ISA investors rushing to beat 2015/16 tax deadline might be searching for safer portfolios April 5, 2016 One in four savers are feeling more nervy than this time last year, as they prepare to shift their portfolios into less risky assets, according to new research out today. Swings on the stock markets, along with uncertainties surrounding the EU referendum, the Chinese economy and oil prices were all cited as reasons by retail [...]
New tax year brings dark clouds for some savers as pensions allowances slashed and dividend tax credits abolished April 5, 2016 Oh what a beautiful morning? Perhaps not if you're a saver, as this group will wake up tomorrow to less generous treatment for a major type of investment and a substantial shakeup for another. From tomorrow, those saving up for a comfortable retirement will see the amount they can add to their pension pot tax-free cut, [...]
Inflation’s going to rear its head again: Epic money printing through QE is going to cause a spurt of price rises April 5, 2016 Inflation, the silent force that raises prices, could be coming back with a vengeance. Whether it’s a pernicious tax that erodes ordinary people’s purchasing power or a necessary part of healthy economies is still open for debate. But inflation has been around since ancient times. The price of barley spiked in Babylon during the reign [...]
Blackrock’s biggest risks in the second quarter for investors April 5, 2016 The world's largest asset manager has flagged the biggest risks investors must watch out for in the second quarter of this year. Blackrock's quarterly global investment outlook, written by its global chief investment strategist, Richard Turnill, and his team, highlights some of the hurdles which could rile global markets. Chinese yuan devaluation They warn global markets could [...]
Why Draghinomics might actually work this time April 5, 2016 It might have been an uncharacteristically nervy Mario Draghi in front of the cameras in Frankfurt last month, but the European Central Bank president has made some of his shrewdest moves to date. Staring in the face of a strong euro, growth-sapping deflation, feeble growth and stubbornly high employment, the ECB president had to contend [...]
Over 55s undecided on whether pension freedoms are actually any good April 3, 2016 One year on from the introduction of pension freedoms, the jury's still out on whether or not they are actually any good, a report released today has found. The survey by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) found that, while 44 per cent of over 55s thought that the introduction of pension freedoms last April had been [...]
Defined benefit pension funding level fails to improve for FTSE 350 firms April 3, 2016 The deficit carried on defined benefit (DB) pension schemes by FTSE 350 companies has barely budged over the last year, according to figures released late last week. The study by JLT Employee Benefits discovered that, at the end of March 2016, FTSE 350 firms only held assets that covered 86 per cent of the liabilities of [...]
Here are the most popular credit cards of 2016 – and the rewards they offer April 1, 2016 The five most popular credit cards of 2016 have been revealed today and, unsurprisingly, it turns out customers love getting rewards for spending their money, with cashback cards topping the list. Train commuter, furniture-lover or jet-setter; there's a reward scheme to suit everyone. Here's a run down of the cards people have been searching for most on Which? Money Compare [...]
Crowdfunding website used by mobile challenger bank Mondo to raise £1m in 96 seconds celebrates £150m milestone April 1, 2016 It has helped mobile banks, car parking apps, artisan food markets, Uber challengers and cocktail companies along their way. And now Crowdcube is celebrating a milestone: since launching in 2011, companies have raised £150m on its platform. The crowdfunding website estimates that its 381 successful raises – 34 of which have totalled more than £1m – will create 7,000 new jobs. Read more: Numis leads [...]
Alternative finance powerlist: These are the most influential people in peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding on social media April 1, 2016 The growth rates for alternative finance in the UK and Europe make it pretty clear that this is a sector that can't be ignored. Providers made £1.74bn available to UK firms and individuals in 2014, with person-to-business lending at £749m, person-to-person lending at £547m and invoice discounting at £270m. Indeed, the former, which includes debt-based crowdfunding, [...]