Hammerson sells Sheffield’s biggest retail park for £62m April 23, 2015 HAMMERSON said yesterday it has sold Drakehouse Retail in Sheffield as it looks to focus on its other major developments in Croydon and Brent Cross. The FTSE 100 property group has sold the 21,000 square metre retail park located to the south east of Sheffield city centre to 90 North Real Estate Partners for £61.7m. [...]
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 [...]
Ladies who don’t lunch: Ainslie McLennan talks property, politics and picking an IFA April 23, 2015 “I needed a bigger pond to swim in,” says Ainslie McLennan, describing her move to London, more than 10 years ago. She’d completed “the full triangle” in Scotland: born-andbred in Glasgow, she studied at Aberdeen University and then worked in Edinburgh. Her choice of subjects at university raises an eyebrow. “I started out doing [...]
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 [...]
The help to buy Isa: How helpful is it and what does it really offer first-time buyers? April 23, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne threw would-be first-time buyers a lifeline in his Budget last month: the Help to Buy Isa has been dubbed a key part of the government’s savings revolution, offering assistance to those who want to get onto the property ladder. Due to come into force this autumn, this new Isa wrapper will mean [...]
Tucking into a tikka and a good cause April 16, 2015 PRINCESS Anne, the business elite and military brass all turned out yesterday for the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, raising around £350,000 for ABF The Soldier’s Charity, which has aided returning and retired British troops since 1944. After the masala was munched and the dahl was devoured bidding got underway in a charity auction. The [...]
Park life: Portable speaker systems to see you through summer April 15, 2015 Make the most of those lazy-hazy-crazy days of summer with these excellent portable speaker systems. Bang & Olufsen A2, £299 Built from a rock-solid combination of extruded aluminium and a tough plastic polymer, this speaker is the perfect outdoor companion. As you’d expect from Bang & Olufsen, the sound is silky smooth and designed [...]
Mix it up: Why the lazy cocktail drinker should consider pre-mixed April 14, 2015 @philip_salter The words “pre-mixed cocktail” are anathema to many self-respecting cocktail aficionados. The experience of consuming these fine, upstanding drinks goes far beyond simple taste – it’s about the knowledge that a great deal of work, expertise and even love has gone into making each and every one. The slogan “good things come to those [...]
Quindell rocked by mistake in deal documents April 1, 2015 TROUBLED Quindell was forced to suspend its shares from trading on Aim for several hours yesterday, after making a “small mistake” in announcing the sale of its professional services division (PSD). The firm also had to cancel a number of trades that took place immediately following the suspension. Quindell confirmed on Monday that it was [...]
Quindell admits it got its sums wrong on Slater & Gordon deal to the tune of £13.5m following share suspension April 1, 2015 The mystery of this morning's decision to suspend trading in Quindell shares has been solved, after the troubled insurance claims processor admitted it had understated the amount its professional services division contributed to the company, to the tune of £13.5m. Shares were restored this afternoon after the company posted a statement several hours after its [...]