Last Week in the City: Markets Trumped by trade fears June 22, 2018 The week was dominated by trade war fears as Donald Trump said he would slap further tariffs on Chinese goods should there be any retaliatory measures. Despite this, Nasdaq hit a record high, although the Dow Jones Industrial Average erased all its gains in 2018 so far. The FTSE 100 fell 0.5% over the week [...]
Wanted: Tory candidate who gets London June 19, 2018 Nominations for the Tories’ London mayoral candidate open this month, reminding us that London elections have been unkind to the Conservatives lately. The 2016 mayoral election, when Labour’s Sadiq Khan defeated Tory Zac Goldsmith 44 to 35 per cent on first preference votes – 57 to 43 with second preferences for other candidates counted – [...]
All eyes on Bank of England governor Mark Carney as rates decision due tomorrow May 9, 2018 The chances of the Bank of England (BoE) not raising interest rates in May seemed inconceivable just a few months ago. Back in February, BoE deputy governor Ben Broadbent said that it would not be a “great shock” to the economy if the Bank raised interest rates twice this year. Now, it will be a [...]
Millennials should receive £10,000 from the government to tackle generation gap says commission May 8, 2018 The government should introduce a £10,000 “citizen’s inheritance” for all 25-year-olds as part of a bid to boost millennials’ prospects, according to a commission bringing together top business groups and trade union bosses. The Intergenerational Commission will also propose a new £2.3bn National Health Service levy on pensioners’ earnings, a progressive property tax to replace [...]
Bitcoin price (BTC) is above $8,000 after yesterday’s spike, but analyst warns price could fall again April 13, 2018 Bitcoin is back above $8,000 after climbing more than $1,000 in less than an hour yesterday. The cryptocurrency’s price soared past $7,000 and $8,000 for the first time in more than two weeks in its biggest jump of the year so far, but it edged back to trade between $7,600 and $7,800 for the rest [...]
London remains on top of the world for global financial services says major report March 26, 2018 London has retained its top spot as the world’s leading financial centre, fending off stiff competition from New York and Asian cities, according to an authoritative study to be published today. The global financial centres index, compiled by think tank Z/Yen, will show the City leading the pack of 110 cities analysed for the 23rd [...]
Bed & ISA: shelter existing shares from tax March 19, 2018 Investing in an ISA is a great way of building up investments tax efficiently. But did you know there is a straightforward means of making Stocks & Shares ISA subscriptions without investing any new money? Simply by using existing shares held outside an ISA in a process known as a “Bed & ISA” you can [...]
This stock market index rose 289% but could still be good value March 17, 2018 Over time, smaller company shares have outperformed larger ones, research shows. The FTSE Small Cap index has risen 289% since its nadir in February 2009, compared with a 158% rise for the FTSE 100. Because of their size, “small caps” have the potential to grow more quickly. The quicker a company can grow its earnings [...]
Make the most of your tax breaks before the end of the tax year March 15, 2018 ISA allowance ISAs are often the first port of call for investors looking to save tax. They are simple, flexible and tax-efficient. By using your full ISA allowance each year (£20,000 in the current 2017/18 tax year) it’s possible to build up a large pot of money sheltered from capital gains tax or income tax. [...]
Don’t underestimate the power of pensions March 14, 2018 Whether you are new to investing or nearing retirement, pensions are likely to be an important consideration. When you make a contribution to your pension, the government adds money. This is called tax relief and is one of the main advantages of using a pension to save for retirement. Not everyone is aware of this [...]