits. Meanwhile, a quarter thought that a pay-out could only be used to pay off a mortgage. Paul Roberts at CIEXpert commented that “critical illness cover suffers from an identity crisis, misunderstood, undersold and underbought”.

Read the small print
Another report2 found 49% of policy holders did not know which illnesses they are covered for. Also, 57% thought their policy would still be in place after receiving a full pay-out, however most policies only pay out once. Unaware consumers could therefore be left unexpectedly uninsured when they are most vulnerable.

Seek advice
85% of respondents1 said they have not taken professional advice regarding CIC, and two fifths do not have it because they think it’s too expensive. CIC is crucial protection; we can explain the benefits and find an affordable option that works for you.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply.
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

1 CIExpert
2 Vitality

07/06/2024

Prior to the Spring Budget, there was speculation that the government may introduce a 1% mortgage deposit scheme. That did not come to fruition; however, a leading mortgage lender has recently introduced a new product which offers first-time buyers (FTBs) a £5k deposit on homes up to £500,000 – effectively a 99% loan to value (LTV) (mortgage.

The upsides

It is estimated that, last year, the number of FTBs who got their foot on the property ladder fell to 290,0001 – the lowest figure since 2013. Deposits are often a barrier to making a first purchase, so this 99% LTV mortgage is potentially a way for FTBs to enter property market that is more affordable, albeit initially. In the long run, the mortgage will likely have a higher interest rate and will take longer to pay off.

The drawbacks

The newly launched product is not applicable for those buying new builds or flats – both popular choices amongst FTBs. Plus, with house prices still unstable, there is a risk of ending up in negative equity, i.e. the property is worth less than the amount still owed on the mortgage.

If you’re looking to move home this year, talk to us – we can help find the right mortgage for you.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

1 Yorkshire Building Society
3 Legal & General

03/06/2024

Recent figures indicate that more people than ever are taking out income protection insurance.

In 2023, individual sales of income protection reached 247,000 – a 16% annual increase and a record high since data was first collected in 20001. 97% of these sales were purchased with advice, emphasising the importance of taking advice. More people are also opting for critical illness cover, with 75,700 standalone sales last year - nearly four times higher than a decade ago.

Expert opinion
Yvonne Braun, the ABI’s Director of Policy, Long Term Savings, Health and Protection commented, “Financial resilience – the ability to withstand a financial shock – is a hugely important issue. It’s encouraging to see that so many people recognise that income protection and critical illness insurance are an important part of financial planning and play a crucial role in providing a financial safety net”.
Decline in general activity
Despite the rises in critical illness and income protection, the general protection market has seen a slowdown in activity. Last year, the number of individual contracts across all protection products decreased to 2.1 million – the lowest since 2018.

As with all insurance policies, conditions and exclusions will apply
1 ABI

02/06/2024

What a gorgeous Sunday morning!! Hope everyone’s having a lovely weekend 🥰.
Feeling very grateful and ready for a new week of work 🙌

31/05/2024

The first few months of 2024 showed some promise for a housing market which is stabilising following a challenging period for buyers and sellers alike. So, with spring well under way, how is the property market faring at the moment?

Boost in buyers
Prospective buyers are continuing to return to the market, as the number of sales agreed is on the rise - there were 12% more agreed sales year-on-year in April1. According to Zoopla ‘The number of agreed sales has now been higher than the same time last year for four months running.’

Sellers returning
After fewer sales in 2022 and 2023 when mortgage rates increased substantially, Zoopla’s April data shows that the housing market is on track for 1.1 million completions in 2024, which is a 10% increase on last year.

Location, location, location
Different regions are still experiencing the market differently. House prices are continuing to fall across southern England, the East Midlands and the East of England, whereas market conditions have been improving across the North of England, West Midlands, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Faced with increased mortgage costs, some home buyers are searching further afield to get what they want at the right price ¬ – Zoopla’s latest consumer research shows that a third of households that want to move are looking to move out of their local area to secure their next home.

House prices stabilising
House prices appear to be stabilising; according to data published by Zoopla in April, the average national house price fell by a small amount of 0.2% year-on-year, to £264,500.

Fewer accepting discounts
So far this year, fewer homes are being sold with a discount – last November, the average discount on a property was £14,520. However, by the end of the first quarter of 2024, this had reduced to £10,0001. But price sensitivity does remain; it is currently taking 71 days to sell – the longest it has taken at this time of year since 20192. This suggests buyers are still proceeding with caution when choosing their next home.

What’s next?
Looking ahead to the rest of the year, experts do not envisage a dramatic rise in house prices, nor do they predict a significant fall. Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s Property Expert, commented on the first quarter of 2024, “It’s been a positive first three months of the year for the market and better than many anticipated. However, we know from last year how quickly the picture can change with some negative economic news or surprises”.

Talk to us
We know that it can sometimes be tricky to make sense of the ever-changing property market. We’re here to help you understand what it all means for you and your property plans.

Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage

1 Zoopla
2 Rightmove