Don’t rely on downsizing to make up for your insufficient pension October 27, 2016 After years of runaway house prices, few will be surprised that a sizeable proportion of the UK’s net wealth is tied up in property. The latest ONS statistics show that dwellings make up a massive 62 per cent, or £5.5 trillion, of the country’s £8.8 trillion total. So it is also unsurprising that many see [...]
Time is money: Are luxury watches a good investment? October 26, 2016 The current wave of smartwatches, like any new technology, will be outdated by the time you’ve finished reading this article. But certain classic watches not only tell the time, they increase in value with it. While the poorest performing of all the other asset classes (barring furniture), the watch sub-category of the Knight Frank Luxury [...]
What should chancellor Philip Hammond prioritise in his Autumn Statement? October 24, 2016 Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, says infrastructure. Whether small or large, infrastructure schemes boost local business confidence, regenerate areas, create business opportunities for a vast array of UK firms, and “crowd in” related private sector investment. Given decades of underinvestment, chronic delays, deficient digital networks and lagging productivity, an infrastructure-focused stimulus [...]
A change in Spain’s tax laws could make buying La Liga players easier for Premier League clubs such as Manchester United October 22, 2016 Premier League clubs shopping for new players in Spain will enjoy increased purchasing power in future transfer windows thanks to a ruling passed by Spanish tax authorities this week. La Liga stars who have been linked with a move to England such as Athletic Bilbao’s Oscar De Marcos or Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann may now be [...]
Theresa May’s statism is the wrong way to build a more prosperous post-Brexit Britain October 12, 2016 Labour has lurched to the hard left and Ukip does not currently seem equipped to capture the significant number of voters on lower incomes who are worried about immigration and the impact of globalisation. So it is understandable that the Prime Minister is seeking to seize the coveted centre ground. For that purpose, Mrs May’s [...]
Startups are swelling the ranks of UK businesses September 26, 2016 The number of VAT registered businesses in the UK has hit an all-time high of 2.1m, up four per cent from 2m last year. The rise has been driven by the thriving national startup economy, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. The number of businesses in the UK per capita has meanwhile recovered to [...]
This new proptech startup wants to help generation rent buy their first home September 22, 2016 Zoopla and top investor Robin Klein are backing a new property technology venture designed to help first time buyers hop on to the incredibly difficult first rung of the property ladder. Wannabe homeowners can invest in a property Isa with Bricklane.com which launches today. Cash will go into a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), which will invest in rental [...]
Experts warn the taxman could miss out on £6.6bn of non-dom tax revenues from 2017 September 12, 2016 Experts and politicians have urged the government to reconsider proposals to reform non-dom tax status from next April. Research released today reveals that the average non-dom pays 10 times the average amount of tax paid by Britons. The worry is that a change in legislation will simply drive non-doms to register themselves abroad, reducing overall [...]
Hunting share price jumps five per cent despite loss-making six months September 5, 2016 Shares in energy service provider Hunting rose over five per cent in morning trading despite announcing falling revenues and loss-making operations for the first half of 2016. Markets responded positively to the news of a reduction in Hunting's cost base and an interim financing arrangement that it is hoped will give the group sufficient breathing space in the short-term. The [...]
The chancellor’s fiscal reset is a golden opportunity to slash living costs through tax cuts and planning reform September 5, 2016 Philip Hammond recently said that he may use the Autumn Statement to “reset” fiscal policy. That is a welcome sentiment because it suggests the chancellor sees before him a golden opportunity to transform the tax system. With Parliament returning, we are likely to see the government start to formulate and publicise more detailed economic policy [...]