How to use an Isa to invest in peer-to-peer loans March 6, 2019 Since peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms began to enter the market in 2005, savers have used the services to hand out more than £10bn to borrowers. Aside from providing a significant boost to the UK economy, P2P offers attractive interest rates to lenders by cutting the banking sector from the borrowing process. The Innovative Finance Isa [...]
How to build an investment income generating machine February 28, 2019 | City Talk By Jemma Jackson from interactive investor. As we celebrate 20 years of ISAs, we reveal how patient investors can construct a lucrative portfolio. The launch of ISAs in 1999 did not get off to an auspicious start, being swiftly followed by the dotcom bust between March 2000 and March 2003. Indeed, the last two decades [...]
Funds and investment trusts for all the family February 26, 2019 | City Talk by Jemma Jackson from interactive investor. As the current tax year approaches an end, interactive investor selects some great funds for your ISA. Whilst reviewing or selecting an ISA portfolio might seem like a solo pursuit (the clue is in the name – Individual Savings Account), it doesn't have to be. interactive investor explains why [...]
How to choose a provider for your Stocks and Shares Isa February 14, 2019 Isas are a popular way for savers to squirrel away money. And given that these savings accounts are free from both capital gains and dividend tax, the Stocks and Shares Isa is particularly appealing to investors. With all that said, not all Isas are created equal, and charges can vary wildly across providers. Platforms can usually be divided into those [...]
Investing in an Isa? Avoid these common behavioural mistakes February 14, 2019 Just before the end of the tax year, there’s the usual Isa rush where banks offer their best rates to entice you to hand over your money. Given that the returns are tax-free, it might seem like a no-brainer, and often, taking out an Isa will make sense. But it’s not necessarily always the case. [...]
Saving into a Junior Isa is a great way for new parents to invest in their children’s future February 14, 2019 Think back to when you turned 18 years old. What would you have done if, on that birthday, you were handed £40,000? Would you have splurged it all on travelling the world during a gap year, or would you have been prudent and put it towards a housing deposit? You could have used it to [...]
Turbulence and tailwinds: how savers can seek returns and save the planet February 14, 2019 Isa season is upon us. With just a few weeks left to go before the end of the 2018/19 tax year, canny savers are scrambling to use up their tax-free allowance before the 6 April deadline. The task became more of a challenge this year after the government, in a bid to bolster Britain’s savings culture, [...]
First-time buyer mortgage approvals hit 10-year high despite higher UK house prices January 2, 2019 First-time buyer mortgage approvals hit their highest level in more than 10 years in 2018, the latest data shows. An estimated 367,038 first-time buyers took out mortgages last year, up from 362,800 in 2017, according to analysis from Yorkshire Building Society using UK Finance figures. The number exceeded 2007 levels, when 359,000 first-time buyers secured mortgages, [...]
Seven top tips if you want to retire early October 24, 2018 Picture this: a life of lie-ins and long holidays – all when you’re still spritely enough to enjoy the free time. For many of us, the prospect of retiring early will seem like a pipe dream. It’s true that there is no magic formula – whether you can afford early retirement is usually a question [...]
Why the ethical finance industry is still behind the curve October 4, 2018 Ten years on since the financial crisis, there has already been a great deal of focus and contemplation on how financial services have changed over the past decade. For many consumers, banks are still distrusted, not helped by mis-selling scandals or paltry returns on savings accounts. There has been a notable shift in not only [...]