magazine archive
magazine archive
Money Matters
Annuity market slump brings shopping around to the fore
Thursday 17 Nov 2016There is a worrying trend emerging in the UK annuity market. Plunging annuity sales have seen insurers review their ongoing commitment to the open market. Many providers have stopped selling annuities including Standard Life and Prudential. The launch of the pension freedoms in April 2015 sparked a...
How to enjoy a tax-free retirement
Thursday 17 Nov 2016The thought of being hit with hefty taxes when you enter your golden years is a bitter pill to swallow. But you could be on the path to a tax-free retirement by making use of the available range of allowances and tax wrappers. Charles Calkin, head of financial planning at investment management firm...
Picking your perfect retirement income product
Thursday 10 Nov 2016I’m often asked which pension product is the ‘best’ for retirement income investors, and my answer is always the same: ‘If only it were that easy!’ What matters is choosing the product – or mix of products – and investments that best suit your needs and appetite for risk. According to PWC research...
Guide to sector investing
Thursday 10 Nov 2016If you think a particular sector of the economy is about to take off you might want to consider sector-focused investments, but it’s important to be aware of the greater risks involved. The attraction of investing in specific sectors is it enables you to avoid parts of the economy which are...
What to look for in Autumn Statement
Thursday 03 Nov 2016With the future of the UK post-Brexit continuing to dominate the political landscape, the Autumn Statement provides the Government with an opportunity to set out its domestic reform agenda. So what should savers and investors look out for when Philip Hammond delivers his first big speech as...
Fire up financial whizz-kids
Thursday 03 Nov 2016Explaining the ins and outs of investing to an apathetic teenager doesn’t sound like the most enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but it is possible to make money fun and relevant for your children. Nobody’s suggesting talking to your six year-old about interest rates and compounding, but...
Death and taxes
Thursday 27 Oct 2016‘I n this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.’ So said US Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, in a letter written following the establishment of the Constitution. In pensions, death used to be followed by a huge 55% tax hit on any money you left behind to your loved ones...
How to buy ‘complex’ investments
Thursday 27 Oct 2016B uying investment products such as shares, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investment trusts is a quick and simple process in the vast majority of cases, but if a more ‘complex’ product grabs your eye there are some hurdles you have to go through. Rules laid down by the regulator, the Financial...
Pensions versus ISAs: Which is the best to use?
Thursday 20 Oct 2016S tand aside pensions, ISAs are the new kid in town. That seems to be the conclusion of a report published last week by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), a body set up by the Government to provide independent analysis of the UK’s public finances. The evidence since 2010 certainly seems to...
Fund fees in focus
Thursday 20 Oct 2016D espite growing pressure on investment houses to reduce fees, there is still a huge gulf between the cheapest and most expensive funds which often can’t be explained by manager skill or outperformance. Some actively-managed funds charge three times as much as similar funds within their sector yet...