What does the chancellor’s Budget mean for you? March 19, 2014 Catherine Gannon, 51Managing director of law firm Gannon The business continues to perform extremely well, but new legislation for LLPs means that it is being restructured. Profits and earnings are up on last year but the cost of living has increased rapidly. She doesn’t have much by way of a traditional pension plan but hopes [...]
Junior Isas: Kickstart your child’s savings March 18, 2014 But the tax wrapper is not always the best vehicle, as the funds are locked away until the child turns 18 With the total cost of a university degree topping £50,000 according to some estimates, and successive generations finding it harder to get a foot on the property ladder, many parents looking for a tax-efficient [...]
Wishes and predictions for Osborne’s budget March 17, 2014 ■ EY suggests there is little room for the chancellor to make big changes, given the spending constraints he has set for the Treasury, and that the OBR’s adjustments will be small. ■ However, the big four accounting firm expects George Osborne to make a move on the top rate of stamp duty, raising the [...]
Singapore becomes latest jurisdiction to clamp down on Bitcoin March 13, 2014 Singapore is set to regulate Bitcoin exchanges to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said in a statement that exchanges will have to identify their customers and report suspicious transactions to the relevant authorities. The MAS said in a statement: Regulation of virtual currency intermediaries pertains specifically to the [...]
What the other papers say this morning – 12 March 2014 March 11, 2014 FINANCIAL TIMES Brent crude contract underpinning Slowing output from the North Sea may require IntercontinentalExchange to add oil grades from beyond the offshore European fields to underpin its flagship Brent crude contract. The comments from David Peniket, president of the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, echo growing industry concern that the global crude oil benchmark [...]
Global investment set to climb to post-crisis high March 10, 2014 THE OUTLOOK for investment and employment globally is now at its strongest level since the financial crisis, with the UK’s rapid return to growth standing out particularly among advanced economies. Around the world, business optimism in general is at a two-year high, and stronger confidence is manifesting itself as firms intend to invest and hire [...]
Bad news mounts for Bitcoin as Japan plans tax March 7, 2014 The bad new keeps on mounting for the world's most popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin. The Japanese government has said that Bitcoin is not a currency and some transactions using it could be taxed. Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, told reporters on Friday: If there are transactions and subsequent gains, it is natural…for the finance ministry to [...]
How Isa millionaires make it in five steps March 5, 2014 By starting early with regular contributions and not shying away from risks, many more could reach a million No one knows exactly how many Isa millionaires there are – Brewin Dolphin says it has just 15 such clients, investors with at least £1m shielded from the taxman in the Isa wrapper. But the stockbroker’s research [...]
How Isa millionaires make it in five steps March 4, 2014 By starting early with regular contributions and not shying away from risks, many more could reach a million No one knows exactly how many Isa millionaires there are – Brewin Dolphin says it has just 15 such clients, investors with at least £1m shielded from the taxman in the Isa wrapper. But the stockbroker’s research [...]
How to take Aim with growth market stocks March 4, 2014 SHARES listed on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) have surged in popularity since August last year, when they became eligible for inclusion in Isas. And from the date the new rules were introduced until mid-February, the FTSE Aim market has outperformed the FTSE All Share, returning 18.9 per cent compared to just 2.1 per cent. [...]