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 In the 2016/17 tax year, income tax relief on pension contributions came at a cost to the Exchequer of £38.6bn.The huge increase of employees automatically enrolled into workplace pensions has contributed. Nonetheless, more than two thirds of pension tax relief currently goes to those …

9th March 2019Cash ISAs variable – easy access (no bonus) Provider Gross Minimum Investment Notice/Term Virgin Money 1.45% £1 None Oak North 1.44% £1,000 None …

The 2018/19 tax year neatly comes to an end on Friday 5 April 2019, two weeks before a late Easter. Now that Budgets are autumn affairs (the last was in October 2018), the only obstacle in the way of tax year end planning is the Chancellor’s Spring Statement. The date for this has been set …

It has recently come to our attention that SSAS members are being randomly approached with the offer of training to comply with SSAS regulations and that such training is now a mandatory requirement and must be completed within the next six months or face a significant fine.The offer is to provide …

Unremitting negative sentiment in global stock markets increased on Thursday putting market values under immense pressure owing to continuing uncertainties, caused mainly by trade conflict between the USA & China.The leading stock market indices around the world fell significantly but Wall …

There have been few rumours about the contents of next month's Budget. Will it be a quiet affair? We will have to wait and see.The Autumn Budget is now less than six weeks away and so far there have been few rumours about it contents. There are several reasons for this: We are at the start of …

August Inflation NumbersThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August showed prices rising 0.6% over the month, whereas prices were up by half as much between July 2016 and August 2016.The consensus had been for a 2.8% annual rate, so the rise to that much nearer 3% surprised the markets and took …

 The latest inflation figures came as a surprise for the markets and the Bank of England. Based on the government’s favoured yardstick, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), prices rose by 2.9% in the year to May, the highest level since June 2013. The Retail Prices Index (RPI), which is no …