News

From February new rules apply if you choose pension drawdown but do so without taking advice. The Covid-19 pandemic has deferred many events of all sizes, from the Tokyo Olympics to millions of foreign holidays. One of the less prominent … Continue reading →

As the third Covid-19 lockdown took effect on 5 January 2021, the Chancellor announced a further £4.6 billion in grants to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. This new round of support follows extensions to the job retention and loan … Continue reading →

The latest phasing of State Pension Age (SPA) increase is now finished. On 6 October 2020, the SPA reached 66. Unless current legislation is changed, it will remain there until 6 April 2026, at which point the next increase, to … Continue reading →

The Chancellor’s November ‘Financial Statement’ revealed more spending and more government borrowing, but no mention of tax rises.  Source: Office for Budget Responsibility The UK budgetary cycle is in something of a mess at present. In 2019, unusually there was … Continue reading →

November was an exciting month for the world’s stock markets. Source: Investing.com November was an exhilarating month on the world’s stock markets, as the graph above illustrates. It cannot be said that many experts – bar room or otherwise – … Continue reading →

Deposit rates are continuing to fall. On 24 November, the interest rate cuts that National Savings & Investments (NS&I) announced back in September took effect. The headline change was a drop in Income Bond rates from 1.15% to just 0.01%. … Continue reading →

New research shows the majority of the self-employed are not saving for retirement. Source: IFS Here’s a quick quiz: Are you self-employed? If so, have you contributed to a private pension in the last year? The Institute for Fiscal Studies … Continue reading →

The Chinese stock market broke the $10 trillion barrier in October. Source: Investing.com The total value of China’s stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen surpassed $10 trillion in October. For comparison, the UK market was worth about $4 trillion at … Continue reading →

A recent report on UK dividend payments suggests the worst of the cuts may be over. Source: Link Asset Services First, the bad news: In the third quarter of 2020, total (regular and special) dividend payments from UK companies were … Continue reading →

With the second lockdown now in place, the Chancellor has been forced to return to Parliament and announce extended job support measures. Two further grants under the SEISS were announced in September and have now been updated. The government’s new … Continue reading →

The third quarter of 2020 saw share markets calmer than in the previous two. Index 2020 Q3 Change FTSE 100 -4.9% FTSE All-Share -3.8% Dow Jones Industrial +8.0% Standard & Poor’s 500 +8.5% Nikkei 225 +4.0% Euro Stoxx 50 (€) … Continue reading →

National Savings rate to drop sharply from 24 November. At times, National Savings & Investments (NS&I) looks like a relic. Its role in raising money for the government has seemed an increasing anachronism for three main reasons: The amount NS&I … Continue reading →

The government has acted to ensure state pension increases can happen next April. Source: House of Commons Briefing Paper CBP-08712. The Basic State Pension (BSP) and the New State Pension (NSP) – for anyone who reached State Pension Age after … Continue reading →