Katie Williams

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Benefit reforms: Labour to announce overhaul of “worst of all worlds” welfare system

1 month ago | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams |Ruth Emery

Government has been hinting at spending cutsThe government has been laying the ground for spending cuts through a series of comments in recent days, with a particular focus on health-related benefits. Speaking to Labour MPs on Monday, 10 March, prime minister Keir Starmer described the current system as the “worst of all worlds”. He said: "We've found ourselves in a worst-of-all-worlds situation – with the wrong incentives discouraging people from working, the taxpayer funding a spiralling bill.
Lifetime ISAS News, Features, Analysis and Advice

Feb 14, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Henry Sandercock |Rebekah Evans |Katie Williams |Nicole Garcia Merida

Isa revolution – or damp squib? FeaturesThe Lifetime Isa, designed for the big life events of buying your first home and retiring, launches soon. John Stepek looks at how it works, and whether it’s any good. By John StepekPublished 23 February 17
What’s changing with employers’ National Insurance - and how will it impact you?

Jan 17, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

One of the most controversial measures revealed in the Autumn Budget was an increase to employers’ National Insurance (NI). Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that employers’ contributions would increase from 13.8% to 15% from April 2025. The threshold at which businesses begin paying the tax on an employee’s salary will also drop from £9,100 per year to £5,000. Reeves was in a tight spot.
Where are ISA savers and investors putting their money?

Jan 13, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

On a frosty day in January, April might seem like a world away. But the end of the tax year will come around quickly and your annual £20,000 ISA allowance will disappear with it. There are lots of different types of ISA available, allowing you to save or invest your money in a tax-efficient way. These include cash ISAs where you can currently earn rates of up to 5.01%, or stocks and shares ISAs where you can aim to achieve long-term growth tax-free.
How much stamp duty will I pay in 2025?

Jan 8, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

Homeowners have enjoyed a temporary increase to stamp duty thresholds in recent years, meaning the property tax is only due on homes worth more than £250,000 (or £425,000 for first-time buyers). However, the tax-free thresholds are due to revert to their original levels from 1 April 2025, potentially adding thousands of pounds to the cost of moving house. The change will see the thresholds revert to £125,000 for regular buyers and £300,000 for first-time buyers.
Treasury Committee launches review of Lifetime ISA - is it fit for purpose?

Jan 7, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

Lifetime ISAs launched nine years ago, offering a 25% government bonus on savings. The idea was to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder and to boost pension savings among under-40s. But little has changed with the Lifetime ISA (LISA) since it launched, despite house prices and living costs going up. Today, the government said it is launching a review of the Lifetime ISA to understand if the product is still fit for purpose.
My Chase boosted rate ends this month - where should I put my money?

Jan 7, 2025 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

If you opened a Chase savings account in the summer to take advantage of the 1% bonus deal, your temporary boosted rate will come to an end this month. Savers who locked into the deal in June will see their interest rate fall from 4.5% to 3.5% AER on 16 January. For comparison, the best savings account on the market currently pays 4.85% (excluding a separate 5% Chase deal, which is only available to new customers).
Bitcoin price one of the most-asked questions on Alexa - here's how to buy the cryptocurrency

Dec 11, 2024 | moneyweek.com | Chris Newlands |Katie Williams

The price of Bitcoin has been one of the most-asked questions of Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, in the UK over the past 12 months as the value of the cryptocurrency continues to soar. According to figures from the tech giant, which cover September 2023 to November 2024, pop star Taylor Swift and Bitcoin were named among the most popular Alexa queries of 2024.
Investing for children this Christmas – five ideas

Dec 11, 2024 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

At MoneyWeek, we publish a weekly round-up of share tips and a monthly digest of the top funds, trusts and stocks. But if you are thinking about investing for children rather than yourself, your investment strategy might look slightly different. With Christmas fast approaching, now could be a good time to give it some thought. Your children’s list to Santa is probably as long as your arm – and of course it is always nice to have a few things under the tree to unwrap.
A junior ISA could turn your child’s pocket money into thousands of pounds

Dec 10, 2024 | moneyweek.com | Katie Williams

Children today receive £4.43 a week in pocket money on average. That’s enough to buy around five Mars bars from Sainsbury’s – one for each weekday – or a small packet of pens from WH Smith. But how much further could it go in a junior ISA? Our ISA guide explains the basics of what an individual savings account is, plus how junior ISAs work for children.