Important changes to ISA rules announced by the Treasury The Treasury has confirmed plans to introduce a 22% levy on cash interest held inside Stocks & Shares ISAs. These proposals form part of a new set of draft rules published on 23 June and are now open for consultation. Under the draft rules, any interest or alternative finance return generated …
Bank of England holds interest rates at 3.75% in 7-2 vote
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted 7-2 to hold Bank Rate at 3.75% amid ongoing political and economic uncertainty. The vote was in line with consensus expectations, with a smaller probability of a 6-3 split. Two members voted to increase Bank Rate by 0.25 percentage points, to 4%. A hold was widely predicted after UK CPI inflation …
Bank of England cuts rates to 3.75%
Interest rates reach their lowest levels since 2023 after the Monetary Policy Committee voted 5-4 in favour of a cut amid falling inflation. The Bank of England (BoE) has cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75%. In a widely expected move, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted five to four in favour of bringing borrowing costs down to …
No change to tax-free lump sum is ‘welcome’ move
The chancellor chose to leave the tax-free lump sum unchanged in the Autumn Budget The pensions tax-free lump sum has remained unchanged, despite speculation the chancellor would tinker with this in the Autumn Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget today (26 November), confirming changes to salary sacrifice for pensions and inflation protections for pre-1997 pensions in the Pensions protection Fund and …
UK inflation falls to 3.6% in October but wider economic backdrop ‘remains fragile’
Ahead of Autumn Budget UK inflation rose by 3.6% in the 12 months to October 2025, down from 3.8% in September, strengthening the case for a further rate cut from the Bank of England next month. On a monthly basis, the Consumer Prices index (CPI) rose by 0.4% in October 2025, compared to a jump of 0.6% during the same …
Bank of Bank of England holds interest rates at 4% as Budget looms large
Five MPC members voted to hold rates The Bank of England’s (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has voted to leave interest rates unchanged at 4%. In a meeting today (6 November), five MPC members voted to hold rates while the remaining four opted for a 25bps cut to 3.75%. The decision was hard to call ahead of the vote, noted AJ Bell …