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 … Continue reading →

A paper published in August by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) casts new light on life expectancies in the UK. Source: Office for National Statistics Life expectancy has been increasing in the UK for a long time, as the … Continue reading →

2017/18 produced record inheritance tax (IHT) receipts according to HMRC data published in July. The latest release of the annual statistics revealed IHT produced £5.228 billion for the Exchequer in 2017/18, an increase of two thirds over just five years. … Continue reading →

The US stock market set a new record for the longest-ever bull market in August. S&P 500 Index Performance Wednesday 22 August 2018 saw the S&P 500 drop – by less than 0.1% – after 3,453 days, making it the … Continue reading →

The Bank of England increased the base interest rate in August to 0.75% – the second increase in 12 months. Source: Bank of England August 2018 The Bank’s decision to raise the rate to its highest level in nearly nine … Continue reading →