The phrase ‘feel the heat’ could be applied both to the weather so far this summer and domestic and global politics. Following the Chancellor’s Spending Review on 11 June, the pressure is on the government to fund its investment commitments within its own financial rules.
Meanwhile, developments on the world stage continue to concern and influence short- and long-term decision making.
One area of life that affects us all is ensuring we have made adequate provision for when we stop work. The Work and Pensions Committee reported on the success of employer auto enrolment pension arrangements in 2024 but concluded that contribution levels are too low to match individuals’ expectations for retirement. Our feature in this edition of the newsletter considers strategies for sustainable pension investment, whatever your stage of life. It is never too late, or too early, to make a difference to your pension fund.
There’s now just under a year until HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) programme starts to become mandatory for some taxpayers. The project to automate tax reporting should reduce opportunities for errors and omissions in business receipts and tax calculations. From April 2026 the self-employed and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 will need to have MTD-compliant software for reporting their finances, so if you if you are likely to affected, now is the time make sure you know what is required in the new regime.
Our other stories in this edition include:
- The lessons of ‘Liberation Day’
- Funding for long-term care
- Wedding bells and wedding bills
