The world’s share markets had a buoyant first six months. Index 2019 H1 Change FTSE 100 +10.4% FTSE All-Share +10.4% Dow Jones Industrial +14.0% Standard & Poor’s 500 +17.3% Nikkei 225 +6.3% Euro Stoxx 50 (€) +15.7% Shanghai Composite +19.4% MSCI Emerging Markets (£) +9.3% The final few months of 2018 were a dark time […]
The BBC’s decision to scrap universal free TV licences for the over-75s is part of the larger debate about our growing ageing population. Free TV licences for the over-75s were introduced by Gordon Brown in his 2000 Budget. It was a classic rabbit-out-the-hat Budget measure, designed to please at a relatively modest initial cost. Wind […]
The recent problems with the suspension of dealings in a heavily promoted UK equity income fund have exposed the blurred line between advice and guidance. According to the Investment Association (IA), there are around 3,500 funds on sale in the UK. The IA sorts these into over 30 individual investment sectors, although about […]
A paper presented to the Labour Party has suggested the abolition of inheritance tax (IHT). Labour Party proposals to kill off inheritance tax (IHT) and replace it with a gifts tax were reported across several newspapers last month. The coverage was somewhat creative, as the idea was plucked from a paper prepared for the Labour […]
A government-commissioned report has proposed significant changes to the funding of university students in England. Students resident in England (different rules apply in other parts of the UK) pay a maximum university tuition fee of £9,250 per year, financed by a student loan. Further loans to cover maintenance plus interest at RPI+3% mean that […]
Divorce is always a sad and challenging time, made worse by the need to deal with family assets like the marital home. Much of the focus is quite rightly on making the best possible arrangements for any children involved. This often necessitates dealing with the family home, assessing its worth and apportioning its value. Today, […]
