Tag: ISAs
Difficult Choices – ISA or Pension Savings?
In the UK, we may be putting more savings into stocks and shares ISAs than into personal pensions. Reporting on savings trends in the 2010/2011 tax year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said savers put £14.3bn into personal pensions in that tax year, compared with £15.8bn into stocks and shares ISAs. This compares with [...]
Read more5 Qualities an IFA brings to your investment portfolio
Let’s assume for a moment that you’re in the happy position of having £100,000 to invest. What would you do? Play absolutely safe and put the money on deposit? Or go all out for capital growth and put your windfall into a fund that could give you a sky-high return – but that carries an [...]
Read moreMaximise your ISA opportunity
As the end of the tax year approaches, we have the biggest ISA opportunity available since ISAs were first introduced. In the next five weeks by spanning the 2011/12 and 2012/13 ISA tax years a family of four will have the ability to shelter £58,320 from the taxman. This assumes that a couple each use their [...]
Read moreISAs gathering dust, not interest!
An increasing number of new cash ISA products are being sold with additional interest as a bonus percentage, usually for no more than the first year. Investors who do not review their ISA holdings on at least a yearly basis may find that a later interest yield is dramatically less that they expected. Some people [...]
Read moreTen strategies for tax planning in 2012
In the theme of making New Year’s resolution’s for 2012 – an often overlooked part of putting your finances in order is making sure that your tax planning is effective. Are you claiming all the tax relief you’re entitled to? Are your investments arranged in the most tax efficient way? To give your financial planning a head [...]
Read moreTen New Year’s Resolutions for your Financial Planning
Around 50% of us make New Year’s Resolutions and ‘sort the finances out’ must be one of the most popular: but that’s a little vague – it’s more a wish than a firm commitment to take action. The main subject of many of our January appointments with both new and existing clients seem to have [...]
Read moreChildren, money and education
Survey findings published by the Personal Finance Education Group (pfeg) tell us quite a lot about the monetary habits of children in England. The pfeg was set up in 2000 by a group of individuals, primarily from the finance sector trade associations, concerned that financial education was not being taught coherently in schools. Since then [...]
Read moreDeposit accounts – the good, the bad and the ugly
On Thursday March 5th 2009 the Bank of England reduced its base rate to 0.5% where it has remained ever since – and with fears about European defaults and a possible double-dip recession stalking the economy, it is unlikely to rise in the near future. Indeed, some economists are predicting that any rise before 2014 [...]
Read moreComing Soon – Junior ISAs
Junior ISAs (Individual Savings Accounts) will be available from 1 November 2011, following the end of Child Trust Fund (CTF) eligibility from January 2011. The Treasury says that Junior ISAs will ensure that all parents have a clear and simple way to save for their child’s future. They will initially allow parents, family members and [...]
Read moreTen ways to cut Inheritance Tax liability
As a starting point, every individual is entitled to a nil rate band, under which no inheritance tax is payable. For the current tax year, the nil rate band is £325,000. Any inheritable assets over that threshold figure can attract a tax of 40%, payable to HM Revenue & Customs. There are however a number [...]
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