Many people hear the phrase “offshore banking”, and don’t know what that means, or they don’t know that it can help individual people as much as it can help large corporations. But there are many benefits to using an offshore bank. One of the biggest benefits is that since most offshore banks operate in countries with fewer taxes, accounts in these banks will pay interest without seeing taxes deducted from it, making this a good option for those who don’t need to pay taxes on global income. Also, interest rates are sometimes higher with offshore bank accounts, offering better returns...

For fund managers, financial advisers, and Registered Investment Advisors, getting a holistic view of the risk/reward value of all the assets under management has not been easy.  A great deal of the portfolio management software currently available is still somewhat “clunky”: customized spreadsheets cobbled-together with various specialized programs, some of which depend on data uploaded from public sources. “In the past most portfolio management software has largely been accountant-driven,” explains Daniel Rotherford, investment fund officer at Legal & General Unit Trust. “But fund managers gain immensely from a global view what is happening throughout their holdings. This is now much...

As a small business owner, I’m always looking for ideas on how to improve my service and save money. It wasn’t until I received an email from a company promoting a service that would buy back my old video games that I asked myself why I wasn’t using this marketing method. Needless to say, I used this service to sell video games, which prompted me to look into how I could use email marketing on my own terms to grow my business. More than anything, I wanted to know–if that service could hook me as a customer with a simple...

There has been an increase in the number of people taking out equity release loans against their property. There have been more than half a billion pounds unlocked in equity release products in the first six months of 2013. This is a rise of 12% compared to 2012. Equity release is eligible for those aged 55 years or over, and is a way for homeowners to release cash against the value of their property. Equity release can provide you with a single substantial payment, a regular income, or both, without the need to move. In order to be eligible for...

It comes as no surprise that many people in the UK choose to do at least some of their shopping online, but it seems that more of us are spending using our regular debit cards as opposed to credit cards. At a time when many people are anxious over their levels of personal debt, putting those credit cards away seems like a sensible option. According to figures released by the UK Cards Association, £35bn was spent online using debit card payments; marginally more than the £34bn spent using credit cards. As further proof that more of us are confident in...

The value of the pound has dropped dramatically as the Bank of England officially announced the markets were incorrect to believe that interest rates would rise. The results have meant the pound is now a cent and a half against the dollar to $1.5141. Simultaneously, the interest rate remained at 0.5% whilst keeping the quantitative easing programme the same. All decisions were made by Mark Carney in his first Monetary Policy Committee meeting since replacing Sir Mervyn King as governor. The FTSE index leapt by 50 points whilst gaining a further boost from a promise made by European Central Bank...