The Chancellor has announced the date of his first Autumn Budget as Wednesday 22 November. The second Budget of 2017 will be both Mr Hammond’s first Autumn Budget and the first Budget after the general election. Traditionally, the first Budget … Continue reading →

The Bank of England has signalled that interest rates may rise soon. Early in September, the money markets were expecting the first Bank of England interest rate rise to occur in late 2018, at the earliest. A little more than … Continue reading →

The third quarter of 2017 has ended and despite the heavy political news, investment returns were generally positive. Index Change 30 June – 29 September FTSE 100 +0.8% FTSE All-Share +1.2% Dow Jones Industrial +4.9% Standard & Poor’s 500 +4.0% … Continue reading →

New statistics from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) show that cash withdrawals from individual savings accounts (ISAs) are probably more than matching fresh contributions. In the world of ISAs, cash ISAs have long attracted more contributions than their stocks and … Continue reading →

Self-employment is the dream of many, especially as the goal of retirement seems to creep further out of reach. Being your own boss sounds great. But there are drawbacks. Around two million of the country’s self-employed workers are unable to … Continue reading →