Recent content by PNWokingham

i would be happy around 27 or 28 - going beyond 30 is just taking the pee out of the full paying members who are supporting full grown adults who could be earning significantly more than themselves and some could even be grandparents!

Pretty decent end to a very strong year for equities and indeed pretty much all asset classes. Fixed income generally had a very good year, with double digit gains in emerging markets, while gold rallied 64%. Silver 150%!! Oil was an exception, circa 7% down, while Cocoa lost 40%. Just totting...

Quick summary on personal tax rates and changes Income tax rates - no change Income tax thresholds - frozen for an extra 3 years until 2031 National Insurance - no change Savings Income - tax raised by two percentage points from April 2026 across all three bands (now 22%, 42%, 47%) – so...

Off to Gloria for team lunch - not been before but if the pizzas look like the picture that could be a winner! https://www.bigmammagroup.com/italian-restaurants/gloria-london

lunch deal at Hawksmoor is amazing value - similar at The Devonshire

Markets are wobbling and opening weak again today - although the Mag 7 were still strong yesterday led by Alphabet after Warren Buffet has been adding but Bitcoin is still heading south. Feels like we are in for a volatile end to the year Also - the PRA announced that teh Bank Deposit Insurance...

this really irritates me as well. I have only been to the US twice 25 years ago and have not fancied going again - apart from the 3 week honeymoon trip we meticulously planned for May 2020 that didn't happen! We are now going next Oct for a wedding in Richmond, but i am not looking forward to...

i verymuch doubt she will touch stamp duty on shares but it now looks v likely she will limit salary sacrifice to circa 2k per year, which will be very painnful for many, especially the young financially savy who have decades until retirement.

Markets rallying hard again. But - Berkshire Hathawy has increased cash to $380bn or around 30% of assets, Sotbank just sold its entire $5.8bn stake in Nvidia and Micael Burry (from The Big Short) is making a massive bet agaisnt AI through $1bn+ put options on Palentir and Nvidia. It does feel...

every logical scenario says that will be the case but it doesn't mean it won't or can't happen as some taxes do change overnight like stamp duty etc - and having listened to lots of experts nobody could say that it could not happen - ie the main message was highly unlikely due to the...

yes the airport and these prices were way higher for low end food than i have paid at other airports and never seen a 600ml bottle of local lager for £13!. I can pay and indeed did last night, £15 for a large Malbec in Wokingham - it is £10+ for any large glass down here.

Decided to pull the trigger on my main SIPP with AJ Bell - requested the full lump sum to be paid into my bank. Not accessing any taxable income and triggering the MPAA, so will leave my Drawdown pot fully invested in current investments. The online form was straightforward and took about 10...

on airport rants - Antalys in May - circa 22 euros for a McDonalds or KFC meal deal - and 15 euros for a large bottle of beer! Wow - who said Turkey is cheap

It is shocking all the likely options we have coming in 3 weeks - we are already over the peak of the Laffer curve, meaning these tax increases will result in lower tax receipts, lower economic growth and then ultimately more pain spread across the tax spectrum. Our current leaders are...

i will reinvest in the Trading account - but you can't put it back in sipp if she doesn't do it