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I have read not long ago that the government benefits by £4 billion every year because employed people ignore doing the annual self-assessment and claim back some of the tax they pay during the year. The tax return can be done in one of the three following ways:

1- Doing it yourself by regularly completing the [...]

Having worked for the last 25 years with several companies and organizations, I have developed a pension portfolio with seven different employers and eight different insurance providers. After a review meeting with my Independent Financial Advisor he has advice me to consolidate all of my pensions. This would significantly increase my level of control and [...]

If you are looking to invest some money you should look to invest the money in a number of funds and not just one for your investment.

A typical portfolio has between five and ten investment funds; these range from fixed interest and corporate bond funds to various equity funds. Geographically the portfolio should be well [...]

1- They speak English and have the appropriate qualifications.

2- They were recommended to you by a friend or a relative.

3- They give you their business card at the start of your meeting.

4- They don’t ask for money or charge you for the first meeting.

5- They take a full Fact Find and Review of your situation, [...]

Why are not more people taking advantage of Individual Savings Accounts (ISA’s)? You are allowed to contribute up to £7,000 per annum per person into an ISA and all the profits on these are tax-free.

If you put the money into a unit trust you could end up paying Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the profits [...]

I have just claimed back £350 in bank charges. I bank with the Abbey and a cheque paid into my account that I thought had cleared did not as it bounced. As a result I got bank charges of £360 which was made up of £30 for each cheque that I had written and cleared [...]

New developments in FSA rules on pensions and pension funding have triggered a new generation of pension investors. These are investment savvy successful investors, not looking at a pension as a solitary source of retirement but as an effective investment vehicle. The increase limits on contribution and the removal of up front charges and the [...]

The private investor in the investment world today peers up worriedly at the peaks of stockmarket growth and wonders whether his Isa’s, Unit Trusts and OEIC’s can continue sustaining the growth of recent years. While this in part will be affected by investor sentiment over the long term economic strength will decide the growth of [...]

I have recently bought my first property. While I was looking for a mortgage to buy this property I was initially offered a very bad deal:  the interest rate was nearly 1% above the bank base rate, the high lending charge was nearly £4000 and the broker fee was £2500. I then consulted another mortgage [...]

The popularity of Fund Supermarkets has been on the increase since their original insertion. Last year the investment sales through Fund Supermarkets exceeded the investment sales through both intermediaries and tied agents. The main reason for this is the wide range of investment funds available through these supermarkets. These range from 500 funds on some [...]