The Autumn 2025 Budget risked becoming a “winter Budget”, arriving at the latest possible opportunity on 26 November after a prolonged and rumour-filled run-up. This marked the Chancellor’s second Budget. Her first, delivered on 30 October 2024, followed early...
HMRC Is Asking Taxpayers to Recheck Their Dividend Income Some taxpayers have recently received letters from HMRC urging them to confirm that their 2023/24 self assessment tax returns include all dividend income. The letters open with wording along these lines:...
Conflicting Attitudes Toward Retirement Across Generations A new report has revealed a striking disparity between when people want to retire and when they expect they realistically will. Two simple questions were asked: At what age would you like to retire? At what...
A Growing Issue for Millions of Young Adults HMRC’s latest data reveals that the total value of unclaimed Child Trust Funds (CTFs) has climbed to more than £1.5 billion. With hundreds of thousands of accounts now matured — but untouched — the scale of the problem...
Nine Months In – And Markets Haven’t Behaved as Expected As we enter the final quarter of 2025, investment performance may not resemble what many investors had anticipated at the start of the year. While global markets continue to generate headlines, their underlying...
A Significant Shift in ISA Subscription Trends Recent HMRC figures for the 2023/24 tax year reveal a notable trend: cash ISA subscriptions rose at a much faster pace than stocks and shares ISAs — around 224% more by the end of the decade. With cash ISAs attracting the...
Public Unawareness of Pension Changes A new survey has revealed a high level of public unawareness of impending pension changes and the need to plan. While there is plenty of media attention on what surprises might emerge in the November Budget, new research has...
The Ingredients for the Next State Pension Increase The ingredients to determine next April’s increase in the State pension are now clear and suggest a problem deferred until the 2026 Budget. Source: DWP, HMRC How the State Pension ‘Triple Lock’ Works The basis for...
Gilts Back in the Spotlight As the Autumn Budget approaches, government bonds are coming back into the spotlight. Why Are They Called Gilts? In what can seem like an effort to confuse, government bonds are often referred to as gilts. There are two good reasons for the...
Should You Take a Lump Sum Before the Autumn Budget? If you’re considering drawing a lump sum from your pension before the Autumn Budget, you’re not alone. Many savers are weighing up their options amid ongoing speculation about possible changes to the tax-free...
A Costly Oversight in Stamp Duty Land Tax In early September, former Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner resigned after discovering she had underpaid £40,000 in Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) on the purchase of her flat in Hove. Her situation serves...
A Shift in the Government’s Approach to Investment The UK government has signalled a major change in its stance on investment and risk. In a recent Mansion House speech, Chancellor Rachel Reeves emphasised the need to encourage investment rather than excessive saving....
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