Author: Jordan

PropertyPal’s latest Q1 2026 Northern Ireland (NI) Housing Market Update found property market demand in NI was exceptionally strong in Q1 2026.  There were on average 38 sales enquiries per property, up 27% on the same period last year.  The average property price was £237,285, a 5% increase.  Around 5,900 properties reached sale agreement, with the average time to reach this point at 45 days, down from 47 days last year. The research found average rent in Northern Ireland stood at £1,004 per month, with rental growth at 4.6%.  There were 56 rental enquiries per property, an increase of 14%…

Private equity, private credit, and real assets are long-term tools for growth, income, diversification, and tax efficiency for wealthy investors. For many investors, “alternatives” are seen as speculative, high-risk investments that result in either outsized gains or substantial losses. This perception leads some investors to avoid the category entirely. But among high-net-worth (HNW) investors, alternatives are seen differently: as deliberate, long-term components of a strategic plan. For financial advisors serving HNW households, understanding how wealthy investors approach alternatives has become a central – and increasingly essential – part of portfolio construction conversations. Growth: Broader opportunity through private equity HNW investors…

Rates on the 30-year fixed and the 15-year fixed are moving in different directions this morning. According to Zillow, the average 30-year fixed rate is now 6.13%, the highest daily rate we’ve seen since April 14, when the 30-year was 6.16%. The 15-year loan is currently at 5.53%, the lowest that rate has been since April 21, when it was 5.50%. Today’s mortgage rates Here are the current mortgage rates, according to our latest Zillow data: 30-year fixed: 6.13% 20-year fixed: 6.02% 15-year fixed: 5.53% 5/1 ARM: 6.17% 7/1 ARM: 6.25% 30-year VA: 5.67% 15-year VA: 5.39% 5/1 VA: 5.41% Remember that…

In the wake of Ciclope, Florence Jacob (president of the European Producers Association and French Union of Cinema and Commercial Film Producers) began to notice a growing disconnect across the industry, as many are unwilling to confront the true scale and impact of in-house production and speak honestly about it with advertisers.Instead, a quiet fatalism has taken hold. From agencies to production companies, the focus has shifted from shaping the future to surviving the present. Which means that creative ambition has been replaced with financial optimisation and long-term value is being sacrificed for short-term extraction.Here, Florence questions the health of…

Joan Anderson, who is a member of charity Age Concern which supports older people in Guernsey, said she would use an ERM to purchase a stairlift in her home.”I’m managing the stairs at the moment very slow”, she said.”I don’t want to sort of go head over heels and do flashy things, it’s just something small that’s more necessary.”Anderson said she felt in terms of States priorities, “the old pensioners are left at the end”.”I just want to stay in my own home while I can, and look out to my own garden.”Older homeowners in the UK took £636m of…

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is one of the 8 Best Counter Cyclical Stocks to Buy Right Now. On April 21, 2026, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Idvynso, a single-tablet regimen combining 100 mg doravirine and 0.25 mg islatravir, for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults. The therapy is intended to replace a current antiretroviral regimen in patients who are virologically suppressed on a stable regimen, with no history of treatment failure and no known resistance to doravirine. Idvynso is contraindicated with strong CYP3A enzyme inducers and with lamivudine or emtricitabine,…

PLANS to transform a house in a Warrington village into a commercial property have been approved by the council.The property, 56 Walton Road in Stockton Heath, is a two-storey terraced building which is currently in residential use.Plans to change the use of the house into a commercial property were submitted to Warrington Borough Council in March.Floor plans submitted as part of the application show that the building would include a kitchen, bathroom and four rooms for small-scale business use.The application states that the change of use ‘addresses the demand for small-scale commercial accommodation in accessible, edge-of-centre locations’.“The proposed change to…

TradingKey – Global oil prices extended their rally on Monday. By the close of the U.S. market on April 27, Brent crude had risen 2.75% to $108.23 per barrel, while WTI rose 2.09% to $96.37 per barrel. Following the collapse of the second round of U.S.-Iran negotiations, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved, and expectations of supply disruptions continue to drive oil prices higher. As of 18:00 Beijing Time on April 28, Brent crude had surpassed $111 per barrel.[Brent crude futures price as of 18:00 Beijing Time on April 28; Source: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)]On April 12, the…

The person contacted Nationwide over social media to set out their situation. They said they had purchased something with their card a few weeks ago and were due to be “getting a refund on that purchase”.They asked: “Since the original purchase I have a replacement card – will my refund still work?” Nationwide responded with some instructions for the member.The provider said: “This should still be applied through Visa. However if it’s not with you within the timeframe the company provide for their refund process, you can get in touch with them directly to confirm the card details.”How to dispute…

Investing.com– dipped below $77,000 on Tuesday after another failed breakout attempt, as rising oil prices and caution ahead of key central bank meetings dented risk appetite. The world’s largest cryptocurrency last traded 1.1% lower at $76,919.8 by 02:36 ET (06:36 GMT). Bitcoin had briefly jumped above $79,000 levels on Monday, but failed to sustain those gains, as traders locked in profit following repeated rejection near resistance levels. Get premium crypto market insights with analyst predictions on InvestingPro Oil surge amid Hormuz standoff pressures Bitcoin Oil prices climbed further on Tuesday, with trading near $110 per barrel, as disruptions in the…