The third quarter of 2018 showed mixed results for global stock markets. Index 2018 Change FTSE 100 -0.7% FTSE All-Share -0.5% Dow Jones Industrial +7.0% Standard & Poor’s 500 +9.0% Nikkei 225 + 6.0% Euro Stoxx 50 (€) -3.0% Shanghai Composite -14.7% MSCI Emerging Markets (£) -6.2% In the US, shares have continued to power […]
Most of us have things on our ‘to do’ list that never quite get done. Recent research from Royal London shows that 20% of fulltime working people recognise they need income protection, but haven’t got around to taking out a policy. Added to that, the same report shows that 42% of people with a mortgage […]
The Chancellor has changed his mind – again – on National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the self-employed. The Treasury has revealed that Class 2 NICs will remain for at least the rest of this Parliament. The Treasury’s justification was that, without Class 2 NICs, “A significant number of self-employed individuals on the lowest profits […]
A leading think tank has proposed a radical shake up of the UK tax system. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is a centre-left think tank that has a long history of influencing Labour Party policy. So, its ideas on tax reform published in the final report of its ‘Commission on Economic Justice’ are […]
The popularity of cash ISAs is continuing to wane, according to new statistics from HMRC. With inflation persistently above interest rates, it’s not hard to imagine why. The bank of England recently increased the interest rate to 0.75%, but inflation was 2.7% in August 2018. This means, if you are holding cash in an ISA […]
The 2018 Budget has been set for Monday 29 October, setting a deadline for speculation and proposals. Mr Hammond, however, has indicated that he won’t end the long spell of austerity measures, despite improving public finances. Proposals raised by think tanks and professional bodies include overhauls of income and inheritance tax, ‘pension tax relief simplification’, […]
