UK must turn around the ship of state towards economic freedom March 12, 2023 Dr Rainer Zitelmann is a historian and sociologist. In this guest essay, he argues the UK is slipping down the list of free countries in a new global index Last year, the UK received its worst rating in the Index of Economic Freedom since 1995, when the index was first calculated. This year’s rating is [...]
To de- or not to de-centralise? That is the question that will decide the Web3 future March 10, 2023 Nate is Head of Web3 Product at OKX, the second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume. The battle over the future of money is underway, and it’s most often characterised as being between two belligerents – traditional finance and crypto/Web3. Although this contrast is catchy – it’s easy to picture Windsor knots and tailored suits versus [...]
Jeremy Hunt readies placeholder budget that will let a lot of people down March 9, 2023 Jeremy Hunt is going to let a lot of people down at his budget next Wednesday. Businesses. Families. Even former Prime Ministers. The Chancellor is poised to resist calls to save a flatlining economy by staying the course set in his November autumn statement of balancing the books. Households want an extension of energy support [...]
Use your Isa allowance to invest against the Chancellor’s ‘Budget raid’ on savings March 8, 2023 What are your options if you plan to use your Isa to buy stocks and shares. We explore the different assets and explain why it’s more important than ever to use your Isa allowance this tax year. More taxpayers than ever are falling into the higher rate tax bracket of 40 per cent. According to [...]
Can Rishi Sunak’s science superpower dreams become reality? March 6, 2023 Rishi Sunak rolled out plans to “cement the UK as a tech and science superpower by 2030” today with promises to tempt in the best global tech talent and deliver a state-backed £370m investment boost. The new “framework” marks the first major outing for the newly minted department for Science, Innovation and Technology, which ministers [...]
Isa explainer: should you go for cash or stocks & shares? February 23, 2023 Savers have just over four weeks to make the most of this year’s tax-free savings allowance. We look at the different types of ISA available and how to find the one that’s right for you. Individual Savings Accounts, or Isas, were introduced by the government to encourage more people to save and allow savers to [...]
Jeremy Hunt faces calls for March budget giveaways after UK borrows £30bn less than forecast February 21, 2023 The UK government spent less than it reaped in from taxpayers last month helping to push yearly borrowing £30bn lower than projected by forecasters, officials figures out today reveal. The difference between what the government generated in revenue and spent hit a positive £5.4bn, meaning the UK’s public finances were in surplus last month, according [...]
Buy-to-let properties in the North East far out-value the South February 17, 2023 Thinking of investing in a buy-to-let property? Then be prepared to cast your net further than London and its surrounding areas. According to data crunched by RentTech platform Goodlord, potential yields for buy-to-let properties are highest in the North East, while the South East comes in last of all areas of the UK. Taking into [...]
British Gas owner Centrica posts £3.3bn record profit – more than treble last year’s £948m February 16, 2023 British Gas owner Centrica has unveiled record profits of £3.3bn - powered by soaring energy prices and historic market volatility.
FTSE 100 close: London index bumps higher ahead of key inflation and wage numbers February 13, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 kicked off the week in busy fashion today ahead of a busy week of data that will provide more clues on the health of the UK economy. The capital’s premier index closed 0.83 per cent higher today at 7,947.60 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with [...]