Financial markets continue to hang on two Vs: vaccine and virus February 9, 2021 Global equities bounced strongly last week, gaining nearly 5 per cent and more than reversing their losses from the previous week. Stock markets ended the week at new highs and opened again higher yesterday. The market correction ended up lasting no more than a week. “So too did the surge in GameStock which has fallen back [...]
What are VCTs and EIS? A quick guide February 8, 2021 For investors willing to take a chance on smaller and less well-established companies, venture capital trusts (VCTs) and enterprise investment schemes (EIS) offer the opportunity to support up-and-coming businesses. EIS and VCTs can complement other long-term investments like ISAs and pensions, and can be used as an overspill for extra cash once those annual allowances [...]
How the pros use ISAs to cut clients’ tax bills February 8, 2021 ISAs are more than just places to park some extra cash to grow tax-free. Used with a bit of sophistication, they can cut your tax bill by thousands of pounds. Professional financial advisers use ISAs for modestly wealthy clients up to those with multi-million pound portfolios. Why? Because they work. Here’s how to get the [...]
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 [...]
Looking to the “sunny uplands of recovery” February 3, 2021 David Smith, Fund Manager for Henderson High Income Trust, discusses the latest portfolio activity, the Trust’s recent performance and highlights the companies driving this performance. David also explains why he believes that by gaining the much-anticipated clarification on Brexit and COVID-19 vaccines, the UK equity market should look towards a positive recovery in 2021. Glossary [...]
Rishi Sunak set to maintain triple tax lock despite Covid-19 deficit February 2, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is said to have agreed to maintain the Tories’ so-called triple tax lock at next month’s Budget, preventing him from raising income, national insurance or value added tax. The chancellor had come under pressure from Treasury officials to shun the commitment made in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto not to increase rates [...]
Private equity deal activity bounces back in second half of 2020 February 1, 2021 Private equity activity in the UK bounced back in the second half of 2020, but the spring’s lockdown meant that the total number of deals fell to the lowest level in seven years. According to Big Four auditor KPMG, 889 deals were completed last year, with a total value of £87.2m. The figure is the [...]
Cut your bitcoin winnings – not your bitcoin losses January 22, 2021 Some people like to be losers all the time; nothing is ever good enough. If only, if only, they moan and whinge. Just my luck, just my luck. You know who I mean, the one who goes out to the petrol station to buy some Ginger Nuts and comes back with Digestives because there are [...]
UK announces inquiry into alleged corruption in British Virgin Islands January 18, 2021 The UK has launched an inquiry into claims of widespread corruption and misuse of taxpayer money on the British Virgin Islands. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced today that British Virgin Islands governor Augustus Jaspert had called for a federal investigation into a range of claims, including “political interference and coercion in relation to appointments in [...]
Taxman snoops on 18,000 phone records and web histories January 11, 2021 HMRC made 18,464 requests to access communications data like phone records and web histories to aid its criminal investigations in 2019, according to city law firm RPC. The total number of communication requests was up slightly on 2018’s 18,263 requests. The latest available data was from 2019. The taxman can request data held by telecoms [...]