magazine archive
magazine archive
Personal Finance
How to beat the incoming capital gains tax hike
Thursday 22 Feb 2024More 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 2024The 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 Across the course of 2022 and 2023, around £25 billion was withdrawn from these funds by retail investors.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 2024The 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 2024Thank 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 2024As 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 2024The 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 2023Lots 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...
How the changes to national insurance will affect you
Thursday 30 Nov 2023The changes announced by Jeremy Hunt to national insurance at the Autumn Statement, mean millions of workers will see their pay packets get a little boost next year. But what were the changes, what do they mean for self-employed people as well as employed, and how do your credits for the state...
Warning: these are the reasons why you may soon pay more tax
Thursday 16 Nov 2023The Government has made lots of changes to the tax system that mean millions more people will pay tax this year, through a variety of ways. There are various estimates of how much extra taxpayers will pay, but Resolution Foundation puts it at £40 billion a year by 2027-28 – which is far more than...
Beating the savings tax trap: what are your options?
Thursday 09 Nov 2023For the first time in over a decade, tax on cash interest rates has become a serious problem for savers. The ultra-low interest rates seen in the wake of the financial crisis deprived cash savers of returns, but it meant they didn’t really have to worry about tax, especially after the Personal...