Merryn's blog

If you’re an investor looking for income, investment trusts are a particularly good way to go, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here are a few to consider.

Companies are cutting their dividends. But the truth is that you don’t have to give up all of your dividend income, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Here’s …

Covid-19 is making a huge difference to the way we live, work and do business. One of its less obvious effects, says Merryn Somerset Webb, is to accel…

After the wild ride of the last couple of weeks, equities are no longer expensive. But if you do decide to buy, be very, very careful indeed, says Mer…

The chancellor’s £6.5bn bailout of the self employed is welcome. But it has hidden benefits for the taxman, says Merryn Somerset Webb.

The government has acted swiftly to protect the earnings of those in employment, But the self-employed deserve help too. Merryn Somerset Webb has a fe…

HMRC won’t penalise non-residents who might otherwise have to pay UK tax if they get stuck in the country. That’s going to be expensive, says Merryn S…

Rishi Sunak’s Budget contained some well thought-out support policies. But, with policies introduced in times of crisis hard to back out of, we must e…

With the latest market slides, an awful lot of assets are beginning to look very cheap indeed. If you are thinking of buying, Merryn Somerset Webb has…

“Ethical”, or ESG investing (environmental, social and governance) is all the rage. But what exactly does it mean? And where should you start? Merryn …

The chancellor could well abolish entrepreneurs’ relief in the Budget. We could use some of the tax savings to create more worker-owned businesses, sa…

An employment tribunal has ruled that two recently dismissed bricklayers were not self employed, whatever the contract they signed said. The conseque…

After the worst week for markets since 2008, Donald Trump thinks equities look “very good”. But if you’re thinking of buying, says Merryn Somerset Web…

The point of pensions tax relief is to keep you out of the means-tested benefits system. The current system is ridiculously generous, says Merryn Some…

The UK’s stockmarkets are unusually cheap compared with the rest of the world. If you don’t have substantial holdings in UK stocks, you should, says M…

The UK may have its problems, but not nearly as many as people seem to think, says Merryn Somerset Webb.

Given that whoever wins next week's election will be going on a massive spending spree, we're going to need to raise at least some of that money throu…

The one-percent club may not be quite as exclusive as you think, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Many people can drift in and out throughout their lives.

Our politicians are all promising voters the world. But mostly, it is just pointless showing off, says Merryn Somerset Webb.

Around 78,000 people it in the UK last year fell victim to “authorised push payment fraud” – where fraudsters persuade you to transfer money from your…

The greatest danger to capitalism isn't a far-left Corbyn government, it's the rise of powerful corporations distorting the free market.

If you want a very long-term investment that produces an income into your retirement while preserving your capital, buy an investment trust, says Merr…

Global geopolitics has become a "black swan" machine. Unexpected things just keep happening. How are you supposed to invest in a world full of politic…

Japan suffered one of the most spectacular bubbles in financial history. But today, the market is so cheap that it’s practically the opposite of where…