What to read right now…
A Christmas equivalent to 2019 will cost £118 more in 2023 according to new research by Centre for Economics and Business Research.
Almost three million smart meters are not working properly. One might ask whether they’re fit for purpose.
Bank of England’s Bank Rate has been frozen for the time being. Here’s what it might mean for mortgage payers.
And finally, some good news for the new year: New flexible working legislation is set to be introduced in April 2024.
Just as well, many businesses are already expecting hybrid working to stay.
The deal that’s a steal…
Well, the sale season has already begun.
There are some pretty good discounts already but let’s face it, it’s more about saving on gifts right now.
So with that in mind, here are some retailers with great deals on potential gifts.
- Virgin Experience Days* – up to 80% off
- Not On The High Street* – up to 75% off
- Dartington Crystal* – up to 50% off
- John Lewis – up to 50% off
- PrezzyBox* – up to 40% off
- LookFantastic* – up to 25% off
If you only do one thing…
Check your National Insurance Contributions (NICs) records.
It only takes a couple of seconds – assuming you’ve already got a Government Gateway user ID – and will show you whether you have any gaps in your contributions.
You’ll need at least 35 years’ worth of contributions to get the full new State Pension, although if you have at least 10 years you’ll qualify for a proportion of it.
If you don’t currently have enough, and don’t think you’ll have enough by the time you retire, you can actually backdate any payments by making Class 3 contributions.
Usually you can only backdate for the previous six years but a temporary policy means that until 5 April 2025, you’ll be able to fill any gaps between April 2006 to April 2018.
