Adverse credit mortgages are ‘big business’ says CML Of those people securing a mortgage in 2005, five per cent had suffered credit problems in the past, highlighting a worrying trend of so-called adverse credit lending, suggests the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).
How to make a big hit in one tax year The new pension rules significantly lifted the bar on contribution thresholds. But a small group of high-flying executives and City workers are taking advantage of a loophole that allows them to pay even more into their schemes, at least for one tax year.
Alternative routes when Treasury splits heirs The Treasury’s threatened clamp-down on Alternatively Secured Pensions is leading to a search by pensions savers and their advisers for other ways of obtaining comparable tax breaks.
Treasury may heed calls to raise ISA investing limit Investors saving through Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) would be able to put in much larger sums of money than presently allowed, if industry proposals are taken up by the Treasury.
Negative equity holds no fear for many Graduates and young professionals are increasingly taking out mortgages in excess of the value of their property so they can get on to the housing ladder without having to pay the deposit or moving costs from their own pockets.
Reduced tax perks puncture investor demand The season to invest in new shares of venture capital trusts is almost upon us. However, demand for these tax-privileged investment funds is likely to slump this winter because of a reduction in their tax perks, a survey by a top tax advisory group indica
Social forces change the very fabric of house market Bubbling below the financial credentials of a buoyant economy are a wealth of social and demographic factors which are also providing significant support for house prices.
Parents will be able to roll Child Trust Funds into Isas Parents will be able to start building up Individual Savings Accounts (Isas) for their children from birth following an announcement by the government this week that it will soon be possible to roll Child Trust Fund accounts into Isas.
Tractor test shows rural commitment In 21st century Britain, country estates are snapped up by City bankers and other wealthy urbanites. A high-profile example is Marc Jonas, the founder of Punch Taverns and now a private equity executive, who this summer bought a 4,000-acre estate in Wilts
A hands off approach to absolute returns Investors who want exposure to spread bets and CFDs but do not want to shoulder the responsibility for the investment decisions can hand over their money to investment managers.
Buy-to-let beauties show their ugly side Large numbers of buy-to-let investors are having their properties repossessed and sold off at auction as growing numbers of property investors are unable to meet interest repayments.
Borrowers urged to prepare for another rise The Bank of England took no-one by surprise when it raised interest rates by a quarter point to 5 per cent this week. But banks may still not be quick off the mark to pass the rate rise on to savers.
Off-piste perils of owning a home in the snow Whether they fancy the thrill of racing down a black run themselves or just want to rake in a healthy rental yield, UK investors are piling into property in ski resorts across Europe and the US.
Industry draws up reforms to ward off annuity U-turn The pensions industry is lobbying the Treasury in a last-ditch effort to persuade the government not to axe Alternatively Secured Pensions, the new vehicles which allow investors to avoid purchasing an annuity at retirement.