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Personal Finance
What not to do as the tax year end looms
Thursday 24 Mar 2022Sticking with cash in a high inflation world Inflation is expected to peak at more than 7% in April, just as ISA season comes to a close. Fears of savings being eaten away by inflation is probably near the top of investors’ list of worries right now. Inflation is the enemy of cash, as no cash ISA...
Five big personal finance changes heading your way in April
Thursday 17 Mar 2022April is the cruellest month, begins TS Eliot’s modern masterpiece, The Waste Land . The poem was published 100 years ago, but the sentiment could well apply today. UK consumers are facing a perfect storm of rising taxes and bigger bills from next month, which means that financially speaking, April...
Six big mistakes to avoid ahead of the end of the tax year
Thursday 10 Mar 2022Missing out on free money Whether it’s your pension, your Lifetime ISA or ensuring you claim tax breaks that you are eligible for, you want to make the most of any free government cash that you’re entitled to. Pensions benefit from tax relief at 20% for basic-rate taxpayers, but higher and...
How to value investments for inheritance tax purposes
Thursday 24 Feb 2022When someone dies and they have investments and other assets outside of a pensions environment, each of those assets needs to be given a value to determine the total value of the estate – and then in turn work out how much inheritance tax is due. But it can be tricky to work out how to value some...
How to shelter investments from an inflation storm
Thursday 17 Feb 2022Inflation is now forecast to peak at over 7% in April, which naturally has many people worried about how that will affect their savings and investments. Meanwhile the average Cash ISA is currently paying just 0.34% in interest, so many people will be looking to the stock market to help fend off...
Where’s the best place for £100,000 cash?
Thursday 10 Feb 2022Many people after a property transaction will be left with a large amount of cash that they may need in the relatively short term but not immediately. If we assume someone has banked proceeds of say £100,000, from a house sale or some other big transaction or windfall, where would be the most...
If you're under 50 do you need to invest in bonds?
Thursday 03 Feb 2022The bond market is under pressure. High inflation and the potential for rising interest rates have led to price falls, which may be the beginning of a tougher period for bonds. That’s after a terrific decade in which they have enjoyed abundant returns, thanks to loose monetary policy. Bonds tend to...
When and how do I pay for charges on investments?
Thursday 27 Jan 2022It is common to pay fees when you put money into stocks, funds and bonds via a DIY investment platform. The initial and ongoing fees vary depending on what you own, how you invest and how much money you have invested on the platform. For example, with AJ Bell Youinvest you will be charged £1.50...
Key personal finance dates for your 2022 diary
Thursday 13 Jan 2022This year is bringing a whole host of changes to personal finances, from the introduction of a new tax to certain paper notes being phased out. Here’s a run-through of what’s happening in 2022 and the key finance dates for your diary. Train fares increased by 3.8% at the start of the year, which...
House price boom presents problem for Lifetime ISA savers
Thursday 16 Dec 2021House prices in the UK are rising at the fastest rate since before the financial crisis, with no signs of the market slowing down since the stamp duty holiday ended. The latest Halifax House Price Index shows that on a quarterly basis, the house price growth of 3.4% over the past three months is...