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Savings & investments

Archives for June 2015

You know things are bad when...
...the FTSE goes so low it drops below the x-axis!
Exercising US stock options from the UK
Hi. I work for a US company or rather am just about to leave and I have an employee stock option scheme. I am able to exercise all my vested stocks upon leaving the company but require a US brokerage account to do so (DTCC). Now as far as I can tell I'll only need to do one trade using the cashless exercise option but does…
Best place to put savings as a couple?
My girlfriend and I run a business in addition to our jobs which earns us around £700 to £1,200 a month. We don't need this money as part of our monthly outgoings so want to save this money to put towards a house deposit or something similar. Ideally we would set up some kind of joint ISA but I'm guessing that isn't…
Paul Lewis: find good financial advice
Many will find this helpful. some may find it controversial: http://paullewismoney.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/find-good-financial-advice.html I think the first part is very good, but am not so sure about the "free financial advice" as there is, strictly speaking, no such thing as "free financial advice" as proper advice needs…
Financial Advice: How to make your money work for you?
There is a vast amount of articles online aimed at people that are in debt or are managing their money very closely. I’ve been looking for information and experiences on the opposite end of the scale, the people that aren’t ‘rich’ but have been saving up hard for years. Questions In summary I have the following questions:…
Offshore Euros
I currently have Euros offshore in Isle of Man from when I used to work abroad. Am now living permanently bk in the UK. I'm not desperate for the money to be bk here at the mo, but wondering, due to the Greece Crisis affecting the exchange rate, should I cut my losses now, or leave it where it is!?! Confused! 😕
Regular investments
Ok I'm a bit confused by this investment malarky so need a little help :rotfl: I want to start making small investments every month (£25-£50) this year. I plan to then start moving it up so over the next few years investing upwards of £300 every month but I need to get the ball rolling. I initally plan to invest in funds…
House sold - mortgage capital to be saved
Hello, I'm new here so apologies if I miss anything out. My partner and I have just sold our house, we have £105,000 in capital after expenses that we are getting. We also have £30,000 in savings in a First Direct E-saver account. We save around £2500 between us per month. I am a higher rate tax payer and my partner is a…
How do funds work?
Probably the ultimate noobie question, but I wanted to get some clarification on how exactly income is generated from funds. I know they're a slightly different product, but ETFs are slightly easier to understand - they have a set price which increases or decreases and if you sell at a higher price, you've made your…
Selling US company employee options...CGT & transferring...
Ok, wondering if you guys can help me out here. So we have some stock options in a US company where hubby works; he is a higher rate taxpayer, I have a very part-time job earning about £4k. Some questions then... a) Does he have to pay CGT on the profit *as well as* any IT due? b) Is there anything to stop him transferring…
Premium Bonds arbitrage with Santander - Is this free money?
I have around 10k in a Santander 123 account that gives me a nice 3% interest per year. Interest is calculated daily. Is there anything to stop me doing the following: 1. Withdraw my full 10k and buy premium bonds on the last day of the month. 2. Two days later, after the draw, take out all the money from premium bonds and…
two different IFAs - which model is better?
Between me and my husband we have lumpsum of 90k in ISA to invest in funds, we are not comfortable to manage it ourselves due to lack of time & knowledge, hence would like to use IFA. recently met up two IFAs, they operate very differently. IFA A - smaller firm, they charge 3% for initial setup, then 0.75% yearly…
Realistically, how screwed is the euro?
I have some money invested in European emerging markets and honestly, I wasn't that worried as it's grow 2% in just 1 month but I watched a video explaining the how Greece crisis thing and how it could "destroy all of Europe" lol. Now I'm not sure if that was an over exaggeration but what's the future going to look for EU…
savings
what's the best way to make more savings as in bank accounts and Isa e.t.c inheritance money of the value of £54000.
Buying shares
I want to add some shares to my holding in a Halifax Isa. When I go to deal, I get a message as follows Prior Express Consent Your consent is required to report your trades outside a Regulated Market. : However, the shares I want to buy are in the FTSE 100, so I don't understand why this consent is needed Can anyone please…
Too late to jump?
http://www.ftadviser.com/2015/06/22/investments/fixed-income/bond-funds-may-face-huge-losses-amid-liquidity-crisis-EKEw2Nou2tRttoFuwcnXgP/article-1.html " “outflows seem to be starting”, which could turn managers into “a collective of forced sellers”, which has not been seen since the financial crisis." and if you could -…
Where to put joint savings?
Me and my partner are currently saving to move house. Our savings are in a rubbish paying account at the moment so am looking to get the most interest I can. Some months we save as much as £1,500 so would like an account that can accommodate this. We don't mind a notice account or locking it away for a year or 2, as long…
15k inheritance
Hi I have inherited 15k and am unsure what to do with it. A financial advisor suggested I put it in a pension pot to top up my pension and also to start a new pension(I dont have a pension at present but had a good works one before I left my employment 2 years ago) but a friend has said its not worth doing this as pensions…
Landlords: what's your NET rental yield?
If you're a landlord, what's your NET rental yield? Okay, there are lots of conditions, location, etc - obviously hard to capture in a simple pool so just ballpark average will do! Thank you!
Grexit and the markets?
Is anyone cashing their stocks and shares ISAs etc in due to the potential impact the likely Grexit will have on the markets? I know that long term it probably won't make much difference to investments but I can't help but feel that we are on the edge of cliff and the Greek fiscal mess is the tipping point.

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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