magazine archive
magazine archive
Personal Finance
You can invest and save using more than one different type of ISA
Thursday 01 Jun 2023There are six distinct types of ISA, meaning the savings system has got complicated. Understandably people might want to have more than type of ISA, but is that possible, which ISAs can you use together, and how much can you pay into each? Let us look at a few scenarios. Scenario 1 I put £1,000 in...
Which ISA is best for you? Read our guide to the different types
Thursday 25 May 2023The Individual Savings Account, better known as an ISA, was launched almost a quarter of a century ago, in 1999, and has been a success story in helping people save and invest for their future. However, in recent years the ISA landscape has been a bit more cluttered than it used to be, with new...
Beware: the expensive mortgage rate you should avoid at all costs
Thursday 18 May 2023Lots of homeowners are facing the prospect of re-mortgaging in the next year, coming off their cheap fixed-rate deals from the past few years and into a market where mortgage rates are far higher. With another rate increase hitting homeowners on 11 May, there’s no doubt that the mortgage market is...
Six ways to improve your investing skills by Warren Buffett
Thursday 11 May 2023‘Woodstock for capitalists’ has just taken place in Omaha, Nebraska. It’s more prosaically known as the annual shareholder meeting of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B:NYSE) , Warren Buffett’s investment company. Buffett is the world’s most famous investor, but he is just as well known for his folksy...
How do you calculate capital gains on inherited investments?
Thursday 04 May 2023I’m trying to oversee my mum’s finances. Over the last 25 years she has inherited a range of investments from two sources. She has never sold any, and with some investments she also chose to do dividend reinvestment so the number of shares she owns now is not what she inherited. None of the...
Are UK interest rates heading to 5%? Here are the pros and cons if that happens
Thursday 27 Apr 2023Inflation in the UK remains above 10%, according to the latest reading of the Consumer Price Index, a fact which has confounded markets and led to interest rate expectations spiking. The market is now anticipating three interest rate rises this year, which would take the Bank of England’s base rate...
The little-known rule that could boost grandparents’ state pension
Thursday 20 Apr 2023Grandparents could be missing out on thousands more pounds in their state pension when they retire because they aren’t aware of a little-known rule. Grandparents, and other family, who care for children for free could claim National Insurance credits that will help to boost their state pension...
Want to spring clean your portfolio? Here are six areas to consider
Thursday 13 Apr 2023HOW TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR PORTFOLIO If you’re flitting around the house this April, brandishing a feather duster and a mop, spare a thought for your investments, which may need a bit of sprucing up too. Even the most considered portfolios still need regular reviews, in order to keep them on track...
Understanding buy now, pay later, how it works and the reasons to be wary
Thursday 06 Apr 2023If you’ve bought something online recently you will no doubt have been bombarded with different ways to pay at the checkout, including at least one BNPL (buy now, pay later) option. A few years ago, BNPL providers were relatively rare, but they boomed during the pandemic, when online shopping also...
Why it can pay to invest in an ISA as early as possible each tax year
Thursday 30 Mar 2023It’s that time of year when people rush to make the most of their annual ISA allowance before the tax year ends on 5 April. Many people leave this task right until to the last minute. After all, there’s nothing like a deadline to stimulate action. However, a rarer breed of investors will be...