Five things your clients will call you about this week

Nationals round-up: Investing in wind, a new equity release mortgage and more woes for savers...

Investing in wind

It's probably a familiar story: client reads about incredible investment opportunity and calls adviser, convinced it's the one for them. The latest cause for this could be wind-power bonds, promising to pay 7.5% annually for the next four years and described by the Guardian as "a green investment with attractive returns". The ReBonds issue is offered by the Wind Prospect Group and the money raised will be used to fund the first commercial wind turbines to be built in the West Midlands.

Stamp investments

Another interesting investment scheme which clients may have got excited about recently might have been one offered by Stanley Gibbons, a "respected" stamp dealer, according to the Sunday Telegraph. Its mailshots tell investors they could "easily earn 698% or more" through its Capital Protected Plan. However, the newspaper reminds readers there is no FSCS protection if the company falls into financial difficulties. With such warnings about what could potentially be an exciting investment, expect some calls for advice.

Equity release

When a new equity release mortgage offer gets coverage in the Mail on Sunday, you can bet it will spark plenty of interest. The latest is Insurer Partnership's, which takes account of a person's medical conditions to assess how much cash they can take out of their property. As these lifetime mortgages are structured according to life expectancy, the worse a homeowner's health, the more they will be able to borrow.

Raiding the savings

If you've noticed more and more clients seeking to raid their savings in recent weeks, it might be because of a steep decline in household finances recently. Data collected by Markit earlier this month shows six times as many households (36%) saw their financial position worsen from May, compared to those who saw an improvement (6%), the Telegraph reports.

Fixed rate savings

Banks and building societies are adjusting to the likely prospect that the Bank of England will not raise the base rate from its historic low of 0.5% until next year, denting returns on fixed-rate savings accounts. That's according to the Mail on Sunday, which reports the average rate paid on one, two, three and five-year bonds has fallen in the past month. This, of course, is particularly hitting those who depend on savings to supplement their income, meaning they may need some advice on what to do next.