Katie Binns

The thought of buying a dog conjures up images of walks in the local park, snuggles on the sofa and lifelong friendship with a furry confidante. Yet you should never enter into the decision lightly. Here we explain what you need to know before buying your new best friend. Dog ownership boomed during the pandemic but sadly the cost of living crisis has seen record numbers of owners look into the process of homing their pets as a result of the cost of living crisis. Almost 35,000 such inquiries…

King Charles III gave his first King’s Speech as monarch, as he outlined the government’s plans for the upcoming year. Here we explain the policies that relate to your money. The King’s Speech – read by the King but drafted by prime minister Rishi Sunak – laid out 21 new pieces of legislation. These included a number of bills that will have a direct impact on our finances. Among the policies, we received more detail on the Renters Reform Bill, the phasing out of some leaseholds in Englan…

Private school fees could rise by more than £50,000 over five years if Labour wins the next election, according to The Sunday Times. Here we explain how you can budget to send your children to a fee-paying schools and what help is available. Parents looking to give their offspring the best educational start in life often consider private school but the fees can be eyewatering. According to the digital wealth manager Moneyfarm, you can expect to pay £800,000 on average for three children betwe…

Auto-enrolment has seen millions more employees save for their retirement since it was introduced in 2012. But there is no such scheme in place for the self-employed – you are going to have to take matters into your own hands. Here we explain how. Almost three-quarters of self-employed workers are not currently paying into a pension, according to research from investment platform Interactive Investor. Two-fifths of those who work for themselves do not have a pension at all. Rising debt an…

There are many costs to factor in when securing a new home, but one that is often overlooked is how much you need to pay to physically move from one property to another. Here we explain what you need to budget for and where you could potentially save money. Moving out of one home and into a new one – whether you are buying or renting – can be physically, emotionally and financially tough. So being prepared in advance is key to making the whole process run more smoothly and cheaply. In this…

Storm Jocelyn has become the 10th storm in five months to hit the UK. It came just a day after Storm Isha left around 1,000 homes damaged by strong winds, according to the National Grid. Here we explain how you can prepare for weather risks to your home. The cost of storm damage to households is significant. Last year, homes were left with average bills of more than £2,000, according to insurer Zurich UK. Meanwhile the average flood insurance claim is typically a huge £30,000, according to th…