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Category: Uncategorized
Many people have successfully made substantial fortunes from investing over the years, in various ways and styles, using many different methods. They would have had one thing in common: a fixation on the management of their downside risk.
Category: Market commentary & Uncategorized
In all the time we’ve been writing these market commentaries it’s difficult to remember a more turbulent month than October 2014.
Throughout the summer we have been writing about events in the Ukraine and the worries that conflict posed for Europe. Fortunately we now have a ceasefire in the region – and Russia and the Ukraine have just concluded a deal (brokered by the EU) for supplies of gas to resume. Just as well, last week the temperature in Kiev dropped to five degrees and 60% of Government buildings were without any heat.
Category: Economy & Uncategorized
Those owning properties worth more than £3million will be hit with tax bills starting from £10,000 under a Labour government, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Under the party’s mansion tax plans, homes worth between £2m and £3m would attract around £3,000 in liabilities, but properties worth above £3m will take a far greater hit in order to make up the £1.2bn Labour intends to raise for its NHS policy.
Category: Economy & Uncategorized
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) reports that the public-private pay differential is now broadly back to pre-crisis levels with pensions remaining a big difference between the sectors. In the immediate aftermath of the recession, the real level of pay in the private sector fell much faster than that in the public sector. Since 2010, public sector pay has been held back such that the gap that opened up during the crisis has been closed.
Category: Economy & Uncategorized
Greater caution appears to be being exercised across the UK housing market as house price momentum slowed to the same level it was 16 months ago, according to the latest Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey. Nationally, new buyer demand slipped for the third consecutive month and in London, caution took a particular toll, with prospective new buyer demand seeing its fifth consecutive monthly decline – a trend not seen since April 2012.
Category: isas & pensions & savings & Uncategorized
Many of our clients will be aware of the tax advantages that can come from using an ISA or a pension to save for your future. If you are not currently a client however, or are unfamiliar with the tax benefits available, then it is worth briefly recapping just what you could be missing out on!
