Income alternatives: Where should you look for income in your portfolio? April 23, 2015 Once upon a time, bonds could always be relied upon to deliver a consistent fixed income. Sadly, those days are long gone, and now most bonds pay a miserly return – with some even in negative territory. But income is still useful for many investors. We asked the experts to name their top alternatives. COMMERCIAL [...]
Surviving the lifetime allowance: You could face 55pc tax on your pension savings unless you plan carefully April 23, 2015 The chancellor’s generosity couldn’t go on forever. Just days before his transformational reforms to pensions were enacted – the end of the compulsory purchase of annuities has at last given savers real power over their money when they reach 55 – George Osborne announced that the pensions lifetime allowance (LTA) would fall from £1.25m to [...]
Unleash the Junior Isas: How do the experts invest to unlock decades-long returns April 23, 2015 With a time horizon of up to 18 years, Junior Isas have tremendous growth potential. Annabelle Williams asks the experts how they invest to unlock decades-long returns. One of the best ways to save for your child’s future is the Junior Isa (Jisa). As with an adult Isa, there is an annual allowance for each [...]
The help to buy Isa: How helpful is it and what does it really offer first-time buyers? April 23, 2015 Chancellor George Osborne threw would-be first-time buyers a lifeline in his Budget last month: the Help to Buy Isa has been dubbed a key part of the government’s savings revolution, offering assistance to those who want to get onto the property ladder. Due to come into force this autumn, this new Isa wrapper will mean [...]
Behold the era of market meddling: Whoever wins the General Election, the age of intervention is upon us April 23, 2015 In the run up to every General Election, the business community voices its concerns over what a Labour government would mean for UK plc. There is the regular letter to The Telegraph, signed by 100 business leaders, in a show of support for the Conservatives. There is much worry, and some hysteria too. Many readers [...]
Rich pensioners sitting on £16bn of untapped leisure spending April 21, 2015 Wealthy British pensioners added £37bn to the economy in leisure and hospitality spending last year, according to research from Barclays today. But they could spend an extra £16bn, if firms only realised the consumer group had such financial resources, the report into Britain’s aging population showed. The average Brit spends £2,486 on leisure and hospitality each [...]
Private equity goes to the circus April 20, 2015 A GROUP led by the Texas-based private equity fund TPG Capital has bought a controlling stake in the Canadian circus and entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The group of investors includes Fosun Capital Group, owned by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International. While no financial terms were disclosed for the deal, it is thought to value Cirque du [...]
Peer-to-peer lender Assetz raises £3m from crowdfund site Seedrs April 20, 2015 A pair of peer-to-peer sites came together in a funding operation yesterday which underlines the growing clout of the alternative finance sector. Lending site Assetz raised £3m through equity fundraising site Seedrs. It takes the total raised by debt crowdfunders on Seedrs to more than £4.5m. The debt firm had planned to raise £2m on the [...]
Join our readers’ Wine Club April 20, 2015 Whether you’re an investor or an oenophile, joining City PM’s club can help you build your dream cellar City PM has launched a readers’ Wine Club aimed at both investors and those who simply enjoy the finer things in life. We are working with some of the world’s leading wine estates to provide exclusive offers [...]
Investec Comment: Pensions: The role of structured products April 19, 2015 THE government’s pension reforms have arrived – and attention has inevitably shifted from the technicalities of the new rules to what those at retirement will do with their new-found freedoms. The reforms have given people unprecedented control over their pensions: you no longer have to buy an annuity, you can keep your money invested and [...]
