HMRC is sending out letters asking taxpayers to check their dividend totals.* You may have received something that starts like this: “Dear XX Please make sure your tax return included all your dividend income. We’re writing to ask you to check your self assessment tax return for the year ended 5 April 2024. This needs to include all your dividend income from shares in UK companies. We’ve seen quite a few mistakes in this area on tax returns, and we want to help you get this r

HMRC figures for 2023/24 show cash ISA subscriptions have increased by around 224% more than stocks and shares ISAs by the end of the decade. Source: HMRC.* The Chancellor’s reforms to individual savings accounts (ISAs) to “improve returns for savers” had been considered for some time. ** From April 2027, the Cash element will be reduced to just £12,000 for those under 65. Those aged 65+ can still save up to £20,000 into a cash ISA as usual. Unsurprisingly, in the run up to

In the UK Budget, the Chancellor announced changes to ISA allowances that’ll take effect from April 2027. If you’re over 65: your ISA allowance will remain the same. If you’re under 65: your total allowance will remain the same (£20,000 in the current tax year) but only £12,000 of that can be in a Cash ISA. The remaining £8,000 allowance must be invested in a Stocks and Shares ISA. What is an ISA? An ISA (Individual Savings Account) is a UK savings or investment account desi

Why financial advice is more important than ever The Chancellor unveiled her latest Budget following weeks of leaks and a high-profile- misstep by the OBR that dominated headlines. Cutting through the noise of political spin and media commentary, one fact stands out: taxes are set to climb to unprecedented levels by 2031. Within just five years, the tax burden is forecast to reach 38% of GDP, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility - one of the highest sustained lev

A new report has shown conflicting ideas about retirement.* The report included two questions: Question 1: At what age would you like to retire? Question 2: At what age do you think you will be able to retire? If your answers to those two questions are different, then you are not alone. The report found that the average answer to question 1 was 62.3 years old, while for question 2 it was 67.0, a gap of nearly half a decade. The difference was just 0.9 years for baby boomers –

Nine months into 2025, investment performance may not be what you expect. Source: Investing.com * The daily blog from Financial Times, FT Alphaville, runs a competition every Friday for a trivial prize, such as a T-shirt. The quiz typically involves a trio of graphs with the same question applied to each one: what is being plotted? The answers are usually esoteric: two recent examples were an Argentinian government bond and two classes of debt from First Brands, a US car part