Cut student loan repayments to get youths out of chicken shops Retail Crippling student loan repayments have stolen billions from the economy sending struggling graduates to cheap food options and public transport, a consultancy firm has argued. Analysts at Baringa found that cutting the student loan repayment rate from nine per cent to five per cent would free up to £6bn in consumer spending each year for [...]
Grandparents fund university degrees to avoid inheritance tax net Personal Finance Wealthy grandparents are choosing to fund their grandchildren’s university education over leaving a large inheritance as they look to avoid the shake up to the tax system. The bank of grandma and grandad has played a greater role within UK families in recent years, as parents continue to be squeezed by rising costs. In particular, [...]
SpaceX kicks off bond sale as it looks to begin mass borrowing spree Markets Elon Musk’s SpaceX has begun selling investment grade bonds for the first time in what is anticipated to be a mass borrowing spree in order to fund the company’s ambitious AI plans following its blockbuster Nasdaq listing. Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase & Co and Morgan Stanley are arranging calls with investors [...]
Delaying estate planning could cost affluent Brits over £12bn June 3, 2026 Brits who are putting off dealing with their estate planning could lose over £12bn in preventable inheritance tax from April 2027, as more middle-income earners brace to be ensnared in the tax net. Families who are in the top decile of UK wealth who do not begin estate planning until they are 70 could fail [...]
Ask the expert: Is £500k enough to retire? May 13, 2026 Fidelity personal finance specialist Marianna Hunt is back to help a reader who wants to know if they have enough in their portfolio to not only retire but to live the lifestyle they want. Q. I’m 55 and have built up a portfolio worth around £500,000 – split across pensions and ISAs. I’ve also paid [...]
‘Frightening’: Middle-earning grads could end up paying nearly triple the student loan they took out May 6, 2026 Graduates earning a middle income are the most likely to end up paying the most for their student loans, as UK grads continue to buckle under mounting uni debt. Those starting their careers or salaries ranging from roughly £45,000 to £50,000 can end up repaying more than other graduates, according to analysis from Rathbones, as [...]
Brits remain in the dark over pension tax relief rate as deadline looms March 16, 2026 The countdown is on for the end of the tax year, but Brits are still in the dark over their pension tax relief, causing them to miss opportunities to boost their wealth. Almost nine in ten people do not know the rate of tax relief they receive on pension contributions, according to the latest research [...]
High earners could be missing out on thousands in pension tax relief January 19, 2026 High earners could be at risk of losing a quarter of a million pounds in pension tax relief through failing to reclaim by the self-assessment tax return deadline. Brit ensnared in the £100,000 tax trap could see thousands of pounds slipping out of their grasp, as well as valuable free childcare support, according to wealth [...]
Young people seek to boost savings to offset cost of living squeeze January 13, 2026 Young people are seeking to save more money in 2026, as the cost of living crisis focuses minds on careful financial management. According to the latest City AM polling from Freshwater strategy, over half of Britons are aiming to save money, but a staggering 70 per cent of 18 to 34 year olds are prioritising [...]
Women and Gen X are feeling blue on their finances for 2026 January 12, 2026 UK adults have reported feeling upbeat about their finances for the year ahead, but women and Gen X do not share the positive sentiment. Six in ten adults said they felt positive about their financial situation going into 2026, maintaining last year’s results and up from the 52 per cent reported in 2024, according to [...]