Mindful Money

1 April 2016

Personal Finance Trending News

A ban on ‘opt-out selling’ in financial services means consumers will no longer have sneaky costs added to insurance policies.   The ban by the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), comes into play today and will stop insurance companies adding optional extras at extra cost to insurance policies that the consumer then has […]

29 March 2016

Pensions Pensions And SIPPs

High earners with taxable income over £150,000 face paying additional tax of £13,500 now that pension tax relief rules have changed. Hargreaves Lansdown senior pension analyst Nathan Long says: “High earners will now need either a crystal ball or the benefit of hindsight to navigate the new annual allowances rules. Few people know their total […]

29 March 2016

Pensions Retirement

Retirees are increasing opting for annuities to fund their retirement, the latest figures from the  Association of British Insurers show. The trade body has issued the figures one year on from pension freedoms showing that investors have accessed around £6bn in retirement savings. Around half have taken the full amount with the rest taking the […]

24 March 2016

Your Money

Britain’s passion for DIY is stronger than ever as new analysis from credit card provider MBNA shows annual consumer spending by its customers on home improvement products has jumped 42% since 1996. The spring bank holiday weekend is the busiest times of the year for DIY enthusiasts and overall the study found that Britons are […]

24 March 2016

Mortgages Mortgages & Property

Almost half of first-time buyers in London claim that sky-high house prices are preventing them from buying a property, according to research from Yorkshire Building Society. Some 43% said they would be willing to move to a more affordable part of the UK if it meant they were able to own their first property. A […]

24 March 2016

Shares

As Next reports its full year results Helal Miah, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, explains why he is calling the shares a ‘hold’… Next shares opened down by 7% this morning as it reported full year revenues of £4.1bn, up 3% but slightly short of consensus expectations. It was disappointing to see sales […]

24 March 2016

Financial Planning insight Investing Investing for Growth Shares

For those looking to spice up their child’s junior ISA portfolio one broker is tipping utility group National Grid and household firms company Reckitt Benckiser as ideal stocks to add. Saving into a stocks and shares Junior ISA, or JISA, is a decent way to build up a nest egg. You can invest up to […]

24 March 2016

Shares

Shares in Next tumbled in early trading on Thursday after the retailer reported that its annual pre-tax profits had risen to £836.1m. Its latest results are up from £794.8m year earlier. In the year to 30 January, sales for Next Directory, its online and catalogue business, increased by 8% and Next Retail by 1%.  Total […]

23 March 2016

Personal Finance

Holidaymakers have been warned to check their credit and debit card fees when using plastic abroad. While taking the right credit card abroad can be one of the most cost-effective ways of spending and can offer you additional protection on your purchases, most cards on the market charge a ‘non-sterling transaction fee’, every time you […]

22 March 2016

Personal Finance

Santander is launching voice-enabled banking to allow customers to keep track of their spending, but is this really the Siri of personal finance? The experts say ‘not yet, but watch this space’… The bank says the technology it is using differs from voice biometrics, which  enables access to a customer’s accounts by using their voice […]