Pocket money... a cheap way into historical houses

⬤ “The UK’s gender investment gap has widened,” says Martha Muir in the Financial Times. Research by investment-advice website Boring Money has found that the gulf grew by £54bn last year. Men have a total of £1.01trn invested, compared with women’s £450bn. The figures exclude workplace pensions. Just 19% of women aged 25 to 44 were investors in January 2024, compared with 34% of men in the same age group.

One key reason for the gender investment gap is that women reported having a much lower appetite for risk than men, making them more inclined to keep their assets in cash.

⬤ “Two in three landlords in London have hiked rents to pay for their agent’s renewal fees,” says Robyn Hall on The Negotiator. Research by lettings platform Hello Neighbour found that 65% of landlords have increased their rent to cover hikes in renewal fees from letting agents.

“With the average London rent at around £2,500 a month and the average renewal fee at 8%, landlords are typically paying £2,550. If that gets passed on to the tenant, then they are effectively paying an extra month’s rent to stay in the same property – just to account for the renewal fee.”

⬤ “A little-known loophole allows Britons to save more than £100 on both National Trust and English Heritage membership at the same time,” says Joe Wright in The Telegraph. Rather than paying for English Heritage and National Trust membership in the UK, you buy an annual Heritage New Zealand pass as an overseas resident. It costs NZ$200 (£96) and gives you access to historical sites in New Zealand, “but more importantly, unlocks free access to hundreds of tourist hot spots in Britain, thanks to a ‘reciprocal agreement’ with the National Trust and English Heritage.” The £96 annual fee saves almost £65 compared with £160.20 for English Heritage and National Trust membership. Families can save even more with the New Zealand Heritage family pass costing £168, compared with £279 for National Trust and English Heritage family memberships – saving £111. Note, however, says Pete Chatfield of Household Money Saving, that the New Zealand pass doesn’t cover parking.