magazine archive


magazine archive

Personal Finance

Is the British ISA an investor’s friend or a flop?

Thursday 14 Mar 2024

The introduction of a new British ISA was announced in the Budget, in a bid to revive the UK’s flagging stock market. The BRISA, as it has already been dubbed, will only allow money to be invested in UK stocks and bonds. The Government hopes to boost the performance of UK shares by restricting...

Giving to charity? Don’t miss the tax boost

Thursday 07 Mar 2024

Lots of people gift money to charity every year, but many aren’t aware there are big tax breaks for doing so. Research commissioned by HMRC showed that although 94% of higher earners donating to charity had heard about gift aid, only 52% were aware they could claim a tax rebate on their donations...

The hidden costs of safe-haven investing

Thursday 29 Feb 2024

Every investor understands the basic trade-off when it comes to where to put your money: the more risk you take, the more potential reward you garner. The flip side of this golden rule is the less risk you take, the lower the returns you should expect from your investments. Cautious investors are...

How to beat the incoming capital gains tax hike

Thursday 22 Feb 2024

More than a quarter of a million more people and trusts will be paying capital gains tax for the first time, according to HMRC figures, thanks to the Government crackdown on gains. From April the tax-free allowance for CGT (capital gains tax) will be less than a quarter of what it was just a year...

Why investors are dumping funds which invest in UK stocks

Thursday 15 Feb 2024

The last two years have seen unprecedented levels of outflows from funds invested in UK equities. Across the course of 2022 and 2023, around £25 billion was withdrawn from these funds by retail investors. This isn’t a new phenomenon. UK funds have seen outflows every year since 2016, to the tune of...

Mortgage rates have fallen, what does it mean for homeowners?

Thursday 08 Feb 2024

The Bank of England has held interest rates for a fourth time, but despite that mortgage rates are dropping, giving some hope for homeowners who are refinancing. The base rate was kept at its 15-year high of 5.25% at the Monetary Policy Committee’s first meeting of 2024. However, the year has...

Get ahead of the big ISA changes coming soon

Thursday 25 Jan 2024

Thank you to Shares reader Thomas, who suggested we cover the ISA changes announced in the Autumn Statement. If you also want to get ahead with next year’s ISA planning, here is a reminder of what is happening from 6 April 2024. ALLOWANCES STAY THE SAME The ISA allowances have been frozen for 2024/...

How to benefit from higher interest rates in your Stocks and Shares ISA

Thursday 18 Jan 2024

As interest rates have risen over the last two years, cash products have grown in popularity, especially Cash ISAs which allow you to receive your interest tax-free. But it’s actually perfectly possible to benefit from higher interest rates within a Stocks and Shares ISA too, as it’s not just cash...

Six financial resolutions worth making for 2024

Thursday 11 Jan 2024

The start of a new year brings lots of plans to make resolutions, but making changes to your finances could have a lasting impact on the year and make you richer for the next 12 months. Here are six quick ways you can make some extra money – all of which will take less time to sort than you think...

How to give kids financial gifts this Christmas

Thursday 14 Dec 2023

Lots of people think of giving cash or gift vouchers as Christmas presents, but other financial gifts are often overlooked. People can give cash into savings accounts, contributions to investment accounts or even gift shares directly. We’ll look at some gifting options and how they stack up. 1...

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