With the Bank of England cutting UK interest rates this month for the first time since 2009 to just 0.25%, it looks more likely than ever that Britain could experience negative interest rates. The idea of negative interest rates has moved from theory to reality following the 2008 financial crisis, with several central banks in […]
It will come as a surprise to nobody that retirement is one of the biggest lifestyle changes you’ll ever experience. But as your priorities shift and the free time available to you increases, what you might not be as aware of is the way in which your spending habits are likely to alter too. A […]
By and large August was a good – but unexciting – month for the major world stock markets we cover in this commentary. There were no dramatic gains – Hong Kong was the star performer with a rise of 5% – and two or three markets did their best to do nothing at all, but […]
A recent study has found that 2.3 million UK homeowners aged 55 and over – almost 40% of people in that age bracket – are planning to downsize their home in order to raise money during their retirement. However, if downsizing wasn’t always the plan for these people, then it potentially shows poor financial planning […]
Drawdown is a way of achieving greater flexibility with your pension funds. Every time you move your money into drawdown, you’re allowed to take 25% of this as a lump sum, which is exempt from tax. The rest continues as an investment, with taxable income able to be drawn straight from your pension whenever you […]
The changes to inheritance tax that were introduced in the 2015 Budget will soon come into effect, with some becoming the law as early as April 2017. With less than a year to prepare for these changes, it’s important to ensure you know what to expect and that you’re doing everything you need to in […]
Introduction We try to produce a balanced, rational market commentary at the end of every month. The politicians do their best to turn it into a soap opera. Ah well, here we go… When we left you last month the UK had just voted for Brexit. David Cameron had announced his decision to resign and […]
This time last month David Cameron was firmly in place as UK Prime Minister, facing the equally secure Jeremy Corbyn across the despatch box. Both of them were backing Remain in the forthcoming EU Referendum and – despite the occasional flurry of support for Leave – the UK looked set to stay a member of […]
The Result ‘I declare that the total votes cast for Remain were 16,141,241. The total votes cast for Leave were 17,410,742.’ ‘I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship… but I do not think it would be right for me to be the Captain.’ Two announcements, coming little more than […]
A recent report in the Financial Times discussed the changes to pensions tax relief that could be on the horizon, one of which is the potential for pension salary sacrifice to be abolished by the government. But, unless you’re someone currently either offering or receiving salary sacrifice, it’s quite likely that you’re unaware of both […]