An uneven inheritance

Examining wealth inequalities within and between generations

Thursday 28 November 2024

British household wealth has been on a rollercoaster ride in recent years. Increased saving during the Covid-19 pandemic boosted wealth, only for interest rate rises during the cost-of-living crisis to wipe out wealth gains.
Since the late 1970s overall measures of wealth inequality have been relatively stable. But this hides big changes in wealth gaps both within generations, and between them. And as wealth is passed down through generations, the state of wealth in Britain today has huge implications for current and future living standards, for young, old and middle-aged alike.

A new era?

Wealth and savings policy in the decade ahead

Monday 9 September 2024

Register to attend in person or to receive access link for online viewers. Britain’s economy has been reshaped by 16 years of weak growth and stagnating incomes, and by a four-decade wealth boom that has only just been tempered by the recent rise in interest rates. This wealth boom – which has not been shared … Continued

The wealth of a nation

What the changing size and shape of household wealth means for Scotland

Monday 30 October 2023

This event was in Edinburgh. Record low interest rates over the past 30 years led to a wealth boom, with Scottish households seeing wealth rise by £700 billion since the financial crisis alone. But surging interest rates in 2022 have brought this era to an abrupt end, causing pension valuations to crater, mortgage costs to … Continued

From boom to gloom?

The winners and losers from rising rates and falling wealth

Monday 17 July 2023

Britain has experienced a 30-year wealth boom, driven by record low interest rates, causing unprecedented levels of intergenerational inequality. But this has now been brought to an abrupt end, with the Bank of England embarking on the tightest rate-raising cycle since the early 90s – causing mortgage costs to rise, house prices to fall and … Continued

Saving savings?

Assessing government incentives to put money aside

Monday 16 January 2023

Savings matter. They help households cope in the face of economic shocks, take risks and plan for the future. But the UK has had a low savings rate for decades, and as a result households have entered today’s cost of living crisis with low savings levels. Policymakers have long recognised this challenge, and tried to … Continued

Mortgaged millennials to bitterly cold boomers

Assessing the cost of living crisis across generations

Monday 14 November 2022

Rising energy bills are with us and rising mortgage bills are on the way. While wages are falling far behind inflation, debates rage about whether benefits or the state pension should do the same. Older workers have not returned to the labour market post-Covid, while younger workers may suffer most from the unemployment rise the … Continued

Whose wealth boom?

Assessing the UK’s changing wealth gaps

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Britain has experienced a wealth surge in recent decades even as household incomes have stagnated. Wealth really matters in both good times and tough times – from young families buying their first home, to drawing on savings in the face of rising energy bills. But not everyone has shared in Britain’s wealth boom, and understanding … Continued

The Great British wealth windfall

Is now the time to reform property taxation?

Thursday 9 December 2021

House prices across the UK have rocketed over recent decades, and have continued to surge even when the rest of the economy collapsed during the Covid crisis. This has delivered a huge wealth windfall, that far from being shared equally has gone to existing asset owners. This windfall has also largely slipped past the tax … Continued

Whose wealth?

Assessing the full impact of the pandemic on household wealth

Monday 12 July 2021

While the Covid-19 pandemic has been about curbing and contraction – from normal activities to employment – many aspects of household wealth have grown very swiftly. Families unable to spend have amassed extra savings and homeowners have seen the value of their properties soar. But these wealth surges have been far from even, with some … Continued

Weathering the storm

How wealth shapes the ability of families to face this economic crisis

Monday 22 June 2020

Individual wealth has grown significantly in recent decades, increasing from three- to nearly seven-times GDP since the 1980s. However, neither policy nor politics have kept pace with the scale of this change. The Resolution Foundation has joined the Standard Life Foundation to embark on the three-year project which audits wealth in the UK, helping us … Continued

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