Podcast Summary
Finding Qualified Candidates on LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a crucial platform for small businesses to hire professionals, offering access to both active and passive job seekers, while high street banks have faced criticism for their handling of customer complaints, with nearly a quarter poorly investigated and some even incentivizing staff not to handle them, leading to wasted time and eroded trust.
LinkedIn is a valuable resource for small businesses looking to hire professionals. It's like searching for car keys in a fish tank to ignore LinkedIn when trying to find qualified candidates. A significant number of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites, making it an ideal platform to find both active and passive job seekers. Meanwhile, in other news, high street banks have been criticized for their handling of customer complaints. The Financial Services Authority reported that nearly a quarter of complaints were poorly investigated, with some banks even incentivizing staff not to handle them. This practice not only wastes time but also undermines the trust between customers and banks. If you're dealing with a bank that isn't addressing your concerns, consider exploring other options. Stay tuned for more insights on investing in the property market and the political parties' tax plans on this week's FT Money Show.
Consumers can take matters into their own hands: Despite banking issues, consumers can advocate for themselves by being assertive and utilizing the financial ombudsman service to resolve disputes. Additionally, there's an opportunity for investors in property recovery funds due to lack of interest.
Despite common issues with banks such as transaction errors and unresponsive customer service, there is a lack of incentive for banks to significantly improve due to the lack of customer loyalty and the cost savings from maintaining understaffed and underpowered call centers. However, consumers do have the option to take matters into their own hands by being assertive and utilizing the financial ombudsman service, which is a free and effective means of resolving disputes with banks. Ultimately, it's important for consumers to be informed and proactive in advocating for themselves when dealing with banking issues. Additionally, there is a lack of interest in property recovery funds, which aim to buy properties at discounted prices, indicating a potential opportunity for investors in this market.
Challenges for property recovery funds in overpriced market: Property recovery funds face challenges in overpriced market due to unexpected quick recovery, raising only 2% of targets, and pressure to deploy cash.
The property recovery funds, which were launched last year with the goal of buying bargain property for investors, have faced challenges due to the unexpectedly quick recovery of the property market. As a result, these funds have only managed to raise 2% of their collective targets, leaving them with cash on hand and under pressure to deploy it in an overpriced market. This situation highlights the challenge of timing in investing, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the role of UK banks in selling off their large property holdings to help alleviate the market's supply issues. Overall, the property market's recovery has been good for prices but difficult for funds that relied on buying at a discount.
Listed property companies as an alternative to investing in physical property: Investors can consider listed property funds for exposure to the property market as some have cash reserves and have made shrewd acquisitions during market downturns. These companies have financial firepower and impressive track records.
For investors looking to gain exposure to the property market, considering listed property companies could be a good alternative as some property funds are sitting on cash due to market uncertainty and fewer buyers. Funds specializing in property equities have performed well due to their ability to buy and sell properties quickly, while others have cash allocations ranging from 15% to 20%. Listed property recovery vehicles, such as London and Stanford and Max Property, have made shrewd acquisitions during the market downturn and have impressive track records to attract investors. Overall, these companies have financial firepower and have demonstrated their ability to take over undervalued property companies.
Impact of Political Parties' Tax Policies on UK Taxpayers: The real impact on UK tax bills may not be as drastic as predicted due to the unlikely implementation of some party proposals and already-announced tax changes pushing more people into higher tax brackets.
While there are differences in tax policies between the major political parties in the UK, the real impact on tax bills may not be as drastic as some predict. The Liberal Democrats' proposal for a higher personal allowance is unlikely to come to fruition, and while the Conservatives are allowing the National Insurance increase to come into effect, they are also limiting the impact for middle-income earners. However, what could have a bigger impact are the already-announced changes to personal tax allowances and income tax thresholds, which are pushing more people into higher tax brackets. Additionally, potential stealth taxes and future emergency budgets could lead to larger tax increases. Ultimately, the biggest impact on tax bills may come from announcements and changes that have already been made or are yet to be announced, rather than the policies of the political parties themselves.
Tax proposals for the upcoming year: Both Conservative and Labour parties suggest freezing higher-rate tax thresholds or shifting tax burden to National Insurance, potentially increasing financial pressure for working individuals through 'stealth burdens'.
Tax changes for this tax year are unlikely, and both the Conservative and Labour parties have suggested freezing the threshold for higher-rate taxes or shifting the tax burden to National Insurance. Many taxpayers already pay a significant amount in National Insurance, which affects anyone in work, and this burden is predicted to increase regardless of which party forms the government. Additionally, pensioners and buy-to-let investors are exempt from National Insurance. These "stealth burdens" could result in increased financial pressure for working individuals. Stay tuned to Feet Money for more information on the parties' tax proposals. Remember, your health insurance needs remain constant, and UnitedHealthcare TriTerm Medical plans offer flexible, budget-friendly coverage that lasts nearly 3 years in some states. For glowing, confident skin, try Osea's Mega Moisture Duo, featuring Undaria Algae Body Oil and Undaria Collagen Body Lotion. Use code GLow at checkout for a 10% discount on your first order.
