The typical working over-45 year old faces a £8,955 annual retirement income gap based on their current savings and investments – meaning they will rely heavily on a state pension that will still leave them short, the latest Aviva Real Retirement Report shows. The report reveals that over-45s, who are not yet retired, typically expect […]
July was a dramatic month. Greece held a referendum and emphatically rejected the austerity package offered by its creditors. Motor-cycle riding Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis resigned, calling the creditors “terrorists”, and the new finance minister, Euclid Tsakalotos, was seen going into yet another final, final crisis meeting with his negotiating position scribbled on hotel notepaper. […]
Pension saving could undergo a revolution following the Chancellor’s decision to launch a consultation on tax relief for pension contributions, according to recent post-Budget analysis by ‘This Is Money’. Currently, investors enjoy a big tax break when they pay into a pension, with high earners getting the greatest perk. A basic rate taxpayer, for example, […]
If that latter description sounds like you, or someone you know, you’re in very good company. Many of today’s over-60s are living life in a way that has a lot more in common with 20-somethings, despite four decades of age gap. Being part of a circle of close friends, catching up on social media and […]
The so-called ‘New State Pension’ will come into force on April 6th 2016 and will affect all pensioners who reach state pension age from that date onwards. For women, this means that you will be affected if you were born on or after 6th April 1953. For men, you will be affected if you were […]
Whilst the summer brings bright evenings and warm weather, it can also be a very expensive time of year. Handy tips to help you save money whilst the sun is shining (hopefully) are always welcome, as even the smallest savings can build up to give you a little extra cash at the end of each […]
The Greek crisis is serious, but how much does it matter to diversified, long-term investors? It has dominated the European agenda for years and could continue to do so, but the attention and headlines focused on Greece may be disproportionate to the actual impact on most people’s investment portfolios—especially over the long term. Greece represents […]
An essential part of writing this bulletin each month is making daily notes on the main business and stock market news. This month we have comfortably broken our record – more than six pages of notes. And as you might expect, about half of those pages are about Greece and its debts. ‘An agreement was in sight’ […]
Brits consider an internet connection and mobile phones to be greater financial priorities than protecting mortgages and incomes, according to new research in the latest Scottish Widows Protection Report. Only 39% considered providing financial security for their family in the event of death as essential – which has dropped from more than half in four […]
Introduction It’s a parliamentary tradition that while making the Budget speech, the Chancellor may drink whatever he wishes. Previous Chancellors have opted for whisky (Kenneth Clarke), gin and tonic (Geoffrey Howe) and even sherry and beaten egg (William Ewart Gladstone). Reflecting more sombre and health conscious times, both Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown went for […]