Michael Roberts FPFSOct 27, 20213 minAutumn Statement SummaryThe Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his Autumn Statement today. This was not a "proper" Budget; which this year took...
Michael Roberts FPFSOct 20, 20212 minWhen to call 159Criminals stole £753.9 million through fraud and scams in the first half of 2021, an increase of 30% compared to the first half of 2020....
Michael Roberts FPFSSep 8, 20213 minTax Rises and Social Care - What we know so farIt was announced today (after much speculation) that some new measures would be brought in as part of the new care funding solution for...
Michael Roberts FPFSSep 1, 20211 minContactless payment limit to riseIt has now been confirmed that the contactless payment limit, which allows consumers to pay for goods and services without the need to...
Michael Roberts FPFSJul 5, 20212 minNS&I Green Savings Bond details announcedIn the last Budget in March, it was announced that the government would offer a green retail savings product through National Savings and...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 3, 20215 minBudget SummaryThe Budget Statement was delivered by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak earlier today. It takes place following what has...
Michael Roberts FPFSJan 25, 20212 minExplainer: Difference between Debt, Deficit and GDPOften, the words "debt", "Deficit" and "GDP" are mentioned in the media; but what do they actually mean, what's the difference, and how...
Michael Roberts FPFSOct 28, 20204 minLeaving your pension on autopilot could be dangerousMany workplace pensions, and indeed personal pensions, set up over the years have included an option commonly referred to as...
Michael Roberts FPFSOct 6, 20203 minNegative Interest RatesIt has been well over a decade since the Bank of England cut the base rate to historic low levels; reaching 0.5% in March 2009 following...
Michael Roberts FPFSAug 8, 20202 minLasting Power of Attorney goes virtualAs anyone who has ever tried to use a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) will know, it can be a painful process. Invoking an LPA to,...
Michael Roberts FPFSApr 23, 20201 minCoronavirus Business Support ToolThere have been a baffling wave of announcements for the support available to businesses during the current difficult times. To help...
Michael Roberts FPFSApr 7, 20203 minFraud - It could be youOver the years, fraudsters have become increasingly sophisticated in their use of scams. Gone are the days when you could spot a suspect...
Michael Roberts FPFSApr 3, 20204 minPlanning for Volatile MarketsI wrote in my recent article that "Successful long-term investors are continuously acting on a Plan, rather than continually reacting to...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 21, 20201 minDisorderly markets; should we worry?One of our favourite investment managers, Tatton, have published their weekly newsletter. This week they look at: Government ordered...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 20, 20203 minCoronavirus - Support for businessesHere follows a summary of our understanding of the main announcements recently, to help businesses in the current climate. Support for...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 20, 20202 minHow to react to volatile marketsIn this note I will not seek to commentate on how and why markets have reacted in the way they have to recent events, much less offer...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 20, 20201 minTax Helpline to support Coronavirus affected businessesHMRC has a set up a phone helpline to support businesses and self-employed people concerned about not being able to pay their tax due to...
Michael Roberts FPFSMar 19, 20201 minPerspective on marketsWe have recently experienced extremely volatile conditions in investment markets. Of course the media love nothing more than a crisis,...
Michael Roberts FPFSJan 26, 20203 minThe silent killer of financial plansWhen thinking about the future, considering the time when you’ll no longer be working and will instead be relying on your own resources,...
Michael Roberts FPFSJan 25, 20202 minThe amazing power of compound interestConsider the following two guys. Dean and Dan. Both age 25 they have studied together at uni and are now entering the world of work. Dean...