Make the most of your tax breaks before the end of the tax year March 15, 2018 ISA allowance ISAs are often the first port of call for investors looking to save tax. They are simple, flexible and tax-efficient. By using your full ISA allowance each year (£20,000 in the current 2017/18 tax year) it’s possible to build up a large pot of money sheltered from capital gains tax or income tax. [...]
Don’t underestimate the power of pensions March 14, 2018 Whether you are new to investing or nearing retirement, pensions are likely to be an important consideration. When you make a contribution to your pension, the government adds money. This is called tax relief and is one of the main advantages of using a pension to save for retirement. Not everyone is aware of this [...]
Spring Statement: OBR reveals the UK will be paying Brexit divorce bill until 2064 March 13, 2018 The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates the UK will be paying its Brexit divorce bill until 2064. Published to coincide with Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement today, the OBR puts the final figure at £37.1bn – squarely in the middle of government estimates of £35bn-£39bn. The body estimates that for the years 2019 and 2020 the [...]
Cash vs stock market: the difference in returns since Isas began March 7, 2018 Saving money into a cash Isa over the last 18 years would have returned four times less than a stocks and shares Isa, according to research by Schroders. Since 2009, the average savings account could even have lost you money. But while stocks and shares returns may have been higher, they have also been more [...]
Make the most of your tax breaks before the tax year end February 27, 2018 ISA allowance ISAs are often the first port of call for investors looking to save tax. They are simple, flexible and tax-efficient. By using your full ISA allowance each year (£20,000 in the current 2017/18 tax year) it’s possible to build up a large pot of money sheltered from capital gains tax or income tax. [...]
Five reasons to consider a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) February 23, 2018 Almost everyone includes a comfortable retirement as one of their financial goals, and building up pension benefits is often a highly attractive means of achieving this. One pension option offering great flexibility is a SIPP (Self Invested Personal Pension). 1. Add to your savings pot with tax relief Investing through a pension scheme can be [...]
Beat the shrinking dividend allowance February 23, 2018 Changes to the way dividends are taxed stand to leave investors exposed to an unwelcome tax charge from April. Investors can mitigate this risk by making the most of all their available tax-free allowances. The government has been tweaking the rules surrounding dividend income for a while now. In 2015, it was announced that the [...]
How to plan a comfortable retirement February 22, 2018 Saving for retirement is essential if you want to fully enjoy your later years, but how do you assess how much income you will need? Plus how much do you need to save to reach your goals? For many people retirement seems a long way off and saving into a pension isn’t always seen as [...]
When the scheme is a scam: Top tips to protect your money against con artists February 7, 2018 As we see a rise in people investing online, fraudsters are changing the way they con people out of money. Worryingly, £87,000 is being lost to investment scams every single day, according to figures published by the UK’s financial watchdog last week. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) urged people to be vigilant when signing up [...]
Bitcoin investors warned they could unknowingly owe tax ahead of self-assessment deadline January 30, 2018 Bitcoin investors who made huge gains when the cryptocurrency’s value rocketed last year have been warned that they could unknowingly owe tax to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). However, there is some confusion around the issue, as Ed Molyneux, the boss and co-founder of cloud accounting software provider FreeAgent, explains: “HMRC sees bitcoin profits being [...]