Coronavirus has affected every aspect of our lives, particularly our financial stability. The crisis has acted as a stress test for the nation’s finances, highlighting the fragility of many people’s financial safety nets. It has compelled individuals to take a closer look at their finances to see how they can reduce their expenses and [...]

Investing in an ISA is a great way to build up your savings. Research3 looking into the savings habits of hypothetical stocks and shares ISA investors has demonstrated that the earlier in the tax year you invest, the better off you’ll be. According to the report, based on the performance of the FTSE All-Share [...]

One way of ensuring that your loved ones receive assets is to pass them over while you’re still alive. However, this needs careful thought as you may not want to relinquish control and you need to make sure you keep enough yourself to live off – a difficult balancing act. The first stage As [...]

Economic data from the first quarter of 2020 has provided a foretaste of the impact the pandemic is set to have on global economic activity. Europe In the UK, output fell by 2% across the first three months of 2020, with the economy shrinking by a massive 5.8% in March alone. An even larger [...]

Here are a few figures worth knowing in 2020–21 to help maximise your tax allowances and exemptions: Personal taxation The National Insurance threshold is £9,500 and the Personal Allowance remains the same as last year, at £12,500. Pensions The Annual Allowance for pensions is £40,000 and begins to taper (to a minimum of £4,000) [...]

Recent stock market volatility may have made you anxious about your pension, particularly if you are nearing retirement, but it is important to consider the wider picture to keep your plans on track. Resilient financial planning Those who stick to their carefullythought-out financial plans will inevitably be in better shape to ride out market [...]

Following lockdown, people are likely to be working from home much more in future, leading many to consider the space they currently live in and their attitudes to moving to a different location. Homebuyers who have successfully worked remotely and no longer need to commute so frequently and be in an office environment five [...]

Have markets recovered too far, too fast? I don’t think so, no.  Markets in March had lost all confidence in the face of economic shutdowns across the developed world and a complete lack of clarity about economic prospects.  As economies have slowly begun to reopen, markets have regained some composure.  However, markets are still [...]

With people leading increasingly busy lives, they can often find themselves so overcome with everyday goings-on that, when it comes to tackling difficult financial decisions, they don’t have the mental capacity to cope. Head in the sand Research7 has found that people typically ‘don’t do difficult decisions’, with over four million saying they don’t [...]

In these uncertain times, criminals have been using the COVID-19 outbreak to scam members of the public, particularly the most vulnerable. Action Fraud5 revealed there had been a massive 400% increase in reporting of scams in March – the majority of which related to online shopping scams, with victims purchasing protective products (such as [...]