HMRC’s large business directorate’s close contact approach to managing tax compliance from large businesses has helped HMRC to obtain £15.8 billion in additional tax, which is double the amount from 2021-22. The large business directorate has a return on investment of £95 for every £1 spent on staff pay, which is four times higher than HMRC achieves across all taxpayers. HMRC is now exploring the viability of expanding this close contact approach beyond large businesses to cover other businesses that are complex or high-risk. Posted on Friday Feb 27
UK markets set to open higher despite confidence drop. US markets retreat as software gets a rare moment in the light. Block cuts 40% of its staff – AI job displacement or corporate bloat? Oil prices steady as US-Iran talks offer a hint of progress Posted on Friday Feb 27
A new report showing a snapshot of how employers are shaping pensions and benefits in the face of major shifts in regulatory pressure is being launched today by Hymans Robertson. Posted on Thursday Feb 26
FTSE 100 opens flat. Rolls-Royce opens the throttle, WPP profits plunge. US stock futures down despite NVIDIA blowout. Salesforce valuation weakens on modest guidance. Brent crude hovers around $71 per barrel Posted on Thursday Feb 26
UK markets set to open higher. HSBC delivers 9% profit beat and upbeat guidance. US markets react to a slightly milder AI narrative. Paramount’s latest bid has Warner Bros’ attention. Oil steadies after two-day decline Posted on Wednesday Feb 25
M&G have announced a £270 million bulk purchase annuity (BPA), securing the pension scheme benefits of over 3,200 members of the Trinity Retirement Benefit Scheme (the “Scheme”), one of the pension schemes sponsored by media organisation Reach plc (the “Company”). Reach plc is the largest commercial news publisher in the UK and Ireland and owns both national and local titles including the Mirror, Express, Liverpool Echo and Manchester Evening News.
FTSE 100 flat as sector performance diverges. Croda narrowly beats forecasts. Gold dips as 15% baseline tariff fails to materialise, copper up again. Chinese stocks strong after New Year’s pause. US stock futures up. IT consulting hit by AI fear trade. Tariffs weigh on US banks and industrials. Brent Crude heads for $72 per barrel Posted on Tuesday Feb 24
4 in 5 Brits believe younger generations today are financially worse off than 20 years ago. 80% overall said it is harder for younger generations to save today. Nearly three quarters (74%) of over-55s agree young people face tougher financial challenges. Well over half (58%) across all generations say that the cost of living is a major factor. Nearly half (43%) cite the cost of housing as a key reason Posted on Monday Feb 23
UK markets lower as tariff agreement comes into question. US markets look set to unwind Friday’s gains. Supreme Court ruling could be positive in the long run. Oil prices pull back from six-month high. Major week for earnings with Nvidia, Rolls-Royce and IAG in focus Posted on Monday Feb 23
The latest HMRC update on Capital Gains Tax (CGT) shows that receipts in January 2026 (which account for the vast majority of the year’s collections due to reporting and assessment deadlines) totalled £17.0 billion, an increase of £7.0 billion compared to the £10.0 billion recorded in January 2025. Posted on Friday Feb 20
This morning’s HMRC update shows that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts totalled £7.1 billion through the first ten months of the 2025/26 financial year (April 2025 to January 2026), an increase of £130 million compared to the same period in 2024/25 (£7.0 billion). With only two months of tax receipts yet to be collected in the current financial year, IHT remains on track to surpass last year’s record haul. Looking further ahead, IHT receipts are expected to continue to rise. Posted on Friday Feb 20
FTSE 100 hits new highs as inflation cools. Nestlé with a much-needed pick-me-up. Rio Tinto puts copper centre stage. Wall Street edges higher despite rate jitters. Fed minutes reveal a house divided. Oil extends gains as US-Iran tensions rise Posted on Thursday Feb 19
Standard Life has concluded a £700 million Bulk Purchase Annuity (BPA) transaction with the Trustee of the IBM I.T. Solutions Pension Scheme (the “I Plan”). The buy-in, covering both pensioners and deferred members, secures the benefits of over 3,600 members, while removing funding and investment risk for the I Plan. These members will continue to receive or be entitled to their benefits from the I Plan, just as they were before the transaction. Posted on Wednesday Feb 18
Pension Insurance Corporation plc (‘PIC’), a specialist insurer of defined benefit pension schemes, has concluded a £113 million full buy-in with the Steria Management Plan Section (the ‘Section’) of the Sopra Steria Retirement Benefits Scheme (the ‘Scheme’). The buy-in secures the benefits of all 355 Section members within the Scheme. Posted on Wednesday Feb 18
Standard Life, XPS comment as CPI falls to 3% in January, its lowest level since March 2025, following Christmas inflation bump. Softer price pressures strengthen the case for a potential March interest rate cut Posted on Wednesday Feb 18
China will aim to operate a ‘moderately loose’ monetary policy in 2026, as part of continued attempts to raise domestic demand. Many Chinese companies are opening themselves to foreign investors in a bid to fund further research and development fund ideas to gain exposure to growth and add diversity to portfolios Posted on Tuesday Feb 17
Pension Insurance Corporation plc has concluded a £155 million buy-in with the Trustee of Vistry’s Final Salary Pension Schemes, covering the pensions of 1,671 members. The transaction covers the Bovis Homes Pension Scheme, Galliford Try Final Salary Pension Scheme, and Kendall Cross Holdings Limited Pension and Assurance Scheme (together “the Schemes”), all sponsored by Vistry. Posted on Monday Feb 16
M&G plc has announced a £180 million bulk purchase annuity (BPA) buy-in, securing pension benefits for over 3,000 members of the Senior plc Pension Plan. The Plan Sponsor is Senior plc, an international manufacturer of high technology components and systems, specialist in Fluid Conveyance and Thermal Management, in the worldwide aerospace and defence, land vehicle and power and energy markets. Posted on Monday Feb 16
FTSE 100 set to open higher. Results this week from Rio Tinto, Anglo American and BAE Systems. US markets closed for Presidents’ Day, after another week of software pain. Oil prices hold steady after back-to-back weekly drop Posted on Monday Feb 16
President Trump has announced the repeal of a scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health. It adds to disruptive trends in financial markets, with concerns about the effects of AI adoption spreading. The FTSE 100 is set for a cautious start to trading as investors wait for a key inflation reading. Real estate companies are hit by concerns that AI will be a job killer, while networking company Cisco also sees its shares slide dramatically. Gold and silver recover from sharp declines prompted by investors pulling money from safe havens to cover shock losses. Posted on Friday Feb 13
FTSE 100 surges to new heights as demand for UK assets intensifies. US fund manager Nuveen to buy Schroders for £9.9 billion, pushing shares up 28%. UK economy remains highly sluggish, with growth of 0.1% for December undershooting expectations Posted on Thursday Feb 12
FTSE higher despite soft GDP print. US markets flat, but software selloff continues. Oil prices rise, but it’s not a one-way street Posted on Thursday Feb 12
M&G have announced a £235 million bulk purchase annuity, securing pension benefits of over 3,000 members of the Avon Cosmetics Pension Plan (the “Plan”). A global company with 140 years of influencing beauty, Avon is an iconic brand built on community. Millions of independent Representatives share Avon products with their customers, while the brand’s omnichannel ecosystem ensures consumers experience Avon whenever and however they choose. Posted on Wednesday Feb 11
Following Kevin Warsh’s nomination as Federal Reserve Chair, James Bilson, Fixed Income Strategist, Global Unconstrained Fixed Income at Schroders, examines the most relevant policy considerations for fixed income investors. Posted on Tuesday Feb 10
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