The Inflation Illusion: Understanding the Disconnect Between Data and Reality Inflation fell in 2024, reaching 2.5% compared to 4.0% in 2023. Yet, for many, this drop didn't reflect their lived experience. Why the discrepancy? The Economist's View vs. Public...
Spring Forecast Announced - 26 March 2025 The Chancellor has announced the timing of her next formal report to Parliament. Cast your mind back six Chancellors ago to Philip Hammond (aka Spreadsheet Phil). In autumn 2016, Hammond announced a change to the timings of...
27 Years of Promises: Where Are We Now? The question of how to fund social care is once again a hot topic in British politics. It seems every few years, a new commission or review is launched, raising hopes for a sustainable solution. But how much progress has really...
Understanding the January 31st Deadline: Online Sellers Tax Rules The end of January wasn't just the deadline for personal tax returns; it also marked the beginning of a new era of tax reporting for online sellers. As of January 2025, online platforms like eBay,...
Discover why National Savings & Investments is cutting rates. National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has been busy reducing its interest rates in recent months. NS&I has roots going back to 1861, when Gladstone, then Chancellor of the Exchequer,...
The Budget brought inheritance tax (IHT) into the news headlines, but its impact is not well understood.  Understand the impact of Inheritance Tax through the example of Mark and Hannah, a couple who have an estate valued at £1.25 million, including their jointly...
A recent survey has raised questions about retirement readiness. One of the world’s largest investment managers, BlackRock, recently published its latest review of the UK’s retirement landscape. The work was based on a survey of 1,000 savers in defined contribution...
From new year to year end – Are you keeping a tax planning resolution? The start of the year is the ideal time to focus on year-end tax planning. This is usually driven by the approaching tax year-end (Saturday 5 April 2025) and the Spring Budget. However, this year,...
Exploring 2024's Global Markets The global market outlook showed an improvement for 2024 with the US achieving more than 20% returns for a second consecutive year. A quick look at a Global Market Growth table (below) comparing changes across key global indices puts...
Not every interest rate moves in the same direction. If you are approaching the end of your five-year fixed rate mortgage and currently enjoying an interest rate of around 2%, you have probably been watching the fluctuations of interest rates with some trepidation....
The impact of the Budget’s increases in national insurance contributions (NICs) are not limited to employers. There were three main changes to employer’s NICs announced in the Budget, all of which will take effect from April 2025: The secondary threshold – the...
The Pension Crisis There are now over three million ‘lost’ pensions worth over £31 billion. We all lose things, be it the proverbial change down the back of the sofa or TV remote. But how do you lose a pension? The answer is very easy as suggested by recent research...
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