Tax-and-spend plans: What to expect from the new Tory Treasury May 10, 2015 With the Conservative party winning a majority and George Osborne returning to his position as chancellor of the exchequer, the UK now faces another five years of Tory-led tax-and-spend plans. But without the competing visions of coalition partners, how will this Tory Treasury be different from that of the last government? When looking for answers, [...]
General Election 2015: WPP founder Sir Martin Sorrell wants a UK version of the Chinese Five Year Plan and an acknowledgement that immigration benefits the economy May 5, 2015 ELECTION COUNTDOWN: 1 DAY TO GO We have been asking a business leader each day to say what policies would entice them to vote for a particular party. SIR MARTIN SORRELL: FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF WPP 1. Articulate a practical overall economic plan covering, among other things, education, infrastructure investment (hard [...]
At home and abroad: Global numbers that matter and key election pledges April 23, 2015 From interest rate cuts and capital flight, to plunging currencies and growth wobbles, we highlight the numbers that matter this month KEY ELECTION PLEDGES THE CONSERVATIVES WILL… Raise the level at which people start paying income tax to £12,500 a year, from £10,600, and introduce a law to ensure no one on the [...]
An Isa revolution: Why the savings and investment vehicle is now more powerful than ever before April 23, 2015 Nearly 14m new Isas were opened in 2013-14. According to the recent BlackRock Investor Pulse Survey, the 16 year-old savings vehicle is used by over a quarter of Britons to build up their longterm wealth, and by nearly 40 per cent to provide a rainy day fund for life events. And the government’s revolution in [...]
How to avoid a hangover: Investing in fine wine April 23, 2015 Tom Welsh examines the risks and opportunities of this alternative asset class. At an auction in Hong Kong late last year, the record for the most expensive super-lot of wine ever sold was broken. Going for the equivalent of about $1,700 per glass, 114 bottles of Romanee- Conti Burgundy were bought for approximately $1.6m by [...]
Surviving the lifetime allowance: You could face 55pc tax on your pension savings unless you plan carefully April 23, 2015 The chancellor’s generosity couldn’t go on forever. Just days before his transformational reforms to pensions were enacted – the end of the compulsory purchase of annuities has at last given savers real power over their money when they reach 55 – George Osborne announced that the pensions lifetime allowance (LTA) would fall from £1.25m to [...]
Unleash the Junior Isas: How do the experts invest to unlock decades-long returns April 23, 2015 With a time horizon of up to 18 years, Junior Isas have tremendous growth potential. Annabelle Williams asks the experts how they invest to unlock decades-long returns. One of the best ways to save for your child’s future is the Junior Isa (Jisa). As with an adult Isa, there is an annual allowance for each [...]
Private investors could swing the election – but parties are offering nothing April 22, 2015 The manifestos have finally been published and we now know what each party is promising. Unfortunately, not one seems to be listening to the voices of personal investors. According to Platforum’s latest Direct to Consumer research, there is now £132bn invested on direct to consumer investment platforms by some 5.8m active investors. This is a [...]
Revealed: How the mansion tax could cost taxpayers £175m April 20, 2015 More than 120,000 households could face a bill of up to £4,800 each to have their property revalued thanks to Ed Miliband's mansion tax. The total cost to homeowners of revaluing their properties would come to around £110m, according to upmarket estate agent Savills. But it's not only owners of high-end property who are in [...]
Investec Comment: Pensions: The role of structured products April 19, 2015 THE government’s pension reforms have arrived – and attention has inevitably shifted from the technicalities of the new rules to what those at retirement will do with their new-found freedoms. The reforms have given people unprecedented control over their pensions: you no longer have to buy an annuity, you can keep your money invested and [...]