Entries by Philip J Milton & Company Plc
Savings accounts are costing you money, says new report
A new report has revealed the shocking low level of investment in shares by the general public, with most people preferring to savings in cash – which hurts their bank balances and the nation as a whole.
Did you know there is £1.8 TRILLION sat in cash savings accounts around the country? That sounds good,...
Probate delays adding extra costs for bereaved families
Families are seeing potential extra costs due to delays of up to several months before probate is granted after a death – but there are some things you can do to keep the costs down.
A grant of probate is a legal requirement for anyone handling the estate of a deceased person, before any inheritance...
Gilts, Sterling recovery and markets
So the UK Government has sold the most expensive Gilt since 2007, paying 5.668% till redemption in October 2025. That is significantly higher than the rates which were applying only a few years ago. Unless inflation abates (and wage figures today don’t help) then the cost of servicing the National Debt will rocket and...
The early bird gets the pension payout
We have said it before, but it’s never too early to start planning your retirement – research released this week has shown those who save into a pension in later life will be significantly worse off, despite earning a higher salary.
Analysis by Standard Life found those who started pension savings between the ages of...
Odd markets, bubbles and opportunity
The markets have been continuing their sideways negativity, with some situations suffering ‘death by a thousand cuts’, as sentiment remains disillusioned. There are a few brighter spots this week, which is good but it’s easier for the marketmakers to mark things in red to try to drum-up trade than give optimism for the near...
Rising interest rates – act now if you need a new deal
As was widely predicted, the Bank of England (BoE) raised interest rates by half a percentage point to 5% on Thursday in its ongoing attempts to reduce inflation, which now stands at 8.7% after not dropping as expected.
While the CPI (consumer price index) for inflation dropped into single figures in April, it has stayed...
Inflation and cautious optimism
So Sterling has hit its highest level against the Dollar since April last year and the Euro since August. Whilst it reduces the value of investors’ overseas’ assets, strength is positive and I can say ‘expected’ though whether it is on confidence in the UK and our economic prowess (or others’ regression) is hard...
State Pension booster scheme extended – but not forever
Pensions are back in the headlines again with the news the deadline to ‘boost’ your State Pension by as much as £55,000 has been extended.
The booster plan from HMRC gives people the opportunity to buy the equivalent of up to 10 extra years’ of state pension if they have gaps in their National Insurance...
Markets in the first half of 2023
Elon Musk is basking in the light as the world’s richest man again as his investments have recovered some followers and at the same time the froth has blown-off the top of the French luxury brands’ world. We feel both stocks' and sectors’ sun-bathing remains transitory.
So US inflation has slipped some more and the...