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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Osbo’s pensioner saving measures could stop some of the see

SystemSystem Posts: 11,705
edited March 2014 in General

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » Osbo’s pensioner saving measures could stop some of the seepage to UKIP but the Tories need to do much more than that

As has been pointed out many times before the segment of the electorate that has seen the biggest switch to UKIP is the one that the Tories always banked on – the oldies. Last month’s Populus aggregate found that 18% of Tory voters from 2010 are now with the purples with those aged 55+ accounting, as the chart shows, for nearly 60% of their current support.

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  • Options
    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Sour grapes thread ?

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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Chris Leslie MP says Labour will support the welfare cap.
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.
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    CopperSulphateCopperSulphate Posts: 1,119
    So expect more money to be hosed at pensioners even the ones that don't need it.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Don't see it, Liverpool Wavertree turnout will be crap still, Newbury will still pile up the Conservative votes.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    edited March 2014
    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7
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    MaxPBMaxPB Posts: 37,631
    The £500k investment allowance is great news.

    Worried that the gaming/animation tax breaks were not mentioned when he talked about the film industry tax break. I fear that the EC has scotched them and the government aren't going to try and overturn the decision.

    Good news on the ISAs as well. I will definitely be making use of that.

    Not really bothered about the pension stuff other than finally getting rid of annuities which is surely welcome news for everyone. The whole industry is full of scammers and con artists.

    The small line on transfer pricing could actually be the biggest clampdown on tax avoidance by multi-nationals in a generation. If they do it right the likes of Google, Apple, Amazon and Starbucks (all American, unsurprisingly) will have to change the way they do business in the UK. It could even mean a lot of them rebase their European HQs in the UK rather than Ireland or Luxembourg since there would no longer be a tax advantage to being overseas.
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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    Michael Thrasher on Sky just said he thinks there will be another Hung Parliament...
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    The whole industry is full of scammers and con artists

    One can only imagine the atmosphere in the plush offices of Britain's pension providers....
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    Pulpstar said:

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Don't see it, Liverpool Wavertree turnout will be crap still, Newbury will still pile up the Conservative votes.
    Magnitude, not distinction, is the issue. But however that 6% might be affected, but primary point it's best not to assume it will work in exactly the same way this time around, primarily because of the change in government.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    SeanT said:

    TGOHF said:

    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7

    Which backs up my point. The Tories are in with a chance - at least a chance of being largest party, and leading another Coalition.

    If they do pull off that feat, it will be because of the growing economy, and Osborne will get the credit.

    Would Cameron stay as PM until 2020? I don't think so, he looks the sort who would happily retire after 7 or 8 years in the job (and he'd prefer to hand over to his mate Os than his rival Bozza).

    Osborne would be ushered into the top job by a grateful Tory party, with Hammond becoming Chancellor.

    It's a fairly reasonable scenario and perhaps more likely than the 33/1 against him being next PM offered by the bookies.
    Viewers may have noticed OGH's continuing to bang on about a Con maj -but that is still miles off - it's looking more like 5 more years of Con-Lib, perhaps with fewer LDs this time.
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    MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143

    So expect more money to be hosed at pensioners even the ones that don't need it.

    Something like the NS&I Pensioner Bond does look like a blatant bit of vote-buying, but in general encouraging saving would be good for the economy as a whole, if the money that is saved can be used to make investments in the UK economy that generate a profitable return.

    So the inclusion of peer-to-peer lending within the ISA system could be very important. Has anything else been added? Can you put retail bonds in an ISA already?
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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    "Craig Woodhouse, political correspondent at the Sun, adds that the only person in the Commons who looked like he understood what was going on was the pensions minister Steve Webb. All the other MPs were very quiet."

    It amazing what happens if you put somebody who actually knows about the subject in the proper role.
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    MikeSmithsonMikeSmithson Posts: 7,382
    TGOHF said:

    SeanT said:

    TGOHF said:

    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7

    Which backs up my point. The Tories are in with a chance - at least a chance of being largest party, and leading another Coalition.

    If they do pull off that feat, it will be because of the growing economy, and Osborne will get the credit.

    Would Cameron stay as PM until 2020? I don't think so, he looks the sort who would happily retire after 7 or 8 years in the job (and he'd prefer to hand over to his mate Os than his rival Bozza).

    Osborne would be ushered into the top job by a grateful Tory party, with Hammond becoming Chancellor.

    It's a fairly reasonable scenario and perhaps more likely than the 33/1 against him being next PM offered by the bookies.
    Viewers may have noticed OGH's continuing to bang on about a Con maj -but that is still miles off - it's looking more like 5 more years of Con-Lib, perhaps with fewer LDs this time.
    HOW is it looking like that? figures please.

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    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,292
    Here's Eddie Spheroids for a cozy chat with his mate Robert Peston.
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Actually the Tories wont be losing any seats to Labour if they have a lead over Labour of at least 1 vote in 326 seats, regardless of % leads, swings or anything else.
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    LennonLennon Posts: 1,736
    MaxPB said:

    The £500k investment allowance is great news.

    Worried that the gaming/animation tax breaks were not mentioned when he talked about the film industry tax break. I fear that the EC has scotched them and the government aren't going to try and overturn the decision.

    Good news on the ISAs as well. I will definitely be making use of that.

    Not really bothered about the pension stuff other than finally getting rid of annuities which is surely welcome news for everyone. The whole industry is full of scammers and con artists.

    The small line on transfer pricing could actually be the biggest clampdown on tax avoidance by multi-nationals in a generation. If they do it right the likes of Google, Apple, Amazon and Starbucks (all American, unsurprisingly) will have to change the way they do business in the UK. It could even mean a lot of them rebase their European HQs in the UK rather than Ireland or Luxembourg since there would no longer be a tax advantage to being overseas.

    Indeed - the transfer pricing - or 'action to block arrangements involving payments within a group which transfer profits to avoid tax' as the line is in the Budget Report could be massive - can anyone find anymore detail on it - there is nothing more in the Red Book that I can find?
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393
    SeanT said:

    TGOHF said:

    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7

    Which backs up my point. The Tories are in with a chance - at least a chance of being largest party, and leading another Coalition.

    If they do pull off that feat, it will be because of the growing economy, and Osborne will get the credit.

    Would Cameron stay as PM until 2020? I don't think so, he looks the sort who would happily retire after 7 or 8 years in the job (and he'd prefer to hand over to his mate Os than his rival Bozza).

    Osborne would be ushered into the top job by a grateful Tory party, with Hammond becoming Chancellor.

    It's a fairly reasonable scenario and perhaps more likely than the 33/1 against him being next PM offered by the bookies.
    I think it is quite unlikely for a number of reasons that Osborne will be the next PM but 33/1? Fantastic odds.

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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

    OGH - You must surely get fed up soon trying to point this fact out to them, they just are not listening. I gave up months ago.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393

    "Craig Woodhouse, political correspondent at the Sun, adds that the only person in the Commons who looked like he understood what was going on was the pensions minister Steve Webb. All the other MPs were very quiet."

    It amazing what happens if you put somebody who actually knows about the subject in the proper role.

    He has been a star and must be a major contender if Clegg has had enough.
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    LennonLennon Posts: 1,736
    edited March 2014

    So the inclusion of peer-to-peer lending within the ISA system could be very important. Has anything else been added? Can you put retail bonds in an ISA already?

    Retail bonds used to have a maturity issue (ie less than 5 years wasn't allowed, greater than was) and that has been scrapped so that they are all allowed. Also a line about 'will explore extending the ISA regime to include debt securities offered by crowdfunding platforms'
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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    I've looked in the budget documents but there is little detail about the changes to Premium Bonds. Will they pay for a second prize of £1 million by reducing the number of other prizes, or will the overall size of the prize fund increase?

    The prize fund interest rate would only have to increase from 1.30% to less than 1.33% to cover the extra £1 million prize, if there are no other changes, so not a major point.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    TGOHF said:

    SeanT said:

    TGOHF said:

    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7

    Which backs up my point. The Tories are in with a chance - at least a chance of being largest party, and leading another Coalition.

    If they do pull off that feat, it will be because of the growing economy, and Osborne will get the credit.

    Would Cameron stay as PM until 2020? I don't think so, he looks the sort who would happily retire after 7 or 8 years in the job (and he'd prefer to hand over to his mate Os than his rival Bozza).

    Osborne would be ushered into the top job by a grateful Tory party, with Hammond becoming Chancellor.

    It's a fairly reasonable scenario and perhaps more likely than the 33/1 against him being next PM offered by the bookies.
    Viewers may have noticed OGH's continuing to bang on about a Con maj -but that is still miles off - it's looking more like 5 more years of Con-Lib, perhaps with fewer LDs this time.
    HOW is it looking like that? figures please.

    Con > Lab gap closing in polls.

    LDs doing well in bye elections.

    Peak Ukip after the Euros


    Also more importantly Jack's ARSE agrees.


    Obviously lefty LDs will hate it but..
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002

    Actually the Tories wont be losing any seats to Labour if they have a lead over Labour of at least 1 vote in 326 seats, regardless of % leads, swings or anything else.

    If my horse Ginger lines up for the Champion Hurdle next year and finishes a length in front of second she'll win it too.

    That statement is one of the biggest pieces of 'if' nonsense I've ever read in all my days here.
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

    The Ashcroft polling showed how volatile marginal seats are. Ashcroft picked out the UKIP effect, for example, something that will be greatly tested when there actually is an election.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    @Mike_Smithson wrote :

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%. They need a huge swing going well above than just winning back switchers to UKIP."

    .......................................................................

    Based on what research Mike - out of date analysis and out of date UNS and out of date projected turnout ?

    Both of us regularly and correctly regale some PBers that LibDem vote share and MP's do not directly correlate. I say the same is true of the coming general election for the Tories with increased and differential turnout negating an already diminishing Labour FPTP advantage.

    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.
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    RodCrosbyRodCrosby Posts: 7,737
    Meltdown in the Insurance market...
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    SeanT said:

    DavidL said:

    SeanT said:

    TGOHF said:

    Spread widening on Lab maj on Betfair 2.54-2.66

    Con maj in to 4.3 from 4.7

    Which backs up my point. The Tories are in with a chance - at least a chance of being largest party, and leading another Coalition.

    If they do pull off that feat, it will be because of the growing economy, and Osborne will get the credit.

    Would Cameron stay as PM until 2020? I don't think so, he looks the sort who would happily retire after 7 or 8 years in the job (and he'd prefer to hand over to his mate Os than his rival Bozza).

    Osborne would be ushered into the top job by a grateful Tory party, with Hammond becoming Chancellor.

    It's a fairly reasonable scenario and perhaps more likely than the 33/1 against him being next PM offered by the bookies.
    I think it is quite unlikely for a number of reasons that Osborne will be the next PM but 33/1? Fantastic odds.

    Yes. Foolishly generous, as far as I can see. Worth a fiver to make £165
    I think the 16-1 GO next CON leader is somewhat more generous though.

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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    It's going to take a while to figure out the full implications of the pension changes, which are massive, but one thing is already clear: putting money into pensions just got a whole lot more attractive.

    Depending on your circumstances and what contributions you've already made, it might be a good idea to make a contribution to take advantage of tax relief on this year's income. You've got just two weeks to do this.

    This is not financial advice, do your own research, etc etc.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    JackW said:



    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    We'll see.
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    Grandiose said:

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

    The Ashcroft polling showed how volatile marginal seats are. Ashcroft picked out the UKIP effect, for example, something that will be greatly tested when there actually is an election.
    I would also note that in Labour target marginals under the Ashcroft poll, the party was 7% up on its performance in 2010, whereas nationally at the time of the poll it was 5-6 points up. That isn't much of a difference. The Tories were down 10% in Labour targets, whereas they were down 6% nationally.
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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143
    Lennon said:

    So the inclusion of peer-to-peer lending within the ISA system could be very important. Has anything else been added? Can you put retail bonds in an ISA already?

    Retail bonds used to have a maturity issue (ie less than 5 years wasn't allowed, greater than was) and that has been scrapped so that they are all allowed. Also a line about 'will explore extending the ISA regime to include debt securities offered by crowdfunding platforms'
    Thanks.

    One theme of the budget seems to be that of bypassing traditional financial institutions.

    Would have thought that the banker-bashing leader of the Opposition would be happy with that.
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    AveryLPAveryLP Posts: 7,815
    edited March 2014
    The fiscal boost provided to low paid workers through the increased personal allowance is three times the size of the boost provided to pensioners by changes to pensions and savings.

    The sofa bound benefit dependent waiting for her "bedroom tax" to be refunded by two Eds won't benefit at all from this budget.

    Those who have got on their bikes and are newly in employment will be the real beneficiaries.

    Perhaps the savings made by pensioners should be deployed to purchase bicycles for grandchildren of working age?
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Pulpstar said:

    Actually the Tories wont be losing any seats to Labour if they have a lead over Labour of at least 1 vote in 326 seats, regardless of % leads, swings or anything else.

    If my horse Ginger lines up for the Champion Hurdle next year and finishes a length in front of second she'll win it too.

    That statement is one of the biggest pieces of 'if' nonsense I've ever read in all my days here.
    Polls are meaningless. they give a snapshot of what 1000 or even 8000 people might vote on a particular day if they actually would turn out to vote. The pogo pollsters have Labour leads from 2-8% and back again in the course of 6 days. It is a fact that if the Tory vote in each of 326 constituencies is at least 1 more than the Labour vote in the same constituencies then even if Labour had a lead in the opinion polls, the Tories would achieve a majority of 2.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,449
    edited March 2014
    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    RodCrosby said:

    Meltdown in the Insurance market...

    Legal and General down 12%
    Standard Life down 6%




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    CyclefreeCyclefree Posts: 25,227
    edited March 2014
    If I've understood it right, saving in an ISA or a pension got a whole load more attractive. Good. It's about time savers were rewarded for doing the right thing. That's where the money for investment comes from.
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Ed Balls just doing his best to ensure there is a Tory-LibDem coalition post GE2015 right now on Sky News.
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    Here comes the small print. Treasury figures show they expect to gain an extra £3bn in tax from pensioners by 18/19 and £17bn by 2030. So in "reforming" the pensions market they give people the opportunity to cash out their pension pots early and spend them (hence the extra tax)

    So great news for Tory-donating pension industry bods who will have a great time I'm sure. But not a good thing in the long term to reduce pension provision for people - the state have to top us as for some pathetic reason British people don't like to see their parents starving and freezing.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

    It's like saying that polling in 1990 ensured Neil Kinnock was going to be PM in 1992.

    Fine and dandy in the fantasy world of mid term politics but in the real world it was never going to and never did happen.

    An opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings .... good and proper.

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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    edited March 2014
    This is not financial advice, do your own research, etc etc.

    I'm trying to work this out. Basically, if you put 10 grand in and you get relief at 40%, that then becomes 14 grand in your pension.

    You would then incur a tax rate of, say 20% on the 14 grand (plus interest, dividends etc), if you took it out in 15 years and told the annuity boys to poke it.

    Which means your 10 grand turns into 11,200 net of any appreciation....

    As you say, not financial advice, but...
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Danny Alexander really would make a fine Tory cabinet minister.
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    corporealcorporeal Posts: 2,549
    JackW said:

    Grandiose said:

    "To put it into context the Tories will still be losing seats to Labour even if they have a vote lead of 6%."

    The difference is the product of various oddities in voting practice and behavior - I wouldn't assume it will necessarily be exactly the same next time round. For example we could easily see more Labour votes piling up in safe seats now they are in opposition.

    Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%.

    It's like saying that polling in 1990 ensured Neil Kinnock was going to be PM in 1992.

    Fine and dandy in the fantasy world of mid term politics but in the real world it was never going to and never did happen.

    An opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings .... good and proper.

    JackW, polling, like much else, has moved on a bit in the last quarter of a century.
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,449
    Cyclefree said:

    If I've understood it right, saving in an ISA or a pension got a whole load more attractive. Good. It's about time savers were rewarded for doing the right thing. That's where the money for investment comes from.

    Now how about an interest rate rise?
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393
    I did some maths a few weeks ago some of which went like this:

    "To put this into perspective (and assuming my arithmetic is correct which is a big assumption) if Labour's vote returned to 2005 efficiency levels they could win
    258 x 7185 = 1,853,730 votes without gaining a single seat."

    I meant an additional 1.8m votes. To put this into perspective in 2010 Labour received 8.6m votes. Who thinks they will get more than 10.5m in 2015? Even if they did will they win more seats and if so how many?

    Those who assume that Labour are going to achieve anything like the efficiency of 2010 in seats per vote are deluding themselves. If their vote increases (which I presume it will) it is simply wrong to assume that this vote is going to get even more efficient by increasing more in the marginals. They are already at the very extreme of the spectrum; to think that they can improve that efficiency yet further is a dangerous basis on which to place your bets.

    Miliband, as he showed again today, is no Blair but he is no Brown either. As far as we can see he is sane for a start. So he will get more Labour supporters out. Many will be where it does not make a difference.
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    GrandioseGrandiose Posts: 2,323
    edited March 2014
    1979:

    Con: 13,697,923 votes, 339 seats => 40,400 votes per seat
    Lab: 11,532,218 votes, 269 seats => 42,870 votes per seat


    1983:
    Con: 13,012,316 votes, 397 seats => 32,800 votes per seat
    Lab: 8,456,934 votes, 209 seats => 40,400 votes per seat

    The vote ratios got better for the Tories once they were in power. This is hidden underneath a lower ratio overall, but the trend is clear.

    Coalition government, etc, etc.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820

    So great news for Tory-donating pension industry bods who will have a great time I'm sure.

    Brilliant! So predictable is your knee-jerk prejudice that you not only invented these "Tory-donating pension industry bods", but even forgot to check what effect the budget has had on pension companies.

    Here's a hint: See TGOHF's post of a couple of minutes ago.
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    And yet he's PM of a stable government about to enter its fifth year in office.

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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393
    TGOHF said:

    RodCrosby said:

    Meltdown in the Insurance market...

    Legal and General down 12%
    Standard Life down 6%




    Not that they have been ripping us off with annuity rates, no sirree....

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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    With the excellent Alexander and Webb helping out with a bit of fiscal sanity then its a far better option than the class warrior Miliband. I can put up with the odd Huppert if it keeps Balls out.

    PB Tories indifferent to the status quo starts here ;)
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    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,449
    JackW said:

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    And yet he's PM of a stable government about to enter its fifth year in office.

    [sigh] The Tories will never win a parliamentary majority.
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    macisbackmacisback Posts: 382
    Difficult to poll the marginals as a whole with any certainty, here in the East Midlands as it stands the Tories think they can make gains like Derby North but lose others. A lot depends on the quality of the MP standing in the marginals.

    I like Os, I think unlike most politicians he is a decent guy who can be trusted, in his early days he was awkward in the spotlight, he has got better but he has a bit to go before I would bet on him becoming leader. The pension changes sound a good idea but Balls will attempt to pull them apart in the coming days, how this budget is viewed will depend on that.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633

    Here comes the small print. Treasury figures show they expect to gain an extra £3bn in tax from pensioners by 18/19 and £17bn by 2030. So in "reforming" the pensions market they give people the opportunity to cash out their pension pots early and spend them (hence the extra tax)

    So great news for Tory-donating pension industry bods who will have a great time I'm sure. But not a good thing in the long term to reduce pension provision for people - the state have to top us as for some pathetic reason British people don't like to see their parents starving and freezing.

    None of these tax rises are compulsory.

    Nanny Labour knows best - the state will regulate your lifestyle for you..
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    old_labourold_labour Posts: 3,238
    I wholeheartedly agree with you on that one :)

    Danny Alexander really would make a fine Tory cabinet minister.

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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787



    So great news for Tory-donating pension industry bods who will have a great time I'm sure. But not a good thing in the long term to reduce pension provision for people - the state have to top us as for some pathetic reason British people don't like to see their parents starving and freezing.

    I'm looking to throw a baby eating barbeque in the summer. Fancy doing a comedy turn for some Tory chums and I.

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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    edited March 2014
    @taffys - It's more complicated than that. For a start you can take out 25% tax free, and either spend that or reinvest some of it in ISAs from which you can take out tax-free income. More importantly, Osborne has signalled that you'll be able to have much more flexibility in what you do with the pension if you leave it invested - for example, you could buy a basket of solid income-paying shares, live off the dividends (currently you can easily get 4% or more from solid companies like GlaxoSmithKline), and stay invested. There's a good chance that the shares will protect you against inflation, and you've retained the flexibility to take out further lump sums if you need to. There's also the option of passing on some of the pot to your children, if you have any.

    Essentially what you are getting now, which you didn't have yesterday, is flexibility. That's worth a lot.
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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143

    Pulpstar said:

    Actually the Tories wont be losing any seats to Labour if they have a lead over Labour of at least 1 vote in 326 seats, regardless of % leads, swings or anything else.

    If my horse Ginger lines up for the Champion Hurdle next year and finishes a length in front of second she'll win it too.

    That statement is one of the biggest pieces of 'if' nonsense I've ever read in all my days here.
    Polls are meaningless. they give a snapshot of what 1000 or even 8000 people might vote on a particular day if they actually would turn out to vote. The pogo pollsters have Labour leads from 2-8% and back again in the course of 6 days. It is a fact that if the Tory vote in each of 326 constituencies is at least 1 more than the Labour vote in the same constituencies then even if Labour had a lead in the opinion polls, the Tories would achieve a majority of 2.
    I've been thinking of writing a computer programme that will demonstrate the mistake you are making, but in the meantime I recommend reading this Wikipedia page.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    edited March 2014

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    Go for the real deal - not these local impersonators - great title btw..

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100264442/budget-2014-ed-milibands-wretched-incoherent-response-showed-that-he-is-not-ready-to-be-pm/

    "Miliband’s Budget speech was one of the most wretched I’ve ever seen from a party leader. In fact, it wasn’t a speech at all. It was a series of Labour Party press releases randomly thrown together without anything even resembling a coherent textual – never mind intellectual – structure."
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    JackW said:

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    And yet he's PM of a stable government about to enter its fifth year in office.

    [sigh] The Tories will never win a parliamentary majority.
    Ever ?!?

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    DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626
    edited March 2014

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    I said to myself that I would just ignore your worthless witterings but...
    You claim a contradiction, and then post quotes from two different people.

    (Edit: to be clear - @Easterross said "Polls are meaningless" and @JackW said "opposition sitting on a 3-4 ... ")

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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    I said to myself that I would just ignore your worthless witterings but...
    You claim a contradiction, and then post quotes from two different people.


    Now is this Topping speaking or The Demon Barber?
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    TGOHF said:

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    Go for the real deal - not these local impersonators - great title btw..

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100264442/budget-2014-ed-milibands-wretched-incoherent-response-showed-that-he-is-not-ready-to-be-pm/

    "Miliband’s Budget speech was one of the most wretched I’ve ever seen from a party leader. In fact, it wasn’t a speech at all. It was a series of Labour Party press releases randomly thrown together without anything even resembling a coherent textual – never mind intellectual – structure."
    He still hasn't forgiven Ed for missing out on that job Ed's brother promised him, has he.
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    DaemonBarberDaemonBarber Posts: 1,626

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    I said to myself that I would just ignore your worthless witterings but...
    You claim a contradiction, and then post quotes from two different people.


    Now is this Topping speaking or The Demon Barber?
    Would it make any material difference to the fact that you have just lumped two very different people into a made up basket of "PB Hodges" and used their differing opinions to justify your amusement at how these right-wingers just get everything wrong and contradict themselves etc?

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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    edited March 2014
    That's worth a lot.

    Thanks Richard. Presumably if you leave the pension invested then you would not incur tax penalties on any of it, even above the 25% tax free sum.

    I wonder, could you invest it in, say, a buy to let property? Rents tend to rise after all, and you have the option of selling the property if necessary.

    How much better off would a pensioner who invested in a 200,000 annuity 15 years ago be if they'd bought a property instead?

    Doesn't bear thinking about.
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    DavidL said:

    TGOHF said:

    RodCrosby said:

    Meltdown in the Insurance market...

    Legal and General down 12%
    Standard Life down 6%




    Not that they have been ripping us off with annuity rates, no sirree....

    Both pension companies and bookies cream crackered by today's budget !
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    LennonLennon Posts: 1,736
    taffys said:

    That's worth a lot.

    Thanks Richard. Presumably if you leave the pension invested then you would not incur tax penalties on any of it, even above the 25% tax free sum.

    I wonder, could you invest it in, say, a buy to let property? Rents tend to rise after all, and you have the option of selling the property if necessary.

    How much better off would a pensioner who invested in a 200,000 annuity 10 years ago be if they'd bought a property instead?

    Doesn't bear thinking about.

    House prices? - Past performance is not a guide to future performance.
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    Both pension companies and bookies cream crackered by today's budget !

    Yes but private wealth managers must be turning somersaults. A whole vast new money pool has been opened up to them, potentially.
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393
    Bresnan in at 3? Seriously?
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    TGOHF said:

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    With the excellent Alexander and Webb helping out with a bit of fiscal sanity then its a far better option than the class warrior Miliband. I can put up with the odd Huppert if it keeps Balls out.

    PB Tories indifferent to the status quo starts here ;)
    I am a Tory through and through, a One-Nation (the real kind not the Milibland kind) Tory. I view the current government as representing the traditional centre-right Tory party which has the odd centre-left leaning on some issues. I like Clegg, Laws, Alexander, Webb, Carmichael and Browne. I just wish they are all Tories rather than LibDems.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    Pulpstar said:

    DavidL said:

    TGOHF said:

    RodCrosby said:

    Meltdown in the Insurance market...

    Legal and General down 12%
    Standard Life down 6%




    Not that they have been ripping us off with annuity rates, no sirree....

    Both pension companies and bookies cream crackered by today's budget !

    Pension company share price suggests they have been ripping us off or have a bit of fat to trim.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    Tories helping their rich mates again, says Ed Miliband.

    Another £1.5bn (£290m in 2014-15 and £1.23bn in 2015-15) is coming from the measures dealing with tax avoidance. According to the Treasury, 33,000 people, on an average income of £262,000, will be affected, and 10,000 companies. In essence, if they are using controversial tax avoidance schemes, they will have to pay their tax up front, instead of using legal action to delay the moment at which they have to pay. Currently many of these people delay paying the tax for years by fighting HMRC in the courts because there is no real incentive on them to settle

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/economics-blog/2014/mar/19/budget-2014-live
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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002

    @taffys - It's more complicated than that. For a start you can take out 25% tax free, and either spend that or reinvest some of it in ISAs from which you can take out tax-free income. More importantly, Osborne has signalled that you'll be able to have much more flexibility in what you do with the pension if you leave it invested - for example, you could buy a basket of solid income-paying shares, live off the dividends (currently you can easily get 4% or more from solid companies like GlaxoSmithKline), and stay invested. There's a good chance that the shares will protect you against inflation, and you've retained the flexibility to take out further lump sums if you need to. There's also the option of passing on some of the pot to your children, if you have any.

    Essentially what you are getting now, which you didn't have yesterday, is flexibility. That's worth a lot.

    I think its an excellent announcement.

    Let me make sure I've got this straight though, you can take out 30 grand as a lump sum tax free and you don't have to buy an annuity with the remainder, you could just keep it in the Stockmarket and live off Vodafone/Glaxxo Dividends ?
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    maaarshmaaarsh Posts: 3,391
    DavidL said:

    Bresnan in at 3? Seriously?

    He's grown that beard quickly...
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787
    St Vince of the Cable doing a decent turn for the Coalition on the Beeb.

    If I say another nice thing about the yellow peril I'll have to do penance and just have one glass of single malt after dinner .... Oh, the suffering I go through for PB.





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    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 76,002
    taffys said:

    Both pension companies and bookies cream crackered by today's budget !

    Yes but private wealth managers must be turning somersaults. A whole vast new money pool has been opened up to them, potentially.

    What do they advise ?

    Keep it in the Stock market ?
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    I said to myself that I would just ignore your worthless witterings but...
    You claim a contradiction, and then post quotes from two different people.


    Now is this Topping speaking or The Demon Barber?
    Would it make any material difference to the fact that you have just lumped two very different people into a made up basket of "PB Hodges" and used their differing opinions to justify your amusement at how these right-wingers just get everything wrong and contradict themselves etc?

    Very important to know which Hodge I am resonding to.
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    TGOHFTGOHF Posts: 21,633
    DavidL said:

    Bresnan in at 3? Seriously?

    cricinfo - never wrong for long.
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    john_zimsjohn_zims Posts: 3,399
    @MikeSmithson

    'Disagree completely. All the evidence is that LAB will do much better in the marginals than the country as a whole. Remember the Ashcroft polling, National 2010 LD to LAB 17%. LAB>CON marginals 2010 LD to LAB 35%'

    What was the date of that polling?
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    EasterrossEasterross Posts: 1,915
    Lovely watching a Tory and a LibDem lady MPs giving some female Labour MPs a going over while Adam Boulton watches on the sidelines.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,144

    Tories helping their rich mates again, says Ed Miliband.

    Many of the tax avoidance schemes that are being opened up to sunlight arose during the last Labour Govt.

    Hypocrisy has a field day under Ed Miliband.
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    boulayboulay Posts: 3,993
    is this budget now the "anti-shambles"?
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    taffystaffys Posts: 9,753
    Somebody mentioned below that some of these measures are very much against the financial institutions establishment (I think it was Oblitus).

    That is a very important point. In that sense the pension measures are not unlike big bang, which shattered the stranglehold of inefficient and elitist UK financial institutions on the City.

    Whisper it, but Mrs Thatcher would approve.
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    Richard_NabaviRichard_Nabavi Posts: 30,820
    Pulpstar said:

    Let me make sure I've got this straight though, you can take out 30 grand as a lump sum tax free and you don't have to buy an annuity with the remainder, you could just keep it in the Stockmarket and live off Vodafone/Glaxxo Dividends ?

    I think that's correct, except that the tax-free lump sum is (as now) limited to 25% of the total pot, so in practice can be a lot more than £30K.

    The £30K figure relates to 'trivial commutation' - if your total pension pot is less than £30K, you'll be able to take 100% of it out as a tax-free lump sum (compared with the current limit of £18K).

    [For completeness, it's worth pointing out that you already might have had the option of remaining invested rather than buying an annuity (i.e. 'income drawdown'), but the rules for this are complex and most people wouldn't qualify.]
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    JackWJackW Posts: 14,787

    TGOHF said:

    JackW said:


    And for the want of any misunderstanding let me advise PBers that :

    Ed Miliband will never be Prime Minister.

    David Cameron will never win a parliamentary majority.
    With the excellent Alexander and Webb helping out with a bit of fiscal sanity then its a far better option than the class warrior Miliband. I can put up with the odd Huppert if it keeps Balls out.

    PB Tories indifferent to the status quo starts here ;)
    I am a Tory through and through, a One-Nation (the real kind not the Milibland kind) Tory. I view the current government as representing the traditional centre-right Tory party which has the odd centre-left leaning on some issues. I like Clegg, Laws, Alexander, Webb, Carmichael and Browne. I just wish they are all Tories rather than LibDems.
    But for the Coalition what's in a name ??

    Based on policies and competence and not party labels I think there are many blues and yellows who'd prefer the status quo post 2015 than a single colour alone.

    I said in 2010 that the Coalition would need two terms through to 2020 to sort out the economy and I hope the Coalition goes the full ten years.

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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,010
    Good afternoon, everyone.

    Sudden enforced absence due to computer issues.

    Not sure when the F1 piece will be. Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow. Bet failed, race entertained, title bets looking rather good, though.
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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    FPT:

    Clarissa Dickson Wright on Tony Blair:

    "There were several members of the future Labour Cabinet in my circle, including Tony Blair himself. We called him Miranda, not least because of his long hair and girlish looks. He was regarded as a poor, sad thing, and considered something of a fantasist."

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-476204/Clarissa-Dickson-Wright-Confessions-One-Fat-Lady.html
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,075

    TGOHF said:

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    Go for the real deal - not these local impersonators - great title btw..

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100264442/budget-2014-ed-milibands-wretched-incoherent-response-showed-that-he-is-not-ready-to-be-pm/

    "Miliband’s Budget speech was one of the most wretched I’ve ever seen from a party leader. In fact, it wasn’t a speech at all. It was a series of Labour Party press releases randomly thrown together without anything even resembling a coherent textual – never mind intellectual – structure."
    He still hasn't forgiven Ed for missing out on that job Ed's brother promised him, has he.
    Are you claiming Miliband's response was a good speech, or just trying to divert away from its hideousness.

    "Look, Squirrel!"

    As the inventor (I think) of the original "Look, Squirrel!" meme, if you let me know your contact details I'll get you one of these:
    http://www.zazzle.co.uk/funny_squirrel_t_shirt-235802430147427488

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    AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    Question: would someone working full time on the minimum wage earn £10,500 a year?
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    john_zimsjohn_zims Posts: 3,399
    @compouter2

    'OGH - You must surely get fed up soon trying to point this fact out to them, they just are not listening. I gave up months ago.'

    That's word for word from Tim's playbook.
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    compouter2compouter2 Posts: 2,371
    john_zims said:

    @compouter2

    'OGH - You must surely get fed up soon trying to point this fact out to them, they just are not listening. I gave up months ago.'

    That's word for word from Tim's playbook.

    Great minds think alike ;-)
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    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,393
    TGOHF said:

    DavidL said:

    Bresnan in at 3? Seriously?

    cricinfo - never wrong for long.
    LOL

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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,075
    edited March 2014
    AndyJS said:

    Question: would someone working full time on the minimum wage earn £10,500 a year?

    NMW is (edit: going to be) £6.50 an hour for adults.
    Say 37.5 hours a week full time, and 50 weeks pay.

    This makes a smidgen over £12,000. But many people on the NMW work part-time, and it would not be hard to get below £10,000, especially for youngsters where the NMW is less.
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    LennonLennon Posts: 1,736
    AndyJS said:

    Question: would someone working full time on the minimum wage earn £10,500 a year?

    Yes - Oct '13 Min Wage (for over 21) is £6.31/hour (I believe going up in Oct '14). 6.31 x 40 x 52 = £13,125
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    corporealcorporeal Posts: 2,549
    edited March 2014
    AndyJS said:

    Question: would someone working full time on the minimum wage earn £10,500 a year?

    I'll double check, but off the top of my head yes.

    As I thought/remembered, they would.

    Actually about £12,304.50 (based on full time as 37.5 hours a week). (That's at the current minimum wage, when it goes up to £6.50 it'd be at £12,675)
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    OblitusSumMeOblitusSumMe Posts: 9,143

    Pulpstar said:

    Let me make sure I've got this straight though, you can take out 30 grand as a lump sum tax free and you don't have to buy an annuity with the remainder, you could just keep it in the Stockmarket and live off Vodafone/Glaxxo Dividends ?

    I think that's correct, except that the tax-free lump sum is (as now) limited to 25% of the total pot, so in practice can be a lot more than £30K.

    The £30K figure relates to 'trivial commutation' - if your total pension pot is less than £30K, you'll be able to take 100% of it out as a tax-free lump sum (compared with the current limit of £18K).

    [For completeness, it's worth pointing out that you already might have had the option of remaining invested rather than buying an annuity (i.e. 'income drawdown'), but the rules for this are complex and most people wouldn't qualify.]
    Is there any way that you can control your pension fund and decide what it is invested in, rather than paying a fee to a pension company to do that for you?

    Obviously you can put savings into an ISA, but you don't then get the tax relief from your original contributions.
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    CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 39,917
    edited March 2014

    TGOHF said:

    Super Hodge contradiction in minutes - "Polls are meaningless"...."opposition sitting on a 3-4 point lead less than 14 months before a general election is in the doings"....as the MacDonalds advert says "I'm loving it".

    Go for the real deal - not these local impersonators - great title btw..

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100264442/budget-2014-ed-milibands-wretched-incoherent-response-showed-that-he-is-not-ready-to-be-pm/

    "Miliband’s Budget speech was one of the most wretched I’ve ever seen from a party leader. In fact, it wasn’t a speech at all. It was a series of Labour Party press releases randomly thrown together without anything even resembling a coherent textual – never mind intellectual – structure."
    He still hasn't forgiven Ed for missing out on that job Ed's brother promised him, has he.
    Are you claiming Miliband's response was a good speech, or just trying to divert away from its hideousness.

    "Look, Squirrel!"

    As the inventor (I think) of the original "Look, Squirrel!" meme, if you let me know your contact details I'll get you one of these:
    http://www.zazzle.co.uk/funny_squirrel_t_shirt-235802430147427488

    I'd say I thought it were Ms Lamont who originated it in a political context, except I can't remember when she used it, and I'm not supposed to mention Scottish politics ... anyway, here is another sciurid for your collection ...

    http://www.nrk.no/piipshow/a-squirrel-walks-into-a-bar_-1.11611903

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    The market movement of pension providers highlights that the man on the street has been getting royally ripped off for years. This Ozzy move to kill mandatory annuities and grant individuals flexibility to allocate their pension pot as they see fit is a fundamental free market reform. It enforces efficiency and value for money through nothing more than open competition in a free market - anyone with a pension will benefit. It puts money back in people's hands and takes it directly away from City types - so, strangely, quite progressive too. It will come to be seen as a great reform in years to come.

    All else in this budget is fluff in comparison.
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    HurstLlamaHurstLlama Posts: 9,098

    Good afternoon, everyone.

    Sudden enforced absence due to computer issues.

    Not sure when the F1 piece will be. Perhaps today, perhaps tomorrow. Bet failed, race entertained, title bets looking rather good, though.

    Mr. D! Great to see you back, we were beginning to get worried about you. In fact you were on my worry list - "Email MD to see if he is still alive". Happy to note it was only a computer failure, hope it wasn't too expensive.
This discussion has been closed.