magazine archive
magazine archive
Personal Finance
Are investment trusts better than open-ended funds?
Thursday 06 Jun 2024Investment trusts are beloved of many investors and have a rich history stretching back to the jute boom of the 19th century. Despite its longevity, the industry’s primacy has been usurped by a relatively young pretender in the form of open-ended funds. The first such fund was launched by M&G...
Pocket money: how much to give and how to give it
Thursday 30 May 2024How much pocket money you should pay your children is a common dilemma among parents, but new data shows how much the nation is paying its kids. The Natwest Rooster Money report shows how people using its pocket money app manage the payments and how much they pay their kids. And children have felt...
How to avoid the great cash swindle
Thursday 23 May 2024Life as a cash saver is great now interest rates are higher right? Wrong, for a lot of people. While the very best rates available on the market are comfortably beating the rate of inflation, a lot of cash is still languishing in accounts paying miggins in interest, if that. Bank of England data...
Should I overpay my student loan?
Thursday 16 May 2024The cost of going to university has ballooned, and it means the average graduate leaves university with around £50,000 worth of debt. That’s a large sum to pay off, and the way the student loan system has changed means that many people will have this debt for 40 years before it’s wiped out. The...
How to use ‘refer a friend’ deals to boost your savings
Thursday 02 May 2024Lots of companies are willing to pay out money if you introduce a friend to their services. Whether it’s mobile phones, bank accounts, broadband, investment accounts or insurance, there is often a deal where if you introduce a friend you make a bit of money for your troubles – and often the friend...
The perils of drawing your pension early
Thursday 25 Apr 2024Every time anyone in the UK puts money into a pension, a deal is struck. The government adds tax relief to the contribution, and the quid pro quo is you have to lock that money away for retirement. Hence why you can only access a pension after the age of 55, rising to 57 from 2028. The idea is that...
Get the lowdown on NS&I’s new British savings bonds
Thursday 18 Apr 2024In the Spring Budget, the chancellor announced the launch of new British savings bonds with the promise of a three-year cash account intended to raise more money for the government. The new products have been launched, so we’ll explain what they are and when you might want to use them. WHAT ARE THE...
Early bird ISA investors swoop on £19,000 gain
Thursday 11 Apr 2024The end of the tax year is well known for being ISA season, when savers and investors rush to beat the 5 April deadline to make the most of their £20,000 annual ISA contribution. But in the background a hardy bunch of investors are just biding their time at the beginning of April, waiting for the...
The personal finance changes hitting in April
Thursday 04 Apr 2024The new tax year often brings a raft of changes that impact people’s pay, investments and savings – and this year is no different. Here we list the big changes affecting people’s finances from next month. 1. Capital Gains Tax breaks cut again… From April the tax-free allowance for capital gains tax...
How to make the most of the big gilt revival
Thursday 28 Mar 2024In the middle of a bull market in stocks, gilts are back on the menu for investors. They might not offer the eye-popping returns experienced by Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) shareholders, but nonetheless individual gilts were some of the most popular investments made over the last year on the AJ Bell...