In response to the very low yield on bonds, some investors have been tempted to chase higher yielding bonds, in an attempt to squeeze some return out of what feels like an unproductive portfolio allocation. This is, unfortunately, an accident waiting to happen. The phrase ‘picking up pennies in front of a steamroller’ comes to […]
Transfers out of private sector final salaries boomed in 2017. There was a dramatic increase in the value and number of transfers out of defined benefit (usually final salary) pension schemes in 2017. A recent Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revealed that the £20,800 million was transferred last year, […]
Action Fraud have noticed an increase in reports where fraudsters are offering victims discounts on their TV subscription, or told their account needs to be renewed. How does this scam work? Fraudsters are cold-calling victims, purporting to be from a Television (TV) provider offering a discount on their monthly subscription. Victims are usually told; Their […]
When it comes to getting a mortgage, if you opt to do it yourself you can expect to spend a lot of time trawling websites comparing best buys and traipsing round various different lenders. All this takes time and it can be hard to know if you’ve made the right choice. That’s why these days […]
Couples could now save an extra £20,000 of inheritance tax (IHT), as the residence nil rate band (RNRB) increased in April 2018. The RNRB was increased at start of the new tax year and it is due to increase by £25,000 in each of the next two years, reaching £175,000 in 2020/21. It will […]
UK inflation is falling faster than expected, as the March figure for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 2.5%. This March figure, published in mid-April, surprised forecasters, who had predicted annual inflation would remain at 2.7%, as in February. That February figure was itself a surprise, as the forecasts had predicted 2.8%. The drop for […]
