Mature Times - Savings & Investments

Savings protection raised to £50,000

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:39:56 +0100

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has increased the compensation limit for bank deposits from £35,000 up to a total of £50,000 for each customer's claim. This increase applies from Tuesday 7 October 2008.

Good news if you've ever contracted out of SERPS

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:25:17 +0100

Have you contracted out of the State Second Pension or SERPs at any time in the last 20 years? New rules being introduced could allow you to breathe new life into your pension(s) and allow you to consolidate them into a single, easy-to-manage account.

Is there still life in Investment Bonds following the last Budget?

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:07:59 +0100

Recent Budget changes to Capital Gains Tax have a major impact on Investment Bonds. Chris Budd of Ovation Finance Limited investigates.

Join today's live webchat on savings

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:48:19 +0000

Anne Young, savings expert at Scottish Widows, will be joining us at 1pm on Wednesday 5th March to answer YOUR questions on saving. And whether you are just starting to save or want to know which products are suitable for your needs - saving for the long or short term, a specific event in the future, or just for a rainy day - Anne will be here to help.

Join our webchat on saving for retirement

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:58:48 +0000

This Friday (February 29th) at 1pm, we are helping to host a live webchat to answer all your questions on retirement saving - clearing up misconceptions and giving tips whether you are starting off or want to review your strategy.

Another year older... don't fall deeper in debt!

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:39:10 +0000

The start of the new year is likely to see more people than ever struggling to pay off debts, and debt charities are bracing themselves for a flood of calls after Christmas from overstretched borrowers... so what should you do if you find yourself worried about debt?

Investing in private equity: look before you leap

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:31:24 +0100

There has been a great deal in the press recently about “private equity”. Chris Budd explains what it is, and whether it is worth investing in.

Banks move to give back money

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 14:11:45 +0100

Ever wondered what happened to the money in that school savings account you had in primary school, or found an old bank book when you were moving house? Well, no need to wonder any longer. The British Bankers’ Association is launching a major drive to reunite people with money in dormant accounts.

Ethical investments: now you can save with a conscience

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:20:33 +0100

If you want your savings to be invested well and wisely, the options for ethical investors have grown enormously over the last few years, says Chris Budd.

Real returns vs absolute returns

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:28:52 +0100

Chris Budd examines methods for smoothing investment returns and asks: are you a relative or absolute investor?

Some saving options to consider

Tue, 29 May 2007 11:45:58 +0100

Not every savings product gets the attention it deserves, says Chris Budd, but some of them are well worth looking at.

"e-savings offer better returns"

Wed, 02 May 2007 11:45:22 +0100

Millions of savers are likely to be losing out on thousands of pounds in interest because of the massive disparity between rates for online, e-savings accounts and ordinary instant access High Street savings accounts, according to new research .

Time to declare your offshore bank account

Wed, 02 May 2007 11:24:06 +0100

Do you have an undeclared offshore bank account? If so, now may the best time to declare it to the UK government, because HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has announced an offshore tax disclosure amnesty until June 22nd 2007.

Budget "partially removes" pre-owned assets trap

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 18:55:27 +0000

This week's Budget, say the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, may help some, including low-income families, who are caught by a little-known rule designed to counter inheritance tax avoidance, but which can also catch ordinary family arrangements entered into with no thought of escaping tax.

Tracker Funds vs Active Management

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:55:20 +0000

Huge bonuses to fund managers have been in the headlines recently. Chris Budd analyses whether the money is well spent.