News

Banks and building societies have continued to launch new savings accounts and increase rates this week, most notably Coventry Building Society which now tops the easy access savings chart with its recently launched Limited Access Saver (Online) (5). Meanwhile, JN Bank increased the rate on its five year fixed bond today, resulting in it topping the fixed rate bond chart.

Nationwide Building Society made headlines this week offering the first sub-1% five year fixed mortgage deal on record. This 0.99% deal is available in both our remortgage and moving home charts, although borrowers should be aware that a minimum loan is required. Nationwide Building Society also launched new three year fixed deals in the remortgage and moving home charts, again resulting in it offering the lowest three year rates in these charts with a sub-1% deal.

Although this round up has highlighted the lowest rates in the mortgage charts, borrowers should remember that the lowest rate may not be the best deal and instead they should consider the total cost of the deal, taking into account products fees, as well as flexible features available. Those unsure of which deal is right for them should consider speaking to a mortgage broker who will be able to provide advice on the best deal for their individual circumstances.

Last year saw a boom in pet ownership, but for many people having a four-legged friend can make finding rental accommodation a challenge which could prove a lucrative investment opportunity for landlords.

Allowing pets in rental homes has become a growing issue and government statistics estimate that just 7% of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties. Although earlier this year the Government aimed to tackle this issue with its Model Tenancy Agreement that makes it easier for tenants with well-behaved pets to find rented accommodation, the growing number of pet ownership means that many tenants with pets still struggle to find suitable accommodation.

As a result of this, those considering a buy-to-let (BTL) investment may find that that their investment is more successful if they allow tenants to have pets in the property.

The US and UK stock markets dropped sharply on Monday of this week, as investors worried about the rising cases of the coronavirus Delta variant and concerns about rising inflation in the UK. On Tuesday, the pound also fell to a five-month low against the dollar. The UK market appears to be recovering with modest rises seen so far this week. Those rising included Rolls-Royce, Berkeley Group and Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust.

We’ve rated a number of ethical investments based on their performance and ethical credentials. 

You can see the overall best performing ISA funds in July 2021 in the summaries below.