The £1 coin was introduced on 23 April 1983. If you’d invested one of them in the FTSE All Share, the main UK stock market index, by now you’d have seen a whopping 3,000 per cent return on your investment, an average of a little under 11 per cent each year. But were better returns…
As things stand, around 11 million people are in danger of falling for the worst spring joke this year – and it won’t be remotely funny. Yes, by a bizarre coincidence, the energy price rise is due to kick in on the 1st April 2019, So it’s important time of year to consider switching.
This week I’m answering a reader’s question, and it’s one that many of us ask ourselves as we get older: can I afford to retire, and if so what do I do next?
I was contacted by a gentleman, Arthur who wanted to understand his retirement options. Arthur was desperate to retire; frankly he’d had enough of the stresses of working – which is a shame as I like people to work in some form during retirement because work gives us a lot more than just an income; connection and relationships, mental stimulation, purpose to get up each morning. However, he’s been working for his company for over 30 years but is ready to stop.
I was speaking with someone recently about their financial planning and they were really concerned about Brexit. The media’s aim is to get you to buy their paper or stay on their website, and worry makes us do just that. If they told you everything was fine, you wouldn’t pay too much attention. But articles portraying the concerns around Brexit get people to focus… and worry.
It can be hard to see through the headlines; there’s an editorial slant on all the news we read, see and hear. Let’s try to take the emotion out of the subject – regardless of whether you feel Brexit is a good or bad thing – and look at what’s happening in the bigger picture.
Investment fads are nothing new. When selecting strategies for their portfolios, investors are often tempted to seek out the latest and greatest investment opportunities. Over the years, these approaches have sought to capitalise on developments such as the perceived relative strength of particular geographic regions, technological changes in the economy, or the popularity of different…
Amazon was the first trillion dollar company in the world ever! Not many people know who founded the company, or anything about the man behind Amazon, the company that influences the lives of so many of us. Here is one of my favourite interviews with Jeff Bezos, where he opens and speaks freely about so…
I am looking for just 3 people/couples to coach personally over a period of 3 to 6 months to take them from where they are and put them on the path to financial success.
More than 1.2 million first-time buyers have opened a Help to Buy ISA account. Check out the latest government statistics
When we speak about the future direction of the stock market, we are always guessing, we really don’t know with any confidence or certainty what will happen to the markets in 2019/20, we may have a feeling, based on the news articles we read, but if we read a different set of articles we’d have a different outlook about the market direction.
It’s predicted that the pound could slide further against the euro because of Brexit. But if you look back over the past decade of exchange rates between the two currencies, the reality is a little different than some headlines would have you believe.
There’s been a lot of economic modelling in the news lately as the Brexit debates roll on. Steering well clear of any politics, what’s the potential impact of next week’s vote in parliament on the markets and our investments? The possibilities outlined by Mark Carney were stark – but it’s important to remember he was talking about the worst-case scenario, the extreme that might occur according to his modelling.
Over the past week there has been a notable increase in scam calls and fishing emails which on the face of it look as though they have come from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If you started getting financially organised using my book this year, then you should have set yourself some outcomes in January. Those following the plan should have financial foundations in place, including a will, lasting power of attorney and an emergency reserve of cash. Some people will be in the phase of paying down their debt; others will be considering investments and saving for the future, which often means investing in the stock markets.
The NHS pension scheme has made a change to the scheme rules to permit voluntary scheme pays. Which schemes offer voluntary scheme pays has been brought to the fore because of the impact of the tapered annual allowance and the need for the individual to have to meet the annual allowance charge personally, in line with the self-assessment deadlines.
Cast your mind back to February 2016, when the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published a consultation paper proposing a complete change to how probate fees will be charged. Now, a week after a Budget which made no mention of inheritance tax reform, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Justice has issued a written statement on increases to probate fees in England & Wales.
Yesterday Mr. Hammond announced his budget and what caught the headlines was that he brought forward their manifesto promised to increase the personal allowance and higher rate band for income tax, but there was a little more to it, than the headlines.
The government have just launched a new savings scheme called “Help to Save”. It allows you to save upto £50 a month over four years (up to a maximum of £2,400) and receive a 50p bonus for every £1 you save. Find out more about the benefits on this scheme along with how you open an account.
The proportion of those aged over 65 still working is close to 11%. Find how what this means.
The latest financial news includes no change in interest rates from the Bank of England – and the Christmas countdown is firmly on!
Following the anniversary of the crash, the financial landscape changed; here’s what it all means for your investment strategy.
If you overpay your student loans because you’re desperate to get rid of the debt, you could literally be throwing money away. Here’s the info you need.
The death of Richard Cousins, a 58-year-old widower who perished in a tragic sea plane accident on New Year’s Eve 2017 along with his two sons, his fiancé and her young daughter, has brought the subject of wills and charitable legacies to the forefront of media and public attention. Richard Cousins was head of the…
According to a recent Government press release, more than 1.2 million people have opened a Help to Buy ISA account. The latest Government statistics show that: the average Help to Buy bonus claim has reached £800, a new record; and 146,753 property completions have been supported by the scheme, which has helped to finance properties worth £25.3 billion…
Last week the USA stock market established another record – the longest bull run ever.
In recent weeks there have been rumours, originating initially from The Sun , that the Treasury is contemplating a fresh increase in stamp duty land tax (SDLT) on buy-to-let (BTL) properties. The idea comes at a time when SDLT receipts are showing signs of flagging.
In the recent case of McHugh v HMRC, the First Tier Tax (FTT) Tribunal were asked to consider the question of whether private residence relief from capital gains tax (CGT) should be given in respect of any part of a three-year period of ownership that preceded the taxpayer’s occupation of the property.
They’re up, down then up again…cryptocurrencies are back in the news for all the wrong reasons. Are they an opportunity or something to avoid?
News from the Bank of England and Apple dominate the week’s financial headlines.
In a recent tax case, Christa Ackroyd Media Limited and the Commissioners for HMRC, Christa Ackroyd (the taxpayer) lost her appeal against HMRC’s decision that she was caught by IR35. This is the first of what’s expected to be a number of high-profile appeals involving television presenters and IR35. Do you run a personal services company? …
While year-end (aka “last minute”) planning understandably attracts the headlines at this time of year, most will accept that the best tax planning is planned at the beginning of the tax year. Remember Step 2 of The Money Plan – Be Financially Well Organised. That said here is a (very) short reminder of the main (so by…
Interest-only mortgage mess? Don’t Panic!
April 19, 2019
Financial planning is for everyone, not just the wealthy
April 17, 2019
April 15, 2019
Taking control of your finances on Universal Credit
April 12, 2019
