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Scottish Friendly’s Calum Bennie talks BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Yorkshire and North Manchester FM about post-Brexit finance fears, the financially stretched Millennial generation and what grandparents can do to help their grandkids get on a financial footing. Have a listen below and let us know if you have any comments on the Disposable Income Index findings. Calum speaks to BBC Radio Scotland Calum speaks to…


Scottish Friendly’s latest Disposable Income Index (August 2016) reveals that while the amount of money that people, on average, have left each month after paying for the absolute essentials like housing, energy and water has increased slightly, from £1,000 to £1,024, people are still feeling hard-pushed financially. Our previous survey also showed a slight increase in disposable income in part due to low inflation and the…


As a baby boomer – I just qualify I hasten to add as I was born towards the more recent end of the post-war period of 1946 to 1964 – I am a member of a generation that is currently under the spotlight for ‘never having had it so good’. This doesn’t come as a surprise for Scottish Friendly’s Disposable Income Index has consistently highlighted…


On Wednesday 8th June 2016, in a debate hosted by Scottish Friendly at the Houses of Parliament, four impassioned Parliamentarians locked horns for 60 minutes over the question of whether a vote to leave on June 23rd would have a positive or negative effect on savings. Conservative MP Chris Philp, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, lined up with Labour-Co-op MP Gareth Thomas, who…


“Economically prosperous” and “safe” or an “anti-democratic” “protectionist racket”? These were the candid descriptions of the European Union being flung about a packed committee room 17, high in the House of Commons during this week’s Scottish Friendly Brexit debate. Impassioned Parliamentarians locked horns for 60 minutes over the question of whether a vote to leave on June 23rd would have a positive or negative effect…


The arrival of summer hasn’t just meant lighter nights and warmer days, it also seems to have brightened up the nation’s finances. That’s because Scottish Friendly’s latest Disposable Income Index has revealed a 10% increase in the median monthly household disposable income in the last quarter. However, looking behind the headlines and the small improvement in disposable income (from £905 last quarter to £1,000) has…


Sweet talking Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne hit the headlines this week when he managed to pull another rabbit out his annual Budget hat. Do I, perchance, refer to the completely unexpected introduction of the Lifetime ISA? From Scottish Friendly’s point of view and the financial services industry in general, I do indeed. Even before you could say “Jamie Oliver”, the headline writers had…


According to David Cameron, the government plans to announce a Help to Save programme in the March Budget. The programme is designed for the low paid to help them build a “rainy day” fund. While we have scant information on what this will comprise, few can deny such a programme will be anything but worthy. However, the record of governments on programmes aimed at helping…


We’ve just commissioned our latest disposable income index which has revealed that after paying for essentials like housing, energy, water, groceries, transport and childcare, the average household in the UK has £905 left per month to save or pay for clothing, socialising, furniture and luxuries. Our quarterly report, which was compiled along with leading think-tank the Social Market foundation analyses consumer sentiment, current economic data…


As mentioned in my previous blog, The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, delivered his Autumn Statement and Spending Review last week; a mid-year assessment of the UK economy and the Government’s strategy on future economic policy. His speech outlined some welcome news to many, particularly, his U-turn on tax credits, which will have been met with relief by the thousands of families who would…


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