Savings

Trying to stay one step ahead of the financial industry is a losing battle, says Bengt Saelensminde. It’s time for a novel approach.

Investing solely for tax purposes can end up costing you dearly, says Merryn Somerset Webb.

The times when savers could easily get more than 5% in a cash Isa are long gone. So keeping an eye on the top deals and switching accounts as necessary is critical. Here’s how to make the best of a bad situation.

Picking an Isa to hold your funds can be simple if you go about it the right way. There are dozens of platforms, but only a handful will offer the best deal.

Many investors use the same broker for all their investments. But that could be expensive. It’s worth considering separate brokers for funds Isas, and for stocks and shares.

Last August, the government finally allowed Aim stocks to being held in an Isa. This has made stocks on the UK’s smaller companies board especially attractive from a tax perspective.

You don’t just have to put shares in your Isa. You can buy a number of other asset classes, including some you might never have thought of as investments.

If you’ve filled your Isa for the year and think the added tax relief is worth the restrictions, a self-invested personal pension (Sipp) may be worth considering.

If you’re one of the many investors who don’t yet use an Isa, you might want to reconsider. If so, make sure that you act quickly – you have until 5 April 2014 if you want to make use of this year’s allowance.

Changes to tax-free savings accounts announced in the Budget are good news for savers.

Changes to pensions and individual savings accounts (Isas) has made this Budget the best in years, says John Stepek.

This year’s Budget contained a few happy surprises. John Stepek explains what that means for investors and savers.

George Osborne surprised just about everyone with substantial changes to pensions and Isas. Ed Bowsher looks at what’s new.

Ed Bowsher runs through the main points of today’s Budget statement, and looks at how they will affect you.

With spring arriving, tax may be the last thing on your mind. However, with a bit of thoughtful and intelligent planning you can make sure you don’t end up paying more tax than you have to. Matthew Partridge looks at the best ways to save tax-free.