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Savings & investments

Archives for April 2017

SIPP and income tax
The the first time this year I may pay higher rate income tax. I stopped paying into my SIPP a while ago as I want to retire before 55, so just pay my savings into an ISA. I understand I'm missing out on the 20% rebate but I'll have to pay all this back anyway as I have rental property that'll alway keep me above 0% tax.…
Nationwide Flexclusive - 3 months paying £750 into a current account rule?
I opened a FlexDirect yesterday and paid £2500 into it. I've also set up a DD for £1000 to go into (and out of) it on a monthly basis. I then went to open a Flexclusive account. Read these T&Cs and thought 'all good'... You need to be 18 years old or over and a main current account customer with us. This means you must…
CASH ISAs
Hi everyone, Please could someone on this forum clarify the following for me... I have a HTB ISA with Halifax @ 4% and would like to open a separate cash isa with the same/another provider. Having checked the Natwest site it states 'If you make a payment for a tax year into your Cash ISA, you can’t make any payments for…
Now is not the time?
With the markets being high and many experts predicting a market crash, add in forthcoming elections in the UK, France & Germany (not forgetting Brexit) Would new investors be wise to hold off? Whilst I understand that nobody can accurately second-guess stock markets a recent article by Harvey Jones published by The Motley…
How good are vanguard
Hi I'm interested to know from people how good or bad the life strategy plans with vanguard are ?. I see a lot people referring to the vanguard plans, and would like to know more about them. I'm 57 yrs old trying to decide where to invest say around 50k maybe a bit more. Then will decide which one to go 80/20, 60/40. Not…
£500 p/m investment help please
Hi, I'm looking to invest £500 a month, but I'm at a loss as to where to put it. Salary £67,500 +£10,000 bonus. I contribute 3% each month to my pension which is the maximum my company matches and they give me 7% on top (in total 3% + 3% + 7% = 13%). I invest £125 p/m into our company share scheme (maximum allowed) £300…
Quick will question
I know this is not the correct thread for wills (there isn't one lol), i'm sure someone on here will know the answer though so here goes.. If you have less then 80k in total when you die (house/mortgage and tiny savings, life insurance payout etc), is there any point in making a will? It will automaticly go to your spouse…
De-risking for Retirement
Hello all, I am just looking for some comments on my situation please...apologies as it's a bit long winded! I will be 49 years old at the end of next month. My work's defined benefit pension scheme is a combination of final salary and average salary. I have built up just shy of 19 years in the Final Salary portion of my…
Money market funds, what's the point for a retail investor?
The returns are lower than deposit accounts and negative after charges. Invesco Perpetual Money for example grew about 0.17% per year in the last three years with an annual charge of 0.50% What are the reasons to invest in these funds?
Penny Shares-Help
Many years ago, in a fit of madness, I purchased penny shares in 3 companies. Two companies have been dissolved, but the 3rd, Caspian UK Holdings Ltd, appears on companies house as active. Despite this I can't find details of this company anywhere else. Even on the London Stock Exchange. I really need now to find the value…
AA Saving account opening sort code checker wrong
Hi , I just tried opening an Account on line with the AA. When I entered my Santander Sort Code AA identified this as "Abbey National PLC". I tried talking with the AA Savings team but they are closed. Anyone else had this issue ?
S&S ISAs performance over recent years - anyone in the know?
Ok, so in retirement I'm biting the bullet and finally considering stocks and shares rather than a deposit account... but I would prefer this to be managed for me rather than self-invested. Would anyone have an overview of how the average scheme of this kind has fared over, say, the last five years? I have talked briefly…
alternative to vanguard but without UK exposure
hi i have some money in vanguard 60%. I am looking for some more alternative for additional funds (circa £5k). Aim is to keep it in market for 10 years. i am looking for alternatives to vanguard as i feel that vanguard has too much UK exposure which in my opinion is not good for next 2 years.... so does anyone know off any…
Halifax Down
Halifax website been down since 8am today:mad:
S&S ISA or Pension
I have some cash ISAs maturing this year (about £25k) and was going to move them to a S&S ISA with Fidelity (not the cheapest but I have been with them for years). However a colleague at work suggested I consider paying them into my pension. I am a higher rate tax payer so I would get higher rate tax relief on these but,…
Advice, please, on transferring mature cash ISA to investment platform(s)
Advice, please, on transferring a mature cash ISA to a different platform ... I have a bunch of cash ISAs amounting to some £27,000, about to mature with Halifax. I should like to transfer this money into one or two investment funds, although I’m not yet sure whether these two funds will be ones which I have already…
No money down portfolio
The Nirvana of Buy To Let was the no money down scenario. Effectively the 100% mortgage. So, you buy a house for £200k, putting down £50k cash, and borrow £150k. A few years later, the house is worth £300k, so you get a Buy To Let mortgage for £200k, releasing the £50k cash you put in in the beginning. This is now the no…
Lifetime Isa ( LISA ) For Commercial To Residential Conversion
Hi All, The new Lifetime ISA looks great for buying my first property. Single flats here are £60k+. Can the LISA be used for the deposit/outright purchase of a commercial property (around £10k), with the plan to convert it into a residential? If not, I'd best maybe hold the cash to buy it outright without a LISA, or save…
transfer previous years ISAs
I have just tried to open a 2 year fixed rate ISA using previous years ISA monies with Paragon Bank and the application form states that I am not allowed to open another ISA in this financial year.ie 17/18. I phoned and was told that this is the case which is a nonsense, unless the rules have changed. Has anyone else…
Student loan advice
So, I have an income contingent student loan which I took out prior to 2005/06. I have 16k outstanding and interest accruing at 0.9% per annum, some £144 per year. I am paying off circa £1k per year through PAYE, so reducing the total by around £850/year (subject to interest rate changes). Usually, the advice is to pay off…

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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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