K's Learning Diary

Note: Please be aware that this article was written in 2014. It's best to check the latest tax rates and rules on the .gov.uk website as rules do change every year. The uswitch website has a very nice summary on tax and investments. You can view the original web page here . Chances are that you are affected by tax from investments if you have at least one of the following (although this is by no means a complete list): 1. Interest from savings . 2. Income from a pension. 3. Rental income. 4. Dividends from shares. 5. Capital gain from the sale of shares or property. An exception to these tax rules is dividends or gains within an ISA, which are tax-free. Interest from savings  will have basic rate tax taken off at source (20% tax deducted at source), so you don't need to pay any additional tax unless you pay a higher rate income tax. For other income and capital gains, you will need to declare them by filing a Personal Tax Return every year. 2024 Update: I...

Another wonderful invention that I though I should share with you all. This will no doubt save countless lives. I just hope that we get to see this product available to all asap.  

I come across all sorts of wonderfully weird ideas from time to time. Some of them are actually common knowledge, but very few people take them seriously. I think this is possibly one of them. How many of you wear compression socks regularly, or do you even know what they are? Here is a quick definition from Wikipedia: "Compression stockings are elastic garments worn around the leg, compressing the limb, exerting pressure against the legs, reducing the diameter of distended veins, and causing an increase in venous blood flow velocity and valve effectiveness. Compression therapy helps decrease venous pressure, prevents venous stasis and impairments of venous walls, and relieves heavy and aching legs." This was recommended to me as I fly around on long-haul flights quite a lot or otherwise spend most of my time sitting down in the office. The socks are said to help increase blood flow in the legs during long periods of inactivity and reduce the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis. So ...

Just to share with you all a very handy website that lists all upcoming dividend dates for all different UK share indices. I find that this is easier than checking individual company websites. One of the table also shows the current dividend yields, which can be quite interesting to browse through from time to time.