Taking positive steps to achieve financial freedom
When are you thinking of retiring? With many pre-retirees reassessing their lives and priorities in the wake of the pandemic, there really is a seismic shift for many people towards achieving life balance. People need a plan to flex with their changing aspirations – it’s become more about living life rather than going through the […]
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Look after your life
Only a quarter of Brits have life insurance or critical illness cover policies in place, despite two in five knowing someone who has had a serious accident or been too ill to work, a study1 has found. Compared to protection for our homes (55%), and travel plans (20%), the take up of insurance policies relating […]
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News in Review
“Monetary policy must… navigate a narrow path” Interest rate rises were big news last week on home shores, across the pond and in Australia, as central banks acted in an effort to curb inflation. The Monetary Policy Committee voted by a 6-3 majority to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points to 1%, with further […]
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Economic Review – April 2022
IMF cuts growth forecast The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that economic damage from the Ukraine conflict will contribute to a significant slowdown in the global economy with the UK set to be amongst the hardest hit. In its latest assessment of world economic prospects, the IMF said the war in Ukraine is driving […]
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Tax year 2022/23 – get your ducks in a row
Effective tax planning strategies can help shield you from the chill this spring. While there’s minimal change in the operation and structure of the taxation of UK individuals in the 2022/23 tax year, the ‘no change’ element is significant. Excluding the 1.25 percentage point increase to National Insurance and Dividend Tax rates from April 2022, […]
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Fund inflows notch up second-best year on record
Despite the pandemic, new stats from The Investment Association(IA)1 show investors added over £43bn to funds last year, the second highest recorded. The IA details a key finding ‘inflows to responsible investment funds totalled a record £16bn, up £4.3bn on 2020.’ In December, net retail sales reached £2.3bn. Equity funds were the most popular asset […]
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Home Finance – In the news
Looming crisis in older people’s housing With demand for homes for older people four times higher than supply, the government has been urged to investigate1. The UK’s largest retirement housebuilder is requesting the introduction of rules to ensure 10% of new housing is designed for pensioners. A new government initiative ‘The Older People’s Housing Taskforce’ […]
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News in Review
“The American economy – powered by working families – continues to be resilient in the face of historic challenges” The US economy contracted in Q1 as surging inflation and supply disruptions weighed on output. A slower pace of inventory investment by businesses also weighed on the growth of the world’s largest economy, as did fading […]
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Money – In the news
Savers say goodbye to £34m in LISA bonuses During the 2020/21 tax year, HMRC reclaimed £34m in Lifetime ISA (LISA) withdrawal charges1. Although the government reduced withdrawal charges for LISAs from 25% to 20% in 2020 (to 5 April 2021) to help those who had no choice but to access their savings during the pandemic, […]
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Wealth – In the news
Cautious optimism over 2022 dividend growth A recent report1 has revealed a dramatic rebound in UK dividends in 2021, increasing 46.1% last year to total £94.1bn. This figure was boosted by a record £16.9bn in special dividends, three times the normal level. Special dividends are non-recurring and usually larger than a typical dividend payment. For […]
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