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Personal Savings
Retirement, money and the silence between families: What 1,000 over-50s told us
More than half of UK over-50s have never discussed their financial wishes with family — and a quarter never plan to. New OakNorth research with Opinium unpacks the worry, regret and silence behind the numbers.
Growing your business
From one nursery to ten: what it really takes to scale in early years
Early years education more often than not doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Not from policymakers, not from lenders, and not from the media. And yet the numbers speak for themselves: fewer than one in three local authorities in the UK currently have enough childcare places for children under two, and the DfE estimates the sector needs around 70,000 new places just to meet current demand.
Personal Savings
Fixed rate or easy access – Understanding your savings options in retirement?
Choosing the best savings account in retirement comes down to one key question: do you need flexibility, or can you lock your money away for a higher rate? This guide breaks down the four main account types available to UK retirees — fixed rate, easy access, notice, and Cash ISA — and explains how to match each one to your needs. With the annual Cash ISA allowance set to drop from £20,000 to £12,000 in April 2027 (with an exemption for those aged 65 or over), understanding your options now could help you make the most of your savings before the rules change.
Personal Savings
What happens to my savings if I go into a care home?
Going into residential care is a significant life change. Understanding how your savings are treated before you need to means you can plan ahead, not react under pressure. Here, we cover the basics of how your savings are treated in a care funding assessment in England. The rules differ in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so if you are based outside England it is worth checking the rules that apply to you specifically.
Business Banking
How to earn interest on business cash without losing access to it
Most businesses are sitting on cash that’s earning far less than it could. This guide explains the difference between easy access, notice, and fixed-term accounts – and how to structure your cash across each so it’s working harder without creating operational risk.
Growing your business
Is private credit really in a dark age – or just growing up?
Last June, at SuperReturn International, the industry’s annual gathering for private equity and credit, the mood around private credit was bullish. Nearly every panel highlighted the relative strength and opportunity in private credit – a golden era, driven by high base rates, public market retreat, and strong LP appetite for yield.
Today, the tone has shifted sharply. JPMorgan has been marking down the value of software loans sitting in the financing portfolios of private credit clients.