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Demand for gold has risen markedly since the Bank of England’s cut in base rates to 0.25% earlier this month. This is according to the Royal Mint, which revealed it saw a 25% surge in transactions on its bullion website during the week of the cut. The Royal Mint said it also witnessed a 50% […]

A quarter point fall and some chunky quantitative easing yesterday have boosted stock markets – the stock market (FTSE 100) has jumped 1.5% or so since the announcement. It sends us closer to negative interest rates which are likely to be with us for some time, certainly the next two years. At CRS Consultants Ltd we […]

Whilst the recent Brexit vote surprised many of us, one thing is clear – there has never been a greater need for sound financial planning and investment advice. Here at CRS Consultants Ltd we believe that timing markets over the short term is impossible and the important thing is time in the market. Since the […]

M&G and Aviva Investors have both followed Standard Life in suspending trading on property funds.  We would like to reiterate that we view commercial property as a genuinely long term investment which should remain part of a well diversified portfolio.

As you may be aware, dealing (both purchases and sales) in the Standard Life UK Real Estate Fund (and its Income and Accumulation Feeder funds) has been suspended owing to increased redemptions by investors that cannot be met due to the relatively illiquid nature of commercial property.

Nothing changes immediately in that the UK remains a member of the EU until it triggers the formal exit process, following which it remains a member for at least two years.

Making a contribution into a pension is still one of the most tax efficient investments you can make. As well as growing in a tax efficient way, pension contributions can be used to reduce your current income tax liability. If you own and run a limited company, then your company could make an employer contribution […]

The rates of Capital Gains Tax 2016 – which is a tax on the profits made from the sale of assets – will be reduced for some people from 6th April 2016. The CGT rate will be reduced to 10% for basic rate taxpayers, while the rate for higher rate taxpayers will fall from 28% […]

From the 6th April there will be a new £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance for investors. If you hold investments that are not in tax efficient, such as Individual Savings Accounts or pension savings and are subject to the new dividend tax then it is important that you seek financial advice. We would recommend investors should […]