Author Archives: Emma

Child Trust Funds (CTFs) were long-term tax-free savings accounts for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011, with most children receiving a voucher for £250 shortly after their birth. Up to £9,000 per year (running from the child’s birthday) can be added to an existing Child Trust Read the full article…

A fixed term annuity is a type of annuity that provides a guaranteed income for a set period of time, typically 3 years to 20 years. They can be very useful for bridging a gap in income, for example for someone wanting to retire a few years before state pension Read the full article…

The first Spring Statement delivered by the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, on 26 March, made for fairly gloomy headlines. The OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility) has downgraded its estimate of growth for the UK economy from 2% to 1% for the current year, although it has upgraded Read the full article…

Stock market performance for the year to date has been dominated by the potential impact of US trade tariffs. US markets had initially risen following Donald Trump’s inauguration, buoyed by his “America First” policy programme. These gains were short-lived, as US markets then declined sharply during February. Investors remain worried Read the full article…

The deadline of 5 April 2025 is fast approaching to pay voluntary national insurance (NI) contributions on gaps in your NI record between 2006 and 2018. Topping up can potentially make a huge difference to the amount you receive in state pension, and in some cases, partial years can be Read the full article…