I am 67 and currently have a SIPP worth approximately £500,000. Because the favourable IHT regime is now ending I am now considering whether to reduce the amount in my SIPP and look at alternatives.My understanding is that I can take 25% tax free from my SIPP at any point and then the remaining pot is taxed on withdrawal at marginal rates. We do not need the cash immediately as we have other reso

Stocks in London were mixed after opening higher on Wednesday, as UK inflation data increased the chances of the Bank of England holding rates steady tomorrow.The FTSE 100 index closed up just 3.91 points at 8,199.11. The FTSE 250 ended 59.13 points higher, 0.3%, at 20,601.99, and the AIM All-Share gave back 2.62 points, 0.4%, at 719.42.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 822.61, the Cboe UK 250 ro

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher at midday Wednesday, with UK inflation reaching an eight-month high but not forcing 'shares in interest rate-sensitive sectors' to retreat.In UK and European news, the UK consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the year to November, picking up pace from a 2.3% rise in year to October and in line with FXStreet-cited market consensus. The closely watched CPI service

Stocks in London were in the green on Wednesday morning, as investors prepare for eurozone inflation data and the US interest rate decision this afternoon.UK consumer price inflation and producer price inflation data came out before the London open.According to the Office for National Statistics, the consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the 12 months to November, picking up pace on-month from a 2

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

Some of the most successful businesses of our time (and all time in fairness) are effective monopolies (or perhaps part of a duopoly or triopoly) with such dominant market positions they are able to enjoy significant pricing power and generate above-average margins and returns on investment.This type of situation can be overturned in two main ways: either competition emerges, attracted by the retu

Kenvue (KVUE:NYSE) $24.30Market cap: $46.6 billionInvestors looking to add a resilient company with healthy global growth potential to portfolios should consider Kenvue (KVUE:NYSE). The $46.6 billion cap stands behind a variety of self-care, beauty and essential health products. Formerly Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ:NYSE) consumer healthcare division, Kenvue was spun out as a standalone in 2023 via a

Company agrees takeover by FortressAll-cash 310p offer is 30% premiumStock trades at new all-time highAll-day bar/restaurant operator Loungers (LGRS:AIM) came to the market on the eve of the pandemic in 2019 and now appears to be going back to private equity ownership after agreeing a takeover offer from Fortress Investment at a 30% premium to the last closing price.The shares jumped 28% to a reco

When you purchase shares, you are not just buying numbers on a screen - you are becoming a part-owner of a business. It's important to remember this fact because, as a part-owner, you have a say in how the business is run and the ability to vote at annual general meetings (AGMs) and extraordinary general meetings (EGMs).AGMs provide a platform for shareholders to engage with the company's manageme

In a previous article you say that someone taking income from a defined benefit pension could still contribute to their SIPP up to the level of their earnings. Does this mean that the money purchase annual allowance of £10,000 applies only if you take taxable income from a defined contribution scheme and not from a defined benefit scheme?Similarly, if I have two defined contribution schemes and t

Flat underlying profitsDiscretionary spend remains weakHalfords 'comfortable' with FY25 consensusCycling and motoring products purveyor Halfords (HFD) has been the bearer of bad news for some time, with savage earnings downgrades sucking plenty of air from the tyre seller's share price.Today's (26 November) first half results revealed flat profits with discretionary spending weak and consumers rem

Stock prices in London softened from earlier highs but market sentiment was still positive heading into Monday afternoon after Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his US Treasury pick.The FTSE 100 index added 15.72 points, 0.2%, at 8,277.80. The FTSE 250 rose 15.80 points, 0.1%, at 20,597.49, and the AIM All-Share rose just 0.31 of a point to 732.51.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2%

Whether you love or hate cryptocurrencies, you cannot deny the spectacular performance. Since Donald Trump's White House race victory (5 November) Bitcoin has surged 35% to an all-time $94,795 high. Since the start of 2024 it has more than doubled. Ethereum and Elon Musk pet crypto Dogecoin, are up 33% and 300% respectively this year.If you own crypto assets, or are considering doing so, it's valu

If it seems as though each week brings news of yet another takeover offer for a UK firm, the actual figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) are quite mind-boggling.Aside from the number of listed companies being bought, either by 'inward' investors or domestic buyers, hundreds of privately-owned firms are being snapped up every quarter.If you are in a position where a company you own

Now we have had the Budget, I think this may alter my retirement planning strategy. The significant IHT (inheritance tax) pensions advantage has now gone (or will within two years). I am 74, have around £1.5 million in SIPPs largely untouched. I have fixed protection 2014, and my tax-free cash limit is £375,000 less £25,000 taken in 2024.In view of IHT advantages of pension (until the Budget) I

There was a certain degree of investor bemusement last month when shares in US electricity generation company Constellation Energy (CEG:NASDAQ) soared on news technology giant Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement.This was no ordinary deal, however, as it paves the way for the restart of Three Mile Island 1 ? not the reactor which famously melted down in 1979, but a

Stock prices in London were mostly higher at midday Tuesday as US voters are choosing their next president, as data showed UK service sector growth softened but outperformed its flash reading in October.The S&P Global UK services purchasing managers' index declined to 52.0 points in October from 52.4 in September, but beat the flash score of 51.8 points. The PMI composite output index fell to 51.8

Expects Scottish Widows legacy costs of £8 billionInstitutional clients losses of circa £2 billionYear-to-date Schroders shares fall 24%Schroders (SDR) shares fell over 12% to 319p in morning trading despite the fund management group reporting record total AUM (assets under management) of £777.4 billion for the nine months to 30 September.There were positive net flows in the fund management gro

Shares ended mixed in London on Wednesday as the UK government delivered its long-awaited tax plan, which though a 'difficult choice,' was largely in line with investor expectations.The FTSE 100 index closed down 59.98 points, or 0.7%, at 8,159.63. The FTSE 250 ended up 71.33 points, or 0.4%, at 20,694.12, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.0%, or 28.82 points, at 744.61.The Cboe UK 100 ended down

Debt deal characterisation 'inaccurate and unfair'Search for new CEO underwayFurther drama to unfoldHard-pressed online fashion group Boohoo (BOO:AIM) has given a robust response to Frasers' (FRAS) bid to install Mike Ashley as its new CEO, questioning whether putting the retail tycoon in charge would be in the interests of shareholders other than Frasers.Boohoo's bombed-out shares ticked up 1% to