Hold your nerve Recent research1 reveals women are more likely to hold their nerve and avoid crystallising a loss when the market dips. Almost half of men (48%) have sold investments at a loss when they’ve dropped in value, in an attempt to stem their losses, while just 38% of women have done the same. […]
Category archives: General Financial News
Beat the tax chill
Following his controversial ‘stealth tax’ Statement in November, the Chancellor made a raft of key personal taxation and pension announcements. The government pledged its commitment to the pensions Triple Lock, which will increase the State Pension in line with September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of 10.1%. This means that the value of the basic […]
Reminder – tax year end
As the end of the tax year approaches, a prime consideration should be how external factors such as reduced or frozen allowances, together with high inflation, could impact your finances and what action you need to take before 5 April 2023. If you are affected by the impending changes to Dividend Tax or Capital Gains […]
Dividend news
According to the latest Dividend Monitor1, driven by sterling weakness, 2022 headline payouts are expected to rise to £97.4bn, up 11.0% on an adjusted basis, with underlying dividends expected to rise 13.4% to £87.2bn. The provisional forecast for UK dividends in 2023 anticipates a slight drop in headline dividends but modest underlying growth. Looking ahead, […]
Global growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)1 has predicted a challenging 2023, reducing growth expectations and forecasting economic contraction in a third of the world, in its latest World Economic Outlook entitled ‘Countering the Cost-of-Living Crisis.’ With the cost-of-living crisis ‘tightening financial conditions in most regions’, the outlook suggests that in order to restore price stability, monetary […]
New year – check your protection
The start of a new year is a great opportunity to reassess your finances. In 2023, with difficult economic conditions causing cost-of-living difficulties for many, it is especially important to make sure everything’s in order. Protection is an essential part of long-term financial planning. The right protection for your unique needs is an indispensable safety […]
Building retirement resilience in 2023
Although there are many challenges on the household finance front at the moment, the start of a new year always provides the perfect opportunity for a financial health check; and a key element of any finance MOT will inevitably be an honest appraisal of your financial fitness for life after work. Retirement income targets A […]
Your investment focus for 2023
By any comparison, the past 12 months have been tough for investors with a series of shocks impacting markets and, as 2023 dawns, uncertainties remain. One constant on the investment horizon, though, is the requirement to be strategic with your portfolio. A sound strategy based on careful planning; making purposeful decisions, based on thorough research […]
Looking to retire early? There’s lots to think about
It is the dream of many to retire early. Indeed, 270,000 people in their 50s and 60s left the UK workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Concerns about retirement poverty However, two thirds of people aged 50–70 who quit work or lost their job during the pandemic left the […]
Anyone can fall victim in an ‘epidemic of fraud’
The latest annual fraud report published by UK Finance stresses the need for an urgent response to ‘the epidemic of fraud’ that the UK is currently facing. The report reveals that £1.3bn was stolen by criminals through authorised and unauthorised fraud in 2021. In total, 56% of UK adults1 have received a suspicious communication or […]