IG Group: Revenue jumps as volatility returns to markets March 13, 2025 Trading and investment firm IG Group has reported a 12 per cent jump in total revenue to £268m for the third quarter of its financial year (three months to 28 February 2025), as stronger market conditions and increased client activity drove growth. Trading revenue rose 15 per cent year-on-year to £235.3m. Trading in over-the-counter (OTC) [...]
Nepal: Where making a profit is a crime March 13, 2025 Maoist policies have made the Himalayan nation of Nepal one of the poorest in Asia, says Rainer Zitelmann On December 11 2023, I landed in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nepal lies between China and India and has a population of around 30m. Kathmandu is located in a valley in the middle of the Himalayas [...]
Why are women still shut out of venture capital? March 10, 2025 Venture capital (VC) remains overwhelmingly male-dominated, both in terms of who controls investment decisions and who receives funding. Despite women founding one in five startups in the UK, only two per cent of VC funding goes to all-women teams. This is the lowest figure in five years. “That’s not just a statistic – it’s a [...]
Taxes might be going up. Here’s how to cut your tax bill March 10, 2025 Savers are preparing for the possibility of income tax increases, with Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves expected to announce some changes to the tax regime in March. Labour pledged not to increase income tax during its election campaign. However, the Treasury has discussed freezing income tax thresholds and has refused to rule out income tax [...]
Why ISAs and pensions make a ‘perfect combination’ March 7, 2025 A key personal finance deadline is approaching. Savers with Individual Savings Accounts have until April 5 2025, to use their annual tax-free allowance, which shields up to £20,000 of savings in the 2024/25 tax year from tax on interest, capital gains or dividends linked to ISA investments. Last year, investment platform AJ Bell said that [...]
Digital nomads costing UK economy £3bn a year March 6, 2025 The UK is missing out on over £3bn of consumer spending and £320m of lost VAT a year because of the rising popularity of ‘digital nomad’ schemes among British citizens. According to a fresh study from Public First, the modish regimes – which promise professionals long-term work visas without having to become fully-fledged tax residents [...]
Oak Furnitureland battles rising costs as sales cut March 3, 2025 Oak Furnitureland remains in the red as a catalogue of issues impacted its sales during its latest financial year. The Swindon-headquartered retailer has revealed its revenue fell by 17 per cent to £236m in the 12 months to the end of June 2024 because of “a soft market, the Red Sea disruption and the subsequent [...]
Should I get an Innovative Finance ISA? March 3, 2025 Innovative Finance ISAs offer retail investors an alternative to more conventional savings accounts, although some financial advisers are cautious about the risk that comes with these products. IFISAs are designed to include more long-term, less-liquid investments. These can include peer-to-peer loans, crowdfunded debt issued by companies, and bonds issued by charities. As with all ISAs, [...]
Should I invest for my child’s future with a Junior ISA? February 28, 2025 In a world of soaring costs, expensive university fees and eye-watering house prices, parents would do well to invest in their children before they enter adulthood. Parents surveyed by the Be Clever With Your Cash money site last year said that they were putting £750 a year for each of their children, while their kids [...]
Family businesses trying to avoid capital gains are exposed if divorce occurs, lawyers warn February 27, 2025 Lawyers warned family businesses, including farms, who are rushing plans to avoid capital gains tax could be exposed to future risks should there be a divorce in the family