Is a flat rate scheme coming to pension tax relief?

The prospect of a flat rate of tax relief on pension contributions has resurfaced in the national press. The cost of pension relief has been chipped back in recent years, mainly by reducing the annual allowance. However, a report in … Continue reading

Saudi Arabia: the next emerging market

The June 2018 review of constituents for the main Emerging Markets Index has produced a few surprises. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is one of the most important global stock market indices. JP Morgan, the US investment bank, estimates that … Continue reading

Top earners increase their share of tax payments

HMRC’s latest statistics provide an insight into the income tax paying population. The figures reveal changes in the distribution of tax revenue over the last decade, with a growing share now coming from higher earners. The pie chart shows the … Continue reading

Understanding what goes in to the FTSE100

The latest quarterly review of the FTSE 100 revealed common misunderstandings about how the index is drawn up. Every quarter FTSE Russell, which operates all the FTSE indices, decides which companies are promoted or demoted from the FTSE 100 index. … Continue reading

Interest rates for the Eurozone and US diverge

Important interest rate announcements were made in June, both in the UK and the US. The US Federal Reserve announced its seventh 0.25% increase in interest rates since December 2015, taking the level to 1.75%-2.00%. The rise had already been … Continue reading