Whatever you fancy in the long-term, there’s an ISA for it March 23, 2010 With tax hikes on the horizon as the general election looms, sheltering more cash in an ISA is a sensible move. The investment choices you make will depend on how long you wish to invest and how much risk you are prepared to take. But every new year there brings a new fad investment and [...]
An ISA in a fund can see you though tough times March 23, 2010 WITH an equities ISA you can shelter more money from the taxman than you can with a cash ISA – currently £7,200 a year in equities compared to a maximum £3,600 in cash (or £10,200 for the over 50s). This will increase to £10,200 for everyone from April 6, of which £5,100 can be in [...]
Easing central banks’ inflation targets would be a mistake March 23, 2010 SOVEREIGN debt has replaced the bank crisis as the biggest worry for investors. The problems in Greece have served to focus attention on the budget deficits of the entire southern Eurozone. And last week the head of sovereign risk at Moody’s, talking about the situation in the US and UK, said: “We expect the situation [...]
The budget is Darling’s last chance to convince voters and markets March 23, 2010 MORE than one budget is expected this year, and there is a good chance that tomorrow’s will be superseded by another once the election has been fought and won. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that there is still an awful lot riding on chancellor Alistair Darling’s words this week. Firstly, the budget provides [...]
Comfort & Class March 23, 2010 SOMEHOW the Passat CC had passed me by, until I overtook one on the motorway recently and found myself doing a double take on what must surely be one of the most surprisingly stylish cars for sale in the UK. Fast forward to this test drive. Firstly, despite its CC name, a Coupé Convertible it [...]
British Gas workers vote to strike March 23, 2010 BRITISH Gas workers have voted to strike over what they have branded macho management and bullying. The strikes would affect gas service engineers, central heating boiling engineers and distribution depot workers, the union added. No strike dates have been set among the 8,000 GMB members and the company, part of Centrica, has been given a [...]
Six arrested in FSA insider dealing probe March 23, 2010 SIX men – including three senior City professionals – have been arrested in the Financial Services Authority’s biggest ever operation against insider dealing. The FSA says the men are believed to have passed information to traders – either directly or via middlemen – in a sophisticated and long-running insider dealing ring. The traders then used [...]
UK inflation rate drops March 23, 2010 THE headline rate of inflation last month slowed for the first time since September, raising hopes that the figure has reached its peak. Utility price cuts and a slower rise in food prices helped to send the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) back down to three per cent in February. In January it soared to a [...]
RAB Capital narrows losses March 23, 2010 HEDGE fund firm RAB Capital has narrowed its full year net losses as new investors helped the business recover from the recession. The energy and commodities funds specialist posted an after-tax loss of £3.1m for last year compared with a loss of £17.1m in 2008. Assets under management improved to $1.35bn (£899m) at the end [...]
Legal & General raises dividend with profits boost March 23, 2010 INSURER Legal & General reported forecast-beating profit and has increased its dividend. L&G, the country’s sixth-biggest insurer by market value, said it had a 2009 operating profit of £1.3bn, ahead of the £1.1bn predicted by analysts. The figures were helped by a £69m cost-cutting programme, with a cull of 17 per cent of the workforce. [...]
