Four financial lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic
As the pandemic enters its second year, what have we learned? The World Health Organisation declared Covid-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020, coincidentally…
First-time buyer deposits rise after Covid-19 property boom
The average deposit paid by first-time homebuyers jumped by £10,000 in 2020. When the pandemic took hold in the first half of last year,…
UK dividends: A bad 2020, but a better 2021?
New data show how far UK dividends fell last year, but projections for 2021 suggest the declines are nearly over. In January 2021, Link…
State pensions: the triple lock marches on…
The main state pensions will rise by 2.5% in April. The absence of an autumn Budget in 2020 meant that there was no formal…
The tax year-end approaches as filing deadline eased
2020/21 is drawing to a close, with a Budget now slated for early March. Ahead of that, HMRC is easing some of its traditional…
Imposing a wealth tax – a viable option?
An independent body of tax experts has set out the framework for a one-off wealth tax. Will the Chancellor be tempted? “We have a responsibility,…
The 2020 investment year – a ride to remember
Investment – The world’s share markets had a rollercoaster ride in 2020. Index 2020 Change FTSE 100 -14.3% FTSE All-Share -12.5% Dow Jones Industrial…
Not the Autumn Budget or the Autumn Statement
The Chancellor’s November ‘Financial Statement’ (not a Budget) revealed more spending and more government borrowing, but no mention of tax rises. The UK budgetary…
When I’m 66 – the state pension age’s latest milestone
The latest phasing of State Pension Age (SPA) increase is now finished. On 6 October 2020, the SPA reached 66. Unless current legislation is…
Interest rates: continuing challenges in the search for income
Deposit rates are continuing to fall. On 24 November, the interest rate cuts that National Savings & Investments (NS&I) announced back in September took…
Capital gains tax: increases on the way?
A recent report could herald changes to capital gains tax. Last July the Chancellor asked the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) to undertake a…
Fireworks in November
November was an exciting month for the world’s stock markets. Source: Investing.com November was an exhilarating month on the world’s stock markets, as the…
Company cars – rolling downhill?
New HMRC data show the popularity of this traditional perk could be waning. There was a time when the company car was the fringe benefit that…
China: ever larger, ever changing
The Chinese stock market broke the $10 trillion barrier in October. The total value of China’s stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen surpassed $10…
Can you afford to retire if you’re self-employed?
New research shows the majority of the self-employed are not saving for retirement. Here’s a quick quiz: Are you self-employed? If so, have you contributed…
Some light in the dividend payments tunnel
A recent report on UK dividend payments suggests the worst of the cuts may be over. First, the bad news: In the third quarter of…
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