Blog – 2 Columns

The property outlook for landlords remains somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, rents increased by 5% across the UK in the year to May 2023, but set against this, property prices continue to fall, with many sellers having to discount by 5% or more to secure a sale. Mortgage costs remain high, with the rate […]

Capital gains tax raised £16.7 billion in 2021/22, according to HMRC – a 15% increase over the previous year. But what lies behind these statistics?         In early August media outlets reported that the government had raised a record amount of capital gains tax (CGT) last year. There was no doubting the […]

Is Downing Street really planning to abolish inheritance tax?    Shortly before the so-called ‘silly season’ (Parliament’s summer recess) got underway, several newspapers carried stories that Downing Street was considering the abolition of inheritance tax (IHT) in an attempt to appeal to certain voters. The speculation did not last for long before the Uxbridge by-election […]

As interest rates continue to rise, we need to consider why.   Cast your mind back to July 2020. Covid-19 was creating massive social and economic disruption, reflected in a Bank of England interest rate of just 0.1% and instant access savings rates were little more than 1%. Three years later, the Bank of England […]

Investment funds come in a variety of formats and acronyms – the differences are worth knowing.  The days of individuals largely owning UK shares have long passed. The latest National Statistics data shows that in 2020, only 12% of shares were held by individuals. One reason behind that level has been the growth of investment […]

You do not have to take your state pension at state pension age.  The current state pension age (SPA) – the earliest age at which you can draw your state pension – is 66. It will be gradually increased to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. A further rise to 68 is due, probably […]

Large community and religious WhatsApp groups are being targeted by scammers who infiltrate these groups to deceive their members into sending them money. Action Fraud confirm they have received 268 reports since January this year. The fraud often begins when a member of the group receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, pretending, or […]

Several changes to pensions were announced during the Spring Budget. Regarded as the most significant since pensions freedoms in 2015, the changes, expected to provide greater flexibility and opportunity, have largely had a positive reception. The overhaul is intended to make it more straightforward for individuals to accumulate a bigger pension pot and not be […]

Protecting What Matters Most Financial resilience is the ability to recover quickly from an unexpected financial shock. Many of us insure our homes and cars without really thinking about it, but far fewer insure their lives and incomes. Savings can and do help in the short-term. But what happens when they run out? Or if […]

Recent data has revealed that inheritance tax (IHT) receipts reached a record level in the 2022/23 tax year. Every month the government publishes data that sets out HMRC’s cash tax receipts in detail. The data issued in late April provided the first set of figures for the sums raised in the 2022/23 tax year. This […]

The government has announced a new initiative to counter fraudulent activity, particularly in the financial sector.    You might not be surprised to learn that fraud is now the most common crime in England and Wales, although you may not be aware that it accounts for more than 40% of all crime. The growth in […]

An announcement in late May will herald a fall in gas and electricity bills from July.    Remember the Ofgem price cap? A little over a year ago it was the headline grabber, with the news that the so-called utility price cap set by Ofgem would be rising in April 2022 from £1,277 a year […]