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Recent HMRC’s statistics show a jump in unclaimed Child Trust Funds (CTFs) to over £1,500,000,000.  CTFs had only a brief existence. They were launched in January 2005 by the previous Labour Government and survived for just six years, before being culled by the Conservative /LibDem coalition Government in 2011, shortly after it came to power. […]

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 […]

New rules from HMRC now mean a form of crypto investment fund is eligible for ISA investment.            In recent years, cryptoassets – ranging from Bitcoin through stablecoins to Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – have attracted considerable attention. The arrival of Donald Trump in the White House has […]

A Government announcement has set tuition fees in England on a rising path once more. In October, the UK Government announced a range of changes for post-16 education. What grabbed headlines were details of the proposed new ‘V Levels’, which will be “new vocational qualifications tied to rigorous and real-world job standard”. V Levels will […]

PROPERTY OUTLOOK For anyone looking to enter the buy-to let market as a new landlord, the decision is currently far from straightforward. On the plus side: Average English rents increased by 7.1% over the year to May 2025, with the average monthly rental now standing at £1,394; Average UK house prices rose by 3.5% for […]

The former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s recent problems with stamp duty land tax (SDLT) offer a salutary lesson.    In early September, the Deputy Prime Minister (and Housing Secretary) resigned after discovering that she had underpaid SDLT by £40,000 on the purchase of a flat in Hove. That Rayner missed the additional tax liability […]