The Festival of Words: From Gyles Brandreth to Anthony Scaramucci – all you need to know about the Fleet Street Quarter festival
Nest egg: How best to save for your children’s future August 20, 2014 As GCSE results come out today, and the dust settles on last week’s A-Level results, many parents will be thinking about how they can help their children through university. But while Fidelity calculations suggest that education is the costliest part of raising a child from birth to 21, at an estimated £71,780 in total, many [...]
RBS share price starts down despite first-half profit increase of 93 per cent August 1, 2014 The Royal Bank of Scotland shrugged off PPI write downs to record a huge jump in profit before tax. The figures will come as no real surprise as RBS gave accurate guidance on its first-half expectations a week ago and saw its share price rocket as a result. This explains why the markets have not [...]
US tax battle: Kansas more complicated than critics condemn it for July 30, 2014 A heated tax battle is brewing in Kansas that could have major implications on future fiscal reforms throughout the United States. After Gov. Sam Brownback and the Republican-controlled State Legislature passed reforms lowering income tax rates among other tweaks to the code, critics are raising alarms about declining revenues. So, “What’s the Matter With Kansas?,” [...]
Property tax could deter foreign investment, specialists warn July 26, 2014 A capital gains tax that the government is planning to impose on some property owners could hinder investment in the private rented sector, tax specialists and investors have told the FT. The tax, due to begin in April next year, would affect anyone holding homes through a company structure. It was originally developed to [...]
Scottish independence: Why the referendum matters July 14, 2014 Even a “No” vote will mean radical shifts in political power. Warnings of market complacency have come thick and fast recently. Just yesterday, Bank for International Settlements chief Jaime Caruana said investors are ignoring the prospects of coming rate rises amid a giddy hunt for yield, while the geopolitical crises tearing through the [...]
Forget the celebrity tax allegations: Our complex system is the real issue July 9, 2014 Take That’s Gary Barlow has again been reported to have participated in complicated tax avoidance schemes. And as ever, discussion on the subject has been clouded by inaccurate reporting. Many have claimed that personal tax avoidance “costs the economy” £5bn a year. This is confused nonsense, based on an HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) estimate [...]
Analyst Views: What was your reaction to Taylor Wimpey’s half year trading update? July 7, 2014 ANTHONY CODLING | JEFFERIES At half time, there is no nervousness or need for a strong pep talk from team boss Redfern. His players are following the set game plan and leaving little to chance, having set the bar high with respect to value vs volume, they have left Persimmon with a lot to do [...]
The new Isa: Three things you need to know about it July 1, 2014 The new Isa (Nisa) is a day old and, despite speculation that a rush of investor funds could wobble providers’ systems, savers shouldn’t be deterred from making the most of the enhanced benefits of the liberalised tax wrapper. What has changed? Among several new rules, the amount of money an individual can shield within the [...]
St. Modwen Properties’ half-yearly report shows effects of recovery July 1, 2014 St. Modwen Properties released its half-yearly results today, revealing a 32 per cent rise in pre-tax profits and an increase in shareholder equity. The results come on the back of the rising housing market and burgeoning commercial developments. Pre-tax profit for the six months to 31 May had increased to £51.3m from £38.8m for the corresponding [...]
The new Isa: How to make the most of your Nisa June 29, 2014 Despite dwindling interest rates, with the right approach, even sticking to cash can mean you are quids in Announced in the Budget, the new, enhanced and simplified Isa arrives tomorrow. Allowing investors to shield up to £15,000 a year away from the taxman – up from the current £11,880 limit for stocks and shares Isas [...]