Gold in the garden, happy pensioners, & hard Brexit plans

Welcome to the latest roundup from our experts and thought leaders here at Informed Choice, with latest news and unique insights from our team.

Shelley McCarthy – Cash in the mattress & gold in the garden
We’ve all been tempted to stash some cash under the mattress, but this story takes that concept to a whole new level!Ron (who sensibly keeps his last name a secret) buried £850,000 of gold in his large back garden.Since buying and burying the… Read more

Nick Bamford – What makes pensioners so happy?
We’re getting older, but we’ve never been happier.That’s the conclusion of an extensive new study by the Royal Voluntary Service, which found 63% of over 70s are happier now than they’ve ever been.The survey also offers an interesting glimpse into… Read more

Martin Bamford – Why are so many care homes failing?
The findings in new analysis of Care Quality Commission inspections, carried out by the charity Independent Age, are really disappointing.In summary, older people are being forced to live in unsatisfactory residential care homes in some parts of… Read more

Martin Bamford – Price inflation remains at 2.3%
After a big leap last month, price inflation has remained steady at 2.3% in the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.Despite rising food and clothing prices, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of price inflation remained at… Read more

Martin Bamford – Dilnot urges social care rethink
Sir Andrew Dilnot has used a Resolution Foundation lecture to call for funding of a new, non-means tested, social care guarantee.Dilnot led a commission which reviewed government funding of adult social care in England, originally proposing the… Read more

Martin Bamford – Hard Brexit contingency plans
The Bank of England has asked financial firms to disclose their Brexit contingency plans, with a warning that a ‘hard Brexit’ would cause major economic harm.The requirement to submit a contingency plan comes from the Bank’s Prudential Regulation… Read more