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- November 2022 (1)
- September 2015 (1)
Camouse Blog
April Market Commentary
Although many of the world’s major economies have struggled to achieve strong growth in recent months, there is a sense that some key markets are starting to turn a corner.
The worst of the inflation crisis, for instance, seems to be behind us, and central banks that had been hiking interest rates are now keeping them on hold, prompting debate about how quickly they will start coming down.
As always, let’s take a closer at what’s going on in key markets worldwide.
2
Apr
2024
When will interest rates come down?
The Bank of England raised interest rates 14 times between December 2021 and August 2023, as part of an effort to tackle soaring inflation.
So as the rate of price increases has moderated, members of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) have changed course, and recently opted to keep interest rates on hold at 5.25 per cent for the fifth time in a row.
25
Mar
2024
How ISA rules are changing in 2024-25
Individual savings accounts, or ISAs, are a hugely popular and tax-efficient way to save and invest money.
However, savers should be aware that the rules on Isas are changing in the 2024-25 tax year.
The changes have been described by consumer group Which? as “the biggest shake-up to tax-free savings in 15 years”, so let’s take a look at what’s new.
20
Mar
2024
The Spring Budget 2024 Overview
Jeremy Hunt has delivered his Spring Budget, his fourth fiscal event as Chancellor, and the final Budget before a general election.
The timing wasn’t ideal for Mr Hunt, as the economy recently slipped into recession and the Conservatives remain well behind in the polls.
On the one hand, he would have to be financially prudent and responsible, and on the other, he was under huge pressure to deliver giveaways to the electorate before they cast their votes later this year.
Let’s take a closer look at the context in which the Budget is taking place…
15
Mar
2024
Spring Budget 2024 – Snap Reaction
Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has delivered his Spring Budget, and we wanted to keep you informed about what has just been announced.
We’ll provide more detailed insight over the coming days, but for now, here are the main headlines.
11
Mar
2024
Mortgage approvals at highest level since Mini-Budget
Mortgage approvals rose to their highest level in 15 months at the start of 2024, new figures have revealed.
According to the Bank of England, 55,200 mortgages were approved in January – up from 51,500 in the previous month.
This was significant because it meant mortgage approvals were at their highest level since October 2022 – in other words, after the government’s disastrous Mini Budget caused a slump in lending and sent mortgage rates skyrocketing.
But since then, the situation has changed significantly.
5
Mar
2024
March Market Commentary
It’s been a mixed picture across the globe in the last few weeks.
Many of the world’s major economies have continued to see minimal growth in recent months, while the UK and Japan have slipped into recession.
But the US is bucking this trend, as are many emerging markets such as India.
As always, let’s take a closer at what’s going on in key markets worldwide.
4
Mar
2024
How can I help my child save money?
A key aspect of being a parent is helping your child become an independent, self-sufficient citizen.
One way you can do this is by helping them understand money and giving them a headstart with saving.
Not only can this help your child become comfortable managing and talking about money, it can also help them begin their adult life with a healthy amount already in the bank.
27
Feb
2024
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I thought CamOuse were very helpful and dealt with my enquiries promptly.
D Mowatt
Clive Nickalls
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I have been a client of CamOuse's for many years. My advisors have provided assistance with mortgages, financial planning, investments and most importantly my future. The team remain passionate and professional and I would recommend CamOuse without question.
L Isbell
Trevor Honey & Clive Nickalls
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The staff are always happy to help.
J Pearce
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Lee has always given me excellent advice when choosing a new mortgage. I would highly recommend him.
R O'Dell
Lee Pooley
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Everyone is very friendly, approchable, helpful and professional.
G Parr
Trevor Honey
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I would like to thank Lee for all his help, he was amazing!
Silk & Schwarz
Lee Pooley
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Lee was recommended to us by 2 of his existing clients, colleagues and friends of ours and I'm glad they did so! He made the whole process much simpler then we were expecting.
Burgess & Bedford
Lee Pooley
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Lee has helped us on several occassions and we always appreciate and value his time and efforts.
I & A Murphy
Lee Pooley
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I really appreciate the prompt, friendly, efficient service.
V Hardy
Clive Nickalls
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Very pleased with the service provided and happy to recommend to my customers and friends and family.
M Chadburn
Clive Nickalls
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I would like to express my thanks for the excellent service I have received and a special thank you to Hannah for keeping me updated and dealing with my queries in a very efficient and professional manner.
T Long
Matthew Theobald
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Thank you (and Eve) so much for all your help and support towards our remortgage. We really appreciated your expertise.
Cant & Robbins
Lee Pooley
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I would just like to thank you all on behalf of myself and Jordan. You, Eve and Max have been faultless and we couldn’t be more appreciative for all your help!
C Baldwin
Lee Pooley
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Lee has provided me with mortgages and appropriate insurance for both my home and lease properties. He is professional and works to get policies in place in an extremely quick time frame. I would certainly recommend Lee and CamOuse to anyone and I personally will continue to use their service.
G Habbin
Lee Pooley
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I have been a client of CamOuse Financial Management Ltd for many years and have always found their services to be of the highest quality.
N Parker
Jo Kurz
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Amazing company, very friendly, professional, and always on hand to give sound advice. My family has been utilising their expertise for many years and have never been let down.
S Bradley
Jo Kurz
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Sound financial advice and planning. Responsive and friendly service.
B O'Connor
Jo Kurz
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The whole team at CamOuse are friendly, professional and always look after your best interests. Thanks for your help!
G Hall
Lee Pooley
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We've only been with CamOuse just over a year but would highly recommend them. We deal with Matthew who is an excellent adviser, always very responsive to questions and goes the extra mile to help.
P Carter
Matthew Theobald
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I was so pleased and relieved to find this company. Particularly pleasing is their communication - it's jargon-free, concise and clear. We've been very happy with advice given thus far, and also their responsiveness whenever we've had any queries.
A Cant
Jo Kurz
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We used Lee at Camouse to arrange our mortgage and can highly recommend him to provide an honest and professional service in this area. We will certainly return to Lee for remortgage advice in the future.
A Attewell
Lee Pooley
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Would like to extend our thanks to you and your team for a fantastic customer service as always.
E & R Mendoza
Lee Pooley
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We paid a small fee to Camouse for whole of market mortgage broker services. As first time buyers, Lee and Eve were able to guide us through the process, find us a deal and sort out the applications in a really helpful friendly and efficient way. We were very satisfied and would recommend CamOuse to others for this service.
L Humphrey
Lee Pooley
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I was extremely pleased with the quality of the service I received when arranging a mortgage as part of a house sale and purchase through CamOuse. Lee and Eve were very easy to contact and always quick to respond. I would definitely recommend their mortgage arrangement services.
G Dewdney
Lee Pooley
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Jo has been extremely helpful and very patient and I will be recommending her highly to other family and friends of mine. I do sincerely appreciate the way Jo handled my issues and also the excellent and very professional way she conducted business. She is an absolute asset to CamOuse.
C Tate
Jo Kurz
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CamOuse have been our go-to financial advisers since 2008 and have assisted with numerous mortgages, remortgages, insurances, and general financial advice. Lee Pooley and Eve Nowakowska have been invaluable during this time. We've built up an excellent relationship with both and trust them completely to do what's in our best interests. Both are an absolute pleasure to work with and I cannot recommend them, and by extension CamOuse, enough!
I Murphy
Lee Pooley
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We used the services of CamOuse to help in buying our first home and setting up our mortgage and we were extremely happy with all the advice and help we got. We spoke to Lee mostly, who was really great! Very insightful, very friendly and helpful, very patient and all-round great service. Would happily seek their help again. Many thanks Lee!
C Bolas
Lee Pooley
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We have been taking mortgage advice from CamOuse for over 20 years and are always impressed by their friendliness and professionalism.
N Amery
Lee Pooley
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Thank you to Matthew and Julie for making a huge difference in my life when I thought I was so stuck and felt there was never going to be a way to move forward.
L Smith
Matthew Theobald
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Camouse Financial Management Limited is an Appointed Representative of Quilter Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
None of the information contained in this website should be considered as personal recommendation and is for information only. Should you wish to make a financial transaction we recommend that you take personal financial advice after a thorough review of your personal and financial circumstances.
The information contained within the website is subject to the UK regulatory regime and is therefore primarily targets at customers in the UK.
Registered address: Unit 111, Lancaster Way Business Park, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 3NX
Registered in England and Wales. Registered No: 05662116.
Understanding the true cost to your business
Pension arrangements must be available for all employees. There are three categories of employee:
Eligible
Aged between 22 and State Pension Age (SPA) with qualifying earnings over the Auto Enrolment earnings trigger
Non-eligible
Entitled
Important Notes
- Eligible jobholders must be auto-enrolled
- Non-eligible jobholders are allowed to be auto-enrolled if they want to
- Entitled workers are entitled to join a pension scheme, but the employer doesn't have to contribute
|
Qualifying Earnings lower threshold |
£5,772 |
|
Qualifying Earnings upper threshold |
£41,865 |
|
Automatic Enrolment earnings trigger |
£10,000 |
Minimum contribution level options:
|
8% of Qualifying Earnings of which |
3% is employer's (starting at 1%) |
|
9% of Basic Salary of which |
4% is employer's (starting at 2%) |
|
8% of Basic Salary of which |
3% is employer's (starting at 1%) |
|
(Where basic salary is at least 85% of total earnings) |
|
|
7% of gross earnings of which |
3% is employer's (starting at 1%) |
Pay reference period
Essentially the frequency that the jobholder is paid e.g. monthly, weekly etc. but with reference to the tax month, week etc. therefore it may not be the same as the payroll period.
Deduction and payment of contributions
It is the employer who is responsible to calculate, deduct and pay all contributions to the AE scheme. NOTE – the first and last contributions are likely to be for less than a full pay reference period and should be adjusted accordingly.
Payroll services
It can be seen that it is very important that the payroll system synchronises with the AE scheme otherwise the employer will not be carrying out all requirements and then penalties will be incurred.
Staging date
Based on the employer’s payroll size as at 1 April 2012 and can be found at www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers using your PAYE reference. The Qualifying Workplace Pension Scheme must be registered with The Pensions Regulator within 4 months of the staging date.
Compliance and communication
Postponement
Auto-Enrolment can be postponed for up to 3 months:
- For current eligible employees
- For workers that meet the criteria in the future for the first time e.g. avoid joining temporary or lower paid workers
Opt-Outs
All eligible employees must be auto-enrolled, but can, with the correct notification, opt-out within one month of joining the scheme and be treated as never having joined. They can opt back in and will automatically be auto-enrolled every 3 years in any case!
Communication
There is a wide range of information that must be provided to all employees at certain times, such as:
- The date auto-enrolment took place for eligible jobholders
- That non-eligible jobholders have the statutory right to opt in
- Entitled workers have the right to request the employer to enrol them into a pension scheme
Salary sacrifice
Contributions can be paid by effectively reducing salary, which saves on NI contributions, but employee must choose to do this – they cannot be forced, so a contractual variation will need to be implemented.
Default investment fund
Investment Options
All eligible employees will be automatically invested into a default investment fund, which is a balanced risk fund that is “life styled” to account for the employees approach to retirement. They also have the option to invest in a wide range of funds of their choosing.