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How much cash do you need if tougher times are looming

While you’re working age, you should be building enough emergency savings to cover 3-6 months’ worth of essential spending. Depending on your income range this is anywhere from £2,322 to £41,088. In retirement, you should aim for 1-3 years’ worth. Depending on your income, this could be anything from £9,288 to £246,528.
Posted on Thursday Oct 16

Wealth tax could push £100bn out of the economy

As the Chancellor faces mounting pressure to address a fiscal shortfall ahead of the Budget, an economic analysis of previous wealth taxes conducted by Rathbones, one of the UK’s leading wealth and asset management firms, suggests more than £100bn of wealth could shift overseas, or into less productive assets, if a wealth tax were imposed here.
Posted on Thursday Oct 16

The an-new-ity bonus

More than six in 10 (62%) Guaranteed Income for Life solutions were purchased on the open market in 2024/25. Fewer than four in 10 (38%) annuities purchased from existing providers
Posted on Thursday Oct 16

Chancellor should abolish cash ISA allowance altogether

Responding to the news that the Chancellor is considering halving the cash ISA allowance to £10k in next month’s Autumn Budget, here is a comment from Michael Healy, UK Managing Director at FTSE250-listed investing and trading platform IG.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 15

Trump bump turns to Trump dump

AJ Bell sees jump in demand for global funds that exclude the US among certain customers. This could signal the second phase of 2025’s big asset rebalancing trend. It suggests some investors may be losing faith in the US or are seeking to dial down their exposure to America
Posted on Wednesday Oct 15

Red tape slashed by 70 percent under new capital rules

The FCA is streamlining the rules on regulatory capital, also known as own funds, for investment firms.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 15

FCA secures USD 101 million redress for BlueCrest investors

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has secured USD 101 million in redress to UK and other non-US investors in a fund sub-managed by BlueCrest Capital Management (UK) LLP (BlueCrest) and imposed a public censure.
Posted on Tuesday Oct 14

Pensions can help HENRYs take control

Growing numbers of HENRYs – High Earners, Not Yet Rich - are finding six-figure salaries don’t stretch as far as expected. With less than six months to go until tax year end, Standard Life outlines how high earners can utilise their pension to protect more of their income
Posted on Tuesday Oct 14

Bull run on pause as investors take stock of stellar gains

FTSE holds near 9,500. Ibstock profit warnings as customers brick it over Budget. US futures up a touch. Investors digest Washington deadlock and Q3 earnings outlook. Brent crude falls to $65 as Israel and Hamas agree truce.
Posted on Friday Oct 10

Momentum in the BPA market continues

Standard Life research reveals 48% of DB schemes favour buy-in as their endgame strategy. Of these schemes, 40% plan to approach an insurer about a transaction within next 12 months. Strong funding levels support activity, with 45% fully funded or more.
Posted on Thursday Oct 9

Axing stamp duty and the possible impact

At the Conservative Party conference, Kemi Badenoch has announced that if in power, the Conservatives would ban stamp duty on people’s principal home. Stamp duty collected an estimated £13.88 billion in 2024/5, but much of that was from second and subsequent properties. It has been estimated that around £4.5 billion of this came from people’s main home. By contrast, there were no new suggestions from the conference hall on changes to stamp duty on shares, which is a needless drag on investors.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 8

Mergers and Acquisitions surge as firms bet big on scale

Global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) performance surged in the third quarter of this year, with 2025 shaping up to surpass expectations, according to latest research from WTW.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 8

Three scenarios we could see in the Autumn Budget

Despite efforts to restore credibility, the UK’s fiscal framework is struggling to convince markets. With growth slowing, inflation sticky and political risks rising, investors may be looking for realism over rigidity
Posted on Wednesday Oct 8

Daniel Pugh sentenced to over 7 years for Ponzi Scheme

Daniel Pugh has been sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison for running a £1.3m Ponzi scheme, following a prosecution brought by the FCA. Pugh, aged 35, set up a Ponzi scheme with another individual that netted over £1m.
Posted on Tuesday Oct 7

IHT concerns highlighted to House of Lords Committee

The House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee is holding a call for evidence on government plans to impose inheritance tax on unused pension pots. The Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has responded to reiterate its support for the government’s decision to make Personal Representatives (PRs) responsible for the reporting, liability and payment of IHT on pensions rather than Pension Scheme Administrators as originally proposed.
Posted on Tuesday Oct 7

Sales of escalating annuities surge

Purchases of escalating Guaranteed Income for Life (GIfL), or annuity, products that have some inflation protection account for a fifth of all sales in 2024/25 and have increased by 17% year-on-year. Enhanced annuity sales also increase as a proportion of total GIfL sales to 48% in 2024/25 compared to 38% six years ago.
Posted on Monday Oct 6

Celebrity splits shows need for financial advice in divorce

The separation of an Oscar-winning actress and Grammy-winning musician sparks questions for divorce and finances. While high-profile splits often dominate headlines, divorce is far from exclusive to the wealthy. In fact, there were over 103,000 legal partnership dissolutions in England and Wales in 2023 alone, each one raising important questions about long-term financial security, including pensions and retirement planning.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 1

US shutdown knocks equities off course

Asian stocks are down along with US and European futures as US fails to avoid shutdown. Gold hits another all-time high as investors seek out safe haven. Dollar dips – and looks to fall further if previous lockdowns are anything to go by. UK business confidence dips ahead of Autumn Budget. Pfizer’s White House pricing deal sparks relief rally in pharma stocks
Posted on Wednesday Oct 1

The Autumn Budget will inevitably bring higher taxes

Oliver Faizallah, Head of Fixed Income Research at Charles Stanley, part of Raymond James Wealth Management, comments: “Markets are concerned about the UK’s fiscal position, and rightfully so. There isn’t an easy solution to the high levels of debt to GDP and growing deficit, and this is reflected in very elevated gilt yields.
Posted on Wednesday Oct 1

What you need to think about before taking tax free cash

There has been some speculation that the government could cut back on the amount of tax-free cash people can take from their pension in the Budget.This is just speculation but there are concerns people may take knee jerk reactions that they later come to regret. The most recent FCA Retirement Income data showed a 63% surge in the total amount of tax-free cash taken between 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Posted on Tuesday Sep 30

Homeowners unlocking property wealth to gift to loved ones

Canada Life routinely questions their prospective home finance customers to understand their reasons for obtaining an equity release loan.
Posted on Tuesday Sep 30

Inheritance and capital taxes receive increased attention

Commenting, Marc Acheson, Global Wealth Specialist at Utmost Wealth Solutions, said:
Posted on Tuesday Sep 30

Five reasons taxes will rise after the Budget

Rachel Reeves has just delivered her conference speech, emphasising the government commitment to economic responsibility and supporting working people. She has spent the morning fending off questions about tax. There are reports of an expected £30 billion shortfall in the government finances. Cutting spending is tricky in this environment, so the government is likely to turn to tax policy to help close the gap. Some rises are already baked in. It would be the natural consequence of stocks, bonds and house prices rising - and higher inflation.
Posted on Monday Sep 29

Beware of high risk investments from unregulated firms

The FCA is concerned people are being encouraged to invest in high-risk schemes offered by unregulated firms without appreciating the risks involved. Many of the firms offering these products don’t need to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as they rely on exemptions in the law that take them out of our remit.
Posted on Friday Sep 26

Markets mixed as heat builds in US economy

FTSE 100 futures up around 20 points. US Q2 GDP revised upwards. Stock futures flat after third consecutive down day. Inflation in focus today ahead of US PCE numbers. Japanese stocks make it two record highs in a row. Trump unleashes fresh tariff salvo on pharmaceuticals and kitchen cabinets. Brent crude tests $70 mark.
Posted on Friday Sep 26