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New data from HMRC shows how much the government relies on just four taxes. The Labour Party went into the 2024 general election with pledges on four major taxes in its manifesto: “Labour will not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase National Insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates […]

Could the State pension be replaced with a more flexible income scheme? A new report thinks it would be possible. There are now 12.6 million people over State pension age (SPA), meaning that government expenditure on the State pension is about 5% of gross domestic product (GDP), second only in cost to the health service. […]

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has thought again about our life expectancy calculations. Life expectancy calculations matter, and not just to answer that perennial question. Any long-term economic projections, such as the scary ones that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) produces each year, have life expectancy as a key component. However, life expectancy […]

The new Pensions Commission has issued an important interim report that could signal a stark warning for pension planning. The first Pensions Commission was established back in 2002 and over the following four years developed a range of proposals covering: The creation of a low-cost occupational pension scheme into which individuals would be automatically enrolled; […]

Investment markets reacted sharply to Donald Trump’s Iran ‘excursion’ in March, but over the quarter there was not as much change as the headlines might have made you believe. 2025 was generally a good year for investment markets with the UK putting in a notably good performance – the FTSE 100 was up more than […]