magazine archive
magazine archive
Money Matters
What does the coronavirus outbreak mean for retirement investors?
Thursday 26 Mar 2020Investors are enduring the first ‘bear’ market (when stock markets fall by 20% or more) since rules were introduced in 2015 giving people total flexibility over how they spend their pension pot from age 55. In fact, the uncertainty gripping markets since the coronavirus outbreak hit means millions...
Eight changes to your money happening next month
Thursday 19 Mar 2020The new tax year is looming, and with that always comes a raft of changes to tax rates, the limits for tax breaks and how much of your pay goes into your back pocket each month. The changes happen on 6 April which is the start of the new tax year. Some of them have only just been announced in last...
The tax quirks that mean you pay up to 200,000%... and how to avoid them
Thursday 12 Mar 2020The tax system has become so complicated that many people find they are paying far more than the top rate of tax, as a £1 pay rise can mean certain benefits or allowances are whipped away. The highest rate of income tax in the UK is 45% for anyone earning £150,000 or more. But some people on far...
Inc vs acc: choosing the right fund type to collect or reinvest dividends
Thursday 27 Feb 2020Share classes on funds can be confusing, but picking the right and wrong one can make a significant difference to your portfolio. Often investors will be faced with a confusing array of letters or acronyms after a fund name, which can look like alphabet soup but actually make a big difference to...
How to save money on your internet and phone bills
Thursday 20 Feb 2020It is easier for anyone with a broadband, TV, landline or mobile phone to find out when their monthly costs are about to be hiked thanks to changes that came on 14 February. New rules from the regulator, Ofcom, mean that your provider now has to warn you when you’re current contract is ending,...
Top tips for picking a current account
Thursday 13 Feb 2020Your current account is usually central to your day-to-day money management, so you need one that reflects the way you like to bank and also gives you something back, whether in interest, cashback or a free overdraft. And by managing your everyday cash sensibly you can free up money to save and...
Top tips for writing a will
Thursday 06 Feb 2020There is a misconception that wills are only for the wealthy or the elderly but if you have dependants and you own any assets, you really should have a will. There may be a bit of a psychological barrier to them for many of us – we don’t like talking about death, after all. Perhaps that’s why 56%...
Who had it better on house-buying: baby boomers or millennials?
Thursday 30 Jan 2020It’s the perennial question of who had it tougher when getting on the property ladder: those who bought in the 1980s or those who are trying to buy now. Millennials today point to soaring property prices, while baby-boomers highlight record high interest rates. So, who really had it better? House...
What are the options to fund care?
Thursday 23 Jan 2020Funding care costs became a key topic in the recent general election, with different parties pledging money or proposing reviews into how to fix the problem of care funding. However, it’s a problem that’s been kicked down the road by continual governments, as the costs are high and there’s no easy...
How much money will I need in retirement?
Thursday 16 Jan 2020It is very difficult to predict how much you’ll spend each year looking a decade ahead, let alone trying to predict what your annual spending will be in retirement. But it’s important to know how much you’re likely to spend, so you can make sure you’ve saved enough to meet those costs. Many people...