EIS and VCT opportunities

Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Enterprise Investment Schemes (EISs) are sometimes cited as the next port of call after you have used up allowances for pensions and individual savings accounts (ISAs). But there are some key differences between VCTs’ and EISs’ tax...

Annuity or drawdown?

Pensions freedoms have given retirees more choices about their finances but this can leave many wondering which is the right path to choose. Transitioning from working life to retirement can be an emotionally tricky period. Often much of a person’s identity is built...

FCA calls for stronger controls on funds post-Woodford

‘Host’ authorised fund managers (AFMs) have been told to tighten up control of their funds and better manage conflicts of interest following a review by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). All UK authorised funds are required to appoint an AFM, who is responsible...

The crypto crash – what next?

A succession of price crashes in recent weeks means bitcoin has once again passed through a market pattern known as a “death cross”. This ominous-sounding term refers to when the cryptocurrency’s 50-day moving average crosses its 200-day moving average and is used by...

Income tax bills double

HMRC recently released statistics on income tax and analysis of the figures showed consumers are paying huge amounts through the levy. In light of this, guidance has been issued on how savers can reduce their income tax bills through effective use of ISAs and...

House price dip

The price of an average home in the UK fell by 0.5% in June as the full stamp duty holiday came to an end, industry figures show. It was the first month-on-month drop since January and suggests peak buyer demand has likely passed, according to research by Halifax....

Pensions triple lock could cost £4bn

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said the triple lock on pensions remains government policy after it emerged that he may have to spend £4bn more on pensioners from next year if he sticks to the pledge. Sunak was grilled on the issue in an interview with GB News, after ONS...

Cladding property nightmare

Reserve funds raided to pay for replacement cladding are predicted to cause a surge in dilapidated homes. While management firms’ emergency funds are drained to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding, desperate leaseholders will be forced to inhabit dilapidated...

Japan and investment opportunities

Japan has often been described as the cheapest value market in the world, so how has been doing in the recent value rally? Some of the things that we often hear about Japan are things like, it’s a warrant on global growth, it’s a cyclical, you should buy it now or it...