London families to shoulder nearly a quarter of all inheritance tax bills January 13, 2026 Families in London and the South East coughed up nearly half of all UK inheritance tax receipts, amid a continued climb in property prices. Londoners paid the greatest share of the unpopular levy, at 23 per cent, narrowly ahead of the South East at 22 per cent. This was followed by the South West, but [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown swipes new chief executive from Vanguard January 12, 2026 Britain’s biggest investment platform has poached a senior member of tracker funds giant Vanguard to be its new chief executive. Hargreaves Lansdown has appointed Matt Benchener as chief executive officer from July 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Benchener runs Vanguard’s personal investment business in the US, which has several million clients, and will join the [...]
Reeves’ VCT changes ‘could put start up funding at risk’ January 12, 2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ shake-up of venture capital tax rules could leave UK start-ups facing a shortfall of millions in funding, a leading investment platform has warned. According to Wealth Club, the chancellor’s changes to venture capital trust tax relief in last year’s Autumn Budget could see British start-ups and scale-ups face a funding deficit of [...]
The tax return deadline is looming. Here’s how to avoid fines January 12, 2026 Many of us are guilty of putting our personal finance admin on the back burner, opting to leave paying our bills, planning the monthly budget and checking insurance policies until the last minute. But with the deadline of the 31st inching ever closer, leaving your self-assessment tax return until the final days of January, leaves [...]
Women and Gen X are feeling blue on their finances for 2026 January 12, 2026 UK adults have reported feeling upbeat about their finances for the year ahead, but women and Gen X do not share the positive sentiment. Six in ten adults said they felt positive about their financial situation going into 2026, maintaining last year’s results and up from the 52 per cent reported in 2024, according to [...]
Pension schemes to go under the spotlight in a bid to end poor value January 8, 2026 UK pension schemes could find themselves thrust under the spotlight, as industry bodies look to get savers better offers and quality of service. Schemes will need to publish clear data on their performance, costs and quality of services under proposals brought forward by bodies including the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR). [...]
Cancelling unwanted direct debits could revive your pension January 6, 2026 Cancelling unwanted direct debits could add thousands to Brits’ pension pots, as more people look to rein in unnecessary spending to beef up their retirement savings. The average Brit wastes nearly £40 a month on direct debits they no longer need or regularly use, such as streaming services, gym memberships and old insurance policies, according [...]
Fiscal drag to push thousands of families into child benefit tax charge January 6, 2026 The Chancellor’s decision to freeze tax thresholds will leave thousands of families forced to pay High Income Child Benefit Charge, eroding the value of government support. According to official HMRC forecasts, uncovered in a freedom of information request by Quilter, fiscal drag will force 35,000 more families into paying the charge, jumping from 324,000 in [...]
Rainy day savings, pensions and stocks: Brits’ 2026 financial resolutions January 5, 2026 Nearly one in three people are aiming to reduce their monthly spending in 2026, as more Brits look to boost their savings. According to a survey commissioned by Pensions UK, committing to building up ‘rainy day’ savings as a new year’s resolution has grown in importance, with 28 per cent planning to do so this [...]
How to boost your pension pot in 2026 December 31, 2025 The New Year is fast approaching, and with it, resolutions to improve financial situations and retirement outlooks. This can be done through changing cash ISA accounts for one with a more favourable interest rate, investing in the stock market or paying off debts. But for many people, in particular those approaching retirement, reviewing and updating [...]