News and Views


Keeping you up to date with what matters.

15 Jul 2020
Working through lockdown and beyond

Working through lockdown and beyond

A year ago, I joined the Thorntons Investments Investment Team to do what I enjoy most about investment management – looking after clients and their wealth.  Better still, Thorntons Investments’ flexible approach afforded me more time with my young family.  Little did I know that one year on I would be working at the kitchen…

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9 Jul 2020
UK Government Summer Statement 2020

UK Government Summer Statement 2020

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has spent so much time in the spotlight that it seems hard to believe he has not yet been in the job for five months. Yesterday’s Financial Statement was just the latest of a series of announcements by Mr Sunak since he presented his Spring Budget on 11 March, four weeks…

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19 Jun 2020
Matt Strachan looks back at the history and success of the Alternative Investment Market, which was launched 25 years ago this week.

Matt Strachan looks back at the history and success of the Alternative Investment Market, which was launched 25 years ago this week.

This week is the 25th anniversary of the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). So, I thought it appropriate to indulge a little in its history and success. I remember its launch well, as I had been responsible for a couple of investments on one of its forebears, the Unlisted Securities Market (USM). Back in 1995 it…

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27 Apr 2020
How to avoid the latest “Corona-Scams”

How to avoid the latest “Corona-Scams”

The Coronavirus pandemic is having a significant impact on our society and the way we go about our lives, and you will have no doubt seen on the news the many issues arising, ranging from the lack of PPE supplies for front-line workers to the consumer rush on  hand sanitiser and toilet rolls.   Unfortunately, it is…

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12 Mar 2020
UK Government Budget 2020

UK Government Budget 2020

Rarely have we seen a Budget delivered against such a dramatic existential threat to the global economy.  The fact that the Coronavirus will have a major impact on the major economies of the world is not in dispute.  The extent of that impact on the UK economy is a significant judgment call for a Chancellor…

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5 Mar 2020
Tax Allowances, use it or lose it

Tax Allowances, use it or lose it

There are a number of exemptions and allowances that an individual can use in relation to their personal tax position and as we approach the end of the UK’s fiscal year on 5 April, it is important to try and use these, where appropriate, especially as a number of them cannot be rolled forward, so…

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9 Jan 2020
IHT Planning and AIM

IHT Planning and AIM

Paying taxes unfortunately is a fact of life, and nearly all of them come before death.  The exception to the rule is Inheritance Tax (IHT). When it comes to thinking about life after we are gone, however, many of us are uncomfortable discussing this with our families. The danger is that, if no forward planning…

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6 Jan 2020
Face the Fear

Face the Fear

With the new year upon us, my thoughts returned to the start of 2019.  At this point, looking for inspiration, I decided to read ‘If I could tell you just one thing ‘by Richard Reed. It’s essentially the author’s story of the remarkable people he has met, and their most valuable advice for the next…

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