Make sure you use all of your options when it comes to pensions May 20, 2010 THE long-standing debate over whether those planning for retirement should pay as much as they can into their pension or make the most of their Isa allowance has taken on more significance of late due to changes that will affect both of the savings vehicles. Pensions are changing and higher earners will probably no longer [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 20, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES GOOGLE DEBATES OVER FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY Google executives are wrestling over whether to launch controversial facial recognition technology after a barrage of criticism over its privacy policies. Eric Schmidt, chief executive, said a series of public disputes over privacy issues had caused the management team to review its procedures and the launch of [...]
Osborne: UK is back open for business May 20, 2010 GEORGE Osborne last night said Britain was “once again open for business” as he pledged to draw a line under strained relations between captains of industry and the previous Labour government. In his inaugural speech to employers’ group the CBI, the chancellor said his “guiding principle” would be to support a private sector recovery by [...]
Advisers tell clients to ditch investments that attract CGT May 20, 2010 FINANCIAL advisers are telling their clients to ditch investments that will be hit by an impending hike in capital gains tax (CGT). According to a survey of 204 independent financial advisers (IFAs) by financial technology firm 1st Exchange, 60 per cent are advising clients to steer clear of assets that attract CGT. The Liberal-Conservative coalition [...]
Nasty double whammy for investors May 18, 2010 WITH all the focus on growth and the deficit, too little attention has been paid to inflation. Yesterday’s disastrous figures show how unwise this has been. The rise in the official consumer price index inflation to 3.7 per cent is bad enough – but I suppose it can be tolerated, given the ending of quantitative [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 18, 2010 FINANCIAL TIMES BC PARTNERS WINS MORE TIME Investors in BC Partners have granted the UK-based private equity group an extension to the investment period on its latest fund, in a sign that buy-out groups are winning more time to deploy their $500bn of unspent capital. The extension of BC Partners’s investment period from November until [...]
Tories in bid to limit CGT law May 18, 2010 DOZENS of senior Tories are trying to convince George Osborne to water down plans that could see capital gains tax (CGT) jump to 40 per cent. City A.M. understands that the chancellor is considering an alternative set of proposals masterminded by veteran right-winger John Redwood. Hiking CGT so it is taxed at a similar rate [...]
Proposed cap on migration just a smoke screen May 18, 2010 PARTNER, LEWIS SILKIN APART from the economy, the most hotly debated issue between the three major parties in the election was immigration. The policies of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats were completely at odds; the Conservatives favouring a cap on migration and the Liberal Democrats an amnesty for illegal immigrants. Now the negotiations to form [...]
Why hiking Vat will be very painful May 17, 2010 SO George Osborne has got his office for budget responsibility, tasked with auditing the public finances and producing independent economic forecasts. It is a splendid idea and a great opportunity for Sir Alan Budd, its first boss, to create a set of truly transparent national accounts. A crucial test will come with the treatment of [...]
Osborne launches audit of UK’s books May 17, 2010 GEORGE OSBORNE will commission an independent audit of the nation’s battered public finances today, ahead of an emergency Budget at the end of June. The chancellor has asked Sir Alan Budd, a former economic adviser to the Treasury, to head up the Office for Budget Responsibility, which will publish the review. Budd will also be [...]