British family sells $10m Van Gogh to avoid rise in capital gains tax February 26, 2021 A British family are selling a Vincent Van Gogh drawing for a record breaking $10m (£7.1m) to avoid a potential rise in capital gains tax in next Wednesday’s budget. Thomas Gibson, a London art dealer, and his three sons have decided to sell the Van Gogh alongside seven other works, including art by Lucian Freud [...]
Chancellor Rishi Sunak ‘planning stealth tax rise’ on wealthy pensioners in next week’s Budget February 26, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak 'planning stealth tax increase' on wealthy pensioners in next week's Budget
Moneysupermarket profit drops as demand for travel insurance and credit products falls February 18, 2021 Moneysupermarket, the financial services price-comparison platform, suffered a fall in profit and revenue last year as lockdown restrictions caused a drop in demand for insurance and credit products. Moneysupermarket, which also owns the advice website Moneysavingexpert, said profit after tax fell 27 per cent from £94.9m in 2019 to £69.3m last year. Group revenue was [...]
Japan overtakes UK as world’s second largest pension market February 16, 2021 The UK pensions market was overtaken in size by Japan in 2020, pushing the UK to third place. The United States retained its position as the largest pension market in the world, making up 62 per cent of worldwide pensions assets. Japan and the UK represented 6.9 per cent and 6.8 per cent respectively. The [...]
Ranked: Monzo tops list of best UK banks as digital services thrive February 15, 2021 Digital fintechs Monzo and First Direct provide better service to customers than traditional banks, according to a recent survey. Ipsos MORI conducted a review of around 1,000 customers from each of the 19 biggest personal current account providers in the UK to rank the best and worst banks. The findings are designed to compare the [...]
Should you invest in P2P lending through your ISA? February 8, 2021 Cash and stocks and shares aren’t the only choices when it comes to using your ISA allowance. You can also back British business and individuals through peer-to-peer lending using an Innovative Finance ISA (IFISA). An IFISA lets investors earn interest from peer-to-peer loans tax-free. You can use part of your £20,000 ISA allowance but can [...]
How to use ISAs to simplify your life February 8, 2021 ISAs are an incredibly useful savings and investment tool which should form the bedrock of your financial planning strategy. They can even help you simplify and streamline your personal finances for an easier life. Here’s how. Spend less time on your tax return If you complete a self-assessment tax return, any interest, capital growth or [...]
Vaccines, central banks and a value revival: What’s driving investment decisions in 2021? February 8, 2021 In 2020, there was only one story in town: the coronavirus crisis, and newsflow about the pandemic was the biggest driver of stock markets. With macroeconomic news affecting investments more than ever before, what are the key issues that will shape the experts’ investment decisions this year, and what could it mean for your investment [...]
15 socially responsible investing ideas for your ISA February 8, 2021 Sustainable investment funds have exploded in popularity in the last few years, now holding more than $1 trillion of investors’ cash as the ‘Blue Planet effect’ made people rethink the impact of their choices on the planet. These funds have also proven themselves against their rivals – over the last 15 years, ethical funds have [...]
How the experts would invest £1,000 in an ISA right now February 8, 2021 Stocks and shares ISAs are a tax-efficient way to potentially grow your money by investing, so they should be an essential part of your overall wealth planning. But, with such a wide array of investment choice, the hardest part is deciding what to put in them. To give you some food for thought, we asked [...]