August 2026 Newsletter

Welcome to our August 2026 Newsletter. Our Product of the Month is Unoccupied Property Insurance. The Southport Air Show is a great day out for the whole family and it's on this weekend! Keep an eye on new pension rules, better still speak to an Independent Financial Advisor for advice.

Product of the Month

Importance of unoccupied home insurance

Whatever the reason, it’s important to insure an empty property in case something goes wrong. For example, could you afford to pay for damage caused by a flood or fire? What would happen if the house was targeted by thieves or vandals?

The 30-day rule

You might already have home insurance in place, but your existing policy is unlikely to be adequate. Most insurers will not cover a property if it is left unoccupied for more than 30 consecutive days. So, if you were to make a claim on your standard insurance it would most likely not pay out.

Range of risks

Most unoccupied property insurance policies insure a range of risks including storm, flood, fire and theft. Your liability as the property owner would also be covered in case, for example, a slate blew off the roof and damaged your neighbour’s conservatory. But it’s always worth checking any exclusions. Some home insurance firms are reluctant to insure an empty property against malicious damage. There might also be restrictions on theft of contents and any damage caused by an escape of water.

Short term cover

You don’t have to insure an empty house for the usual 12 months required by a normal policy. Most firms allow you to arrange cover for three, six, nine or 12 months, with the option to extend if necessary. So, you might take out a three-month policy to cover your property while it is up for sale. But if the sale takes longer than expected, you could simply extend the policy as required.

You may be interested in our landlords policy

You may also like a quote for Home Insurance or Car Insurance

Southport Air Show 2026: Full schedule, lineup and flight times for weekend

The Red Arrows at the Southport Airshow.

Tens of thousands of aviation fans are gearing up for a fun-packed weekend as Southport Air Show returns.

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The coastal town will once again host displays from some of the world's most incredible aircraft on Saturday and Sunday (August 29 and 30) - including the RAF Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

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The flight-packed schedule gets underway at 12.30pm both days, with the last display at 4pm. The Red Arrows will also be performing at 3.30pm on both days.

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There will also be plenty happening on the ground including replica planes, flight simulators, and plenty of acitivites for children.

There will be equipment displays from the Armed Forces at the Marine Drive military village.

Tickets are £13 plus booking fee. Children under 16 years of age are free of charge.

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Tickets for groups of 10 and more are £12 per person. Tickets can be bought online via the Visit Southport website and on the day at the box office.

The airshow takes place on Saturday, August 29 and Sunday August 30. Gates open at 10am, with displays taking place from around 12pm to 5pm. Car parking will be open from 9am.

Full weekend Southport Air Show schedule

Saturday, August 29

12:30 - The Starlings
12:47 - Tutor
12:58 - Gazelle Squadron
13:16 - Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers
13:34 - Rich Goodwin Jet Pitts
13:48 - Hawk T1
13:56 - SHORT BREAK IN DISPLAY
14:33 - Strikemaster
14:44 - Otto
14:55 - A-26 Invader & P-51 Mustang
15:00 - P-51 Mustang
15:10 - A-26 Invader
15:30 - The Red Arrows
16:00 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Sunday, August 30

12:30 - Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
12:51 - The Starlings
13:08 - Tutor
13:19 - Rich Goodwin Jet Pitts
13:33 - A-26 Invader & P-51 Mustang
13:38 - P-51 Mustang
13:48 - A-26 Invader
13:59 - Otto
14:07 - SHORT BREAK IN DISPLAY
14:29 - Gazelle Squadron
14:46 - Hawk T1
14:57 - Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers
15:15 - Strikemaster
15:30 - The Red Arrows
16:00 - Typhoon

State pension update over how much triple lock increase could be next year

The UK State Pension increase for April 2027, the latest figures suggest it could be around 4.1%, assuming current wage growth remains similar.

Full new State Pension now (2026/27): £241.30 a week (£12,547.60 a year).
Possible 2027/28 increase: about 4.1%
Estimated new State Pension: roughly £251.20 a week
Annual amount: roughly £13,060
Increase: about £9.90 a week, or £515 a year.

The important point is that 4.1% isn't confirmed yet. The triple lock uses whichever is highest of earnings growth, CPI inflation or 2.5%, with the relevant earnings figure being measured in the period used for the annual uprating.

So, at the moment, around £251 a week looks like a reasonable estimate for the full new State Pension from April 2027.

One important recent development is the State Pension age review. The current legislation is for State Pension age to rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028, while the Government is reviewing the longer-term timetable.

There is also the Pension Schemes Act 2026, but that mainly concerns workplace/private pension schemes rather than changing the State Pension itself.