Publisher, entrepreneur and diplomat, Benjamin Franklin was almost certainly the most-quoted figure of his generation. He is popularly credited with ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ and, in Advice to a Young Tradesman, Franklin wrote, ‘Remember that time is money’. In November 1789, Franklin wrote to a friend in France: ‘Our new constitution is …
Ageing and death aren’t easy subjects to think about, but as we get older, they’re topics that it would be foolish to ignore. The average life expectancy in the UK is continuing to increase, which means many more of us might struggle to manage our own affairs and remain independent in the future. That in …
In the first week of the New Year there was a story that was widely reported in many of the papers. ‘More and more people pushed into higher rate tax bracket’ ran the headline with – according to which paper you read – either 1m or 1.2m more people are set to pay the 40% …
Government borrowing is at its highest level since the Second World War. According to the Office for National Statistics it reached £303.1bn in the year to March – nearly £250bn higher than in the previous year. Borrowing in March was £28bn – the latest month to set an unwelcome record. Borrowing in the year to …
Budget were made by the tax rises, both for individuals and companies, and by the inevitable bill for the pandemic. There was a strong ‘green’ theme running through the Budget. This was shown through the National Infrastructure Bank being established in Leeds, and the Bank of England’s remit being revised to reflect the Government’s stated …
As you will no doubt know, the current tax year ends on Monday April 5th. ‘Make the most of your pension and ISA allowances before the end of the tax year’ is a familiar refrain. One that is heard slightly less often – but which is no less relevant for some investors – is ‘make …
Financial independence can seem like the holy grail. We may be striving towards it but feel bombarded by lots of conflicting messages on how best to attain it. These five points give an interesting perspective: Income is not the same thing as wealth Having a high salary can help you accumulate wealth but that’s no …
Why Higher Rate Taxpayers Should Be Paying Attention to Their Pension Contributions After the 2020 Budget You may be missing out on paying money into your pension, as many of you can now pay more and receive tax benefits. If you’re a higher rate taxpayer and you opted out of your pension scheme …
There has been much talk in the financial press recently of proposed changes to the threshold for the tapered annual allowance from £110,000 to £150,000. The taper was introduced in 2016 and gradually reduces the annual allowance for those on high incomes. For every £2 of adjusted income above £150,000 a year, £1 of annual …
The tax year will be coming to an end on 5th April. With that deadline in mind, we wanted to remind our clients of all the allowances available to you during the tax year. It’s important to make sure you’re maximising your allowance in all areas so that you mitigate the impact of tax. Listed below …
