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Savings and Investments thread
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The worst days in the market are usually followed by the best days in the market. People panic unnecessarily when fundamentals really haven’t changed.Fortune 82nd Minute said:I now utterly and totally admit i do not understand the workings of the stock market.
After the bloodbath on Wall Street yesterday I thought the FTSE would plummet today.
I have just looked and it is up 91 points!
Can an expert explain, please?
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No point trying to time stuff, though. High profile listings tend to go down for a while before picking back up. Eventually it will hopefully go past its listing price.Carter said:I chickened out of buying SpaceX shares in the IPO tomorrow
Going to market at £135 per share and I cancelled my order this morning as I think there is enough ill-feeling towards Elon Musk for some fuckery to occur. My objective view is SpaceX are doing some unbelievably innovative technology advances that will spawn things that will improve human life. I'm going to be an interested spectator now though0 -
https://www.lonsdaleservices.co.uk/news-making-your-pension-work-harder-gifting-surplus-income-for-estate-planning-914golfaddick said:
I would be interested in where you saw this guidance as that is not my experience or knowledge in this area.Southbank said:I recently saw some guidance that the 25 per cent you can take tax free from your pension can now be counted as part of income. Therefore whichever part of it is above 'normal' expenditure can also be gifted free of IHT.
It might depend of you are taking it as income (ie, on a monthly basis) or as a one off / ad hoc lump sum.0 -
The 25% was in relation to a traditional 60/40 portfolio......so around 40% of the equity content, although over the last few years a medium risk portfolio is closer to 65/35.redman said:
I must admit I am very surprised on your 25% limit on America. I hope you and your clients haven't been on this track for long or you will have lost a big opportunity. Even if you wanted to totally avoid tech it seems low. The magnificent 7 only account for about 33% of S&P. The US market has consistently produced bigger returns than anywhere else and Personally I believe anyone investing for the long term would do better in US than your 25% warrants. The US is structurally must better setup to encourage wealth creating entrepeneurs than most places.golfaddick said:
The FTSE is very "old school" and contains very little in the way of tech stocks (probably none). However, it is very weighted towards Oil, Mining and Banks (the latter being buoyed by overnight gains in the Far East).Fortune 82nd Minute said:I now utterly and totally admit i do not understand the workings of the stock market.
After the bloodbath on Wall Street yesterday I thought the FTSE would plummet today.
I have just looked and it is up 91 points!
Can an expert explain, please?
Also, UK companies pay good dividends & often the 100 is buoyed by this alone.
And then there is other company news that doesn't make the headlines, such as Fraser's takeover approach for Hugo Boss.
All this is why I always bang on about diversification - not just between stocks & bonds, but also between countries. The World Index is almost 70% US but I wouldnt have more than 25% exposure to America.
I do agree your general point on diversification though, just believe your 25% is way too low. There again what do I know, I'm just a humble layman who can't give advice.
As per, it always comes down to your own risk attitude.1 -
SpaceX currently at $174 vs the $135 IPO price. A very nice premium.0
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30% profit. Not a bad mornings work.Huskaris said:SpaceX currently at $174 vs the $135 IPO price. A very nice premium.1 -
No buyers remorse here, my attitude to risk is clearly too soft for big time IPOs like this2
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The 'peace deal' bounce seems to be running out of steam very quickly this morning. It's almost as if the markets are skeptical.1
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Profit taking.IdleHans said:The 'peace deal' bounce seems to be running out of steam very quickly this morning. It's almost as if the markets are skeptical.
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Us futures still going strong, which is probably what mattersIdleHans said:The 'peace deal' bounce seems to be running out of steam very quickly this morning. It's almost as if the markets are skeptical.0 -
I did notice that. Tempts me to top up S&P 500 ETF now it's fallen back a bit - the futures have risen more than the fund todayDiebythesword said:
Us futures still going strong, which is probably what mattersIdleHans said:The 'peace deal' bounce seems to be running out of steam very quickly this morning. It's almost as if the markets are skeptical.
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Pacific Rim markets jumped the gun overnight when they thought everything was signed. Now being told its Friday and that is a long way away when Israel & Hezbollah continue to trade missiles.1
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Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?0 -
I've had these emails for a few years now. On PAYE there's no requirement to submit a tax return at any threshold, it used to be 100k, then 150k, across all income. No doubt they're loosening the requirements in other areas.Rob7Lee said:Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?
Over the last 5 or 6 years I diverted all "62% tax trap" income to my SIPP. So it's some years since I've needed to file a tax return, even at the old threshold. But I still do it every year.
There's the 5%/3% employee/employer pension contribution - the employee part I get a 25% top up, but that means the tax relief for the difference between the 25% income tax rate and 40% rate needs claiming by me. Charity donations, again, gift aid tops up 25% but at the 40% marginal rate there's 15% I can claim in tax relief.
Tax return takes me 1 hour to do each April to claim back about £500 - 1k. I've not found a quicker or more reliable way to claim the tax relief at the end of the tax year. And to afterwards reset my tax code for the year ahead. So I carry on doing a tax return.
I think the whole of my 30s, at the 40% income tax rate, for pension contributions and charity donations I was leaving that 15% on the table for HMRC and never claiming it, didn't know I could! It's only when I hit the self assessment threshold that I discovered this new world of tax relief being claimed - no doubt millions are in that boat now, unaware.
Sorry, bit of a ramble there. But yes I get the same message from HMRC as you - but I trust myself, much more than HMRC, to correctly calculate my tax. All the while they give me the option to do a tax return, I'll carry on doing it.0 -
Has anyone on here used Fisher Investments to manage their pensions and investments?
I’ve had the initial chat and probably spin about how they outperform the market etc just wondered whether anyone had any view either way ?0 -
Never used them but was put off from doing so by their very poor trustpilot reviews, 2.1 stars.Southendaddick said:Has anyone on here used Fisher Investments to manage their pensions and investments?
I’ve had the initial chat and probably spin about how they outperform the market etc just wondered whether anyone had any view either way ?
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Your point on charitable donations is very valid and also should encourage more people to be charitable. However the tax reclaim is better than you quote. EG £800 given to charity under gift aid enables them to effectively claim the 25% quote ie £200 (this is because it is 20% (the the basic tax rate) of £1,000 (£800 grossed up). The gift that goes into your tax computation, is the £1,000. You then effectively get a refund of 20% ( the difference between the higher rate of tax and basic rate) of £1,000. IE £200, so it is effectively another 25% of your initial gift. Besides being good for you, it means the charity gets £1,000 at a cost of £600 to you.Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:
I've had these emails for a few years now. On PAYE there's no requirement to submit a tax return at any threshold, it used to be 100k, then 150k, across all income. No doubt they're loosening the requirements in other areas.Rob7Lee said:Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?
Over the last 5 or 6 years I diverted all "62% tax trap" income to my SIPP. So it's some years since I've needed to file a tax return, even at the old threshold. But I still do it every year.
There's the 5%/3% employee/employer pension contribution - the employee part I get a 25% top up, but that means the tax relief for the difference between the 25% income tax rate and 40% rate needs claiming by me. Charity donations, again, gift aid tops up 25% but at the 40% marginal rate there's 15% I can claim in tax relief.
Tax return takes me 1 hour to do each April to claim back about £500 - 1k. I've not found a quicker or more reliable way to claim the tax relief at the end of the tax year. And to afterwards reset my tax code for the year ahead. So I carry on doing a tax return.
I think the whole of my 30s, at the 40% income tax rate, for pension contributions and charity donations I was leaving that 15% on the table for HMRC and never claiming it, didn't know I could! It's only when I hit the self assessment threshold that I discovered this new world of tax relief being claimed - no doubt millions are in that boat now, unaware.
Sorry, bit of a ramble there. But yes I get the same message from HMRC as you - but I trust myself, much more than HMRC, to correctly calculate my tax. All the while they give me the option to do a tax return, I'll carry on doing it.
Why charities never make this clear I can never understand.
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Indeed! Yes, I kept things as layman as I could, and you're quite right. And same with the charity tax reclaim and my donating patterns - it just means I donate that little bit more than I otherwise would.redman said:
Your point on charitable donations is very valid and also should encourage more people to be charitable. However the tax reclaim is better than you quote. EG £800 given to charity under gift aid enables them to effectively claim the 25% quote ie £200 (this is because it is 20% (the the basic tax rate) of £1,000 (£800 grossed up). The gift that goes into your tax computation, is the £1,000. You then effectively get a refund of 20% ( the difference between the higher rate of tax and basic rate) of £1,000. IE £200, so it is effectively another 25% of your initial gift. Besides being good for you, it means the charity gets £1,000 at a cost of £600 to you.Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:
I've had these emails for a few years now. On PAYE there's no requirement to submit a tax return at any threshold, it used to be 100k, then 150k, across all income. No doubt they're loosening the requirements in other areas.Rob7Lee said:Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?
Over the last 5 or 6 years I diverted all "62% tax trap" income to my SIPP. So it's some years since I've needed to file a tax return, even at the old threshold. But I still do it every year.
There's the 5%/3% employee/employer pension contribution - the employee part I get a 25% top up, but that means the tax relief for the difference between the 25% income tax rate and 40% rate needs claiming by me. Charity donations, again, gift aid tops up 25% but at the 40% marginal rate there's 15% I can claim in tax relief.
Tax return takes me 1 hour to do each April to claim back about £500 - 1k. I've not found a quicker or more reliable way to claim the tax relief at the end of the tax year. And to afterwards reset my tax code for the year ahead. So I carry on doing a tax return.
I think the whole of my 30s, at the 40% income tax rate, for pension contributions and charity donations I was leaving that 15% on the table for HMRC and never claiming it, didn't know I could! It's only when I hit the self assessment threshold that I discovered this new world of tax relief being claimed - no doubt millions are in that boat now, unaware.
Sorry, bit of a ramble there. But yes I get the same message from HMRC as you - but I trust myself, much more than HMRC, to correctly calculate my tax. All the while they give me the option to do a tax return, I'll carry on doing it.
Why charities never make this clear I can never understand.
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I know a couple of people who’ve spoken to them. But know no one who has used them, for the exact reasons posted, really bad reviews, 60% 1*Southendaddick said:Has anyone on here used Fisher Investments to manage their pensions and investments?
I’ve had the initial chat and probably spin about how they outperform the market etc just wondered whether anyone had any view either way ?0 -
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Call me suspicious, but this is the first year in as long as I can remember that when I submitted a few days before this email they owed me money!!Er_Be_Ab_Pl_Wo_Wo_Ch said:
I've had these emails for a few years now. On PAYE there's no requirement to submit a tax return at any threshold, it used to be 100k, then 150k, across all income. No doubt they're loosening the requirements in other areas.Rob7Lee said:Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?
Over the last 5 or 6 years I diverted all "62% tax trap" income to my SIPP. So it's some years since I've needed to file a tax return, even at the old threshold. But I still do it every year.
There's the 5%/3% employee/employer pension contribution - the employee part I get a 25% top up, but that means the tax relief for the difference between the 25% income tax rate and 40% rate needs claiming by me. Charity donations, again, gift aid tops up 25% but at the 40% marginal rate there's 15% I can claim in tax relief.
Tax return takes me 1 hour to do each April to claim back about £500 - 1k. I've not found a quicker or more reliable way to claim the tax relief at the end of the tax year. And to afterwards reset my tax code for the year ahead. So I carry on doing a tax return.
I think the whole of my 30s, at the 40% income tax rate, for pension contributions and charity donations I was leaving that 15% on the table for HMRC and never claiming it, didn't know I could! It's only when I hit the self assessment threshold that I discovered this new world of tax relief being claimed - no doubt millions are in that boat now, unaware.
Sorry, bit of a ramble there. But yes I get the same message from HMRC as you - but I trust myself, much more than HMRC, to correctly calculate my tax. All the while they give me the option to do a tax return, I'll carry on doing it.
I’ll still do one I suspect as my charitable and pension varies year to year, although will likely cease pension contributions into my SIPP this year.
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Ha, you could be on to something there! It might just be that with the thresholds changing year-on-year you reached the point this year where you no longer meet their criteria to need to submit a return? It just happened to be the year they owe you money! I used to get paid the tax refunds promptly within a month of doing the tax return; so May/June of the same year - that all dried up 4 or 5 years ago - a nine-month wait is now the wait for me, not sure if that's typical.
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Aren't they the ones who wont put you in a box ? Looks like they need to up their Advertising campaign.Rob7Lee said:
I know a couple of people who’ve spoken to them. But know no one who has used them, for the exact reasons posted, really bad reviews, 60% 1*Southendaddick said:Has anyone on here used Fisher Investments to manage their pensions and investments?
I’ve had the initial chat and probably spin about how they outperform the market etc just wondered whether anyone had any view either way ?0 -
Well, surprise, surprise, I have the opposite situation to you. As usual. I finally got my NT or is it NR tax code a few weeks ago, and they cancelled the demand for a self-assessment tax form to be submitted for the year 24-25,and with it their estimated tax owed. Even before claiming this code in order to access my SIP, they had previously agreed with my last tax advisor that I no longer needed to submit to self-assessment. However, as soon as I applied for the non-tax resident status to be formalized, they started sending me demands for both 2024 and 2025 year end.. Almost as if to punish me for my temerity. They still claim I owe them 2k for 23-24. I have a mate who used to be in Prague with EY and is regularly in the FT re expat tax affairs issues. He told me to write them an assertive letter, demanding they cancel those demands. I did. About 6 weeks ago. Any cancellation? Nope. On the contrary they are now claiming on my gov.uk account that they estimate my taxable earnings for this coming year at over £50,000. The last time i reached that level was in 1992.Rob7Lee said:Rather odd (for me) email from HMRC the morning, advising that from tax year 5th April 2026 I no longer have to submit a tax return. I've completed one now for over 20 years and whilst I don't have the most complex tax affairs I'm still very surprised (as each year there are some variables).
Anyone else had something similar?I have already told them politely that i believe they can rssolve this quite easily but that its their last chance before I officially complain and copy in my MP. When I get back from hols I will call them again. It will cost me, waiting 40 mins at international rates. Like all the others did. I will once again demand to record the call and the nice person on the other end will tell me that they are entitled to refuse it. So i will ask that they send me their transcription of the call, as they apparently can do. At their leisure of course.
The person on the other end of the line will be nice and polite, and it will be the first they heard of my story. I will therefore be nice to them. But compare your status to mine, and ask yourself , how many billions are they taking off people less stroppy than me, and how many more billions are failing to reach the State coffers because they are totally, completely broken?1 -
My Father is now 76 and just remembered that he should have done something with his SIPP. Doh. Any simple advice for somebody of that age with a small SIPP of around £100k. It's not needed for anything flash, just to not leave most for the government.0
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Has he taken any tax-free cash ?_uptheaddicks said:My Father is now 76 and just remembered that he should have done something with his SIPP. Doh. Any simple advice for somebody of that age with a small SIPP of around £100k. It's not needed for anything flash, just to not leave most for the government.
Is it Flexi-Acess compliant ?
What's his tax status? Basic or higher rate ?0 -
I believe it's a HL Sipp. Not sure on exact details.
He has not taken any tax free cash/lump sum just yet. Basic rate tax payer.
He's at the age that it will get taxed 45% to whoever he leaves it to, I think.0 -
My SIPP(s), equities and ISA with HL finally back to pre-Trump tariffs today!0
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After age 75 any monies left to dependants / beneficiaries is taxed at the recipients marginal rate. And that is after any IHT has been paid (if applicable)_uptheaddicks said:I believe it's a HL Sipp. Not sure on exact details.
He has not taken any tax free cash/lump sum just yet. Basic rate tax payer.
He's at the age that it will get taxed 45% to whoever he leaves it to, I think.
I believe the HL Sipp should be ok for Flexi-Acess Drawdown but that should be confirmed as it does depend on when it commenced - older plans might not be or only allow Capped Drawdown.
Far for me to give advice (having not completed a fact find) but taking the maximum Tax-free lump asap should surely be imperative. But again, it would also depend on whether other tax-free lump sums have previously been taken and if so how they measure against the Lifetime Allowance (for TFC)0 -
With IHT coming in I think a lot of people (me included) have completely flipped as to how to manage retirement and what ‘pots’ to use first, whilst your own tax considerations, just not worth having anything left in your pension come 75 (unless I’ve missed something). It’ll just get double dipped/taxed if IHT applies to your estate.golfaddick said:
After age 75 any monies left to dependants / beneficiaries is taxed at the recipients marginal rate. And that is after any IHT has been paid (if applicable)_uptheaddicks said:I believe it's a HL Sipp. Not sure on exact details.
He has not taken any tax free cash/lump sum just yet. Basic rate tax payer.
He's at the age that it will get taxed 45% to whoever he leaves it to, I think.
I believe the HL Sipp should be ok for Flexi-Acess Drawdown but that should be confirmed as it does depend on when it commenced - older plans might not be or only allow Capped Drawdown.
Far for me to give advice (having not completed a fact find) but taking the maximum Tax-free lump asap should surely be imperative. But again, it would also depend on whether other tax-free lump sums have previously been taken and if so how they measure against the Lifetime Allowance (for TFC)1
