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  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,134
    edited January 2019
    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,737

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Everyone is making risky calculations. But everyone knows there will be one country that is harmed more by a No Deal than Ireland.

    Actually I think Ireland is likely to be even worse hit than us, although it's a proposition which neither country should rationally test.
    I asked this question earlier, and I don't think anybody answered. Why is "no deal" bad for Ireland? We won't be imposing tariffs on their inports (unless I've missed something?). I assume they'll put off the hard border as long as they can but even if they do have to impose one, they get most of their UK imports from GB not NI, so the hit will be lessened. They can route traffic via the Cork ferries if they can't use GB as a land bridge due to Dover bottlenecking. So whilst I can see it as inconvenient and psychologically upsetting, the economic implications should be handleable. What have I missed?
    The lack of capacity and infrastructure to support the sudden cut over from Dun Laoghaire to Cork. It's a major, major task that will take months if not years
    That's an engineering problem. I acknowledge the size of the major task, but conceptually it's handleable: you just build stuff. It takes time and it costs money, but when it's done it's done.
    It's a very big engineering problem and if they'd started two years ago it might have been possible, but they didn't.

    A no deal Brexit will bring economic carnage to Ireland, which frankly I'm entirely ok with.

    Why Mrs May isn't holding a gun to the Irish head as a negotiating tactic escapes me; a "Give us what we need or the Paddies get it" Brexit.
    https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1072162167967883266?s=21
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,220
    MikeL said:

    Andy Murray: Why I say he's Britain's greatest sportsman

    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46838567

    God this is even more OTT....

    Yes he was briefly ranked #1, but nobody is going to look back and say he was better than the big three.

    In comparison, Faldo, twice as many majors, world #1 for 2 years straight. Redgrave greatest ever Olympian, etc etc etc. All those listed against him are indisputably the world best at their peak, Murray has always been behind the big three by varying amounts.

    Agreed. Murray isn't even one of the top 10 tennis players of the modern era - all the below would rank absolutely MILES ahead of him (in chronological order):

    Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.

    How on earth can he be anywhere near Britain's greatest sportsman when he has so many people miles ahead of him?

    In contrast there are many British sportsman who have been absolutely leading figures in their sports.
    Compiling a list of potentially greater British sportsmen than Murray ?

    Redgrave, Farah, Barnes, Lewis, Hamilton, lots of cyclists...,

  • And yet, Brussels will push them under the bus to keep their Deal pure......

    Not sure what would happen, it could be a stirring Euro-patriotic reverse Berlin airlift.
    Massive international publicity and associated EU/US wide ' Buy Irish ' campaigns as well boycotts of UK agricultural products. Nothing would immeadiately unite transatlantic popular outrage than the Brits driving Irish farmers into penury. All campaign outlines will already be drafted and in draws somewhere.
    A good friend of Irish origin told me that No Deal would not happen because the US Irish politicians would come out to block a trade deal with the UK, campaign to have the UK declared in breach of the Belfast agreement, and push the US official position to support a united Ireland.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Everyone is making risky calculations. But everyone knows there will be one country that is harmed more by a No Deal than Ireland.

    Actually I think Ireland is likely to be even worse hit than us, although it's a proposition which neither country should rationally test.
    I asked this question earlier, and I don't think anybody answered. Why is "no deal" bad for Ireland? We won't be imposing tariffs on their inports (unless I've missed something?). I assume they'll put off the hard border as long as they can but even if they do have to impose one, they get most of their UK imports from GB not NI, so the hit will be lessened. They can route traffic via the Cork ferries if they can't use GB as a land bridge due to Dover bottlenecking. So whilst I can see it as inconvenient and psychologically upsetting, the economic implications should be handleable. What have I missed?
    The lack of capacity and infrastructure to support the sudden cut over from Dun Laoghaire to Cork. It's a major, major task that will take months if not years
    That's an engineering problem. I acknowledge the size of the major task, but conceptually it's handleable: you just build stuff. It takes time and it costs money, but when it's done it's done.
    It's a very big engineering problem and if they'd started two years ago it might have been possible, but they didn't.

    A no deal Brexit will bring economic carnage to Ireland, which frankly I'm entirely ok with.

    Why Mrs May isn't holding a gun to the Irish head as a negotiating tactic escapes me; a "Give us what we need or the Paddies get it" Brexit.
    I assume it's because it's not as big a thing as you think.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,134
    edited January 2019
    Pulpstar said:

    MikeL said:

    Andy Murray: Why I say he's Britain's greatest sportsman

    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46838567

    God this is even more OTT....

    Yes he was briefly ranked #1, but nobody is going to look back and say he was better than the big three.

    In comparison, Faldo, twice as many majors, world #1 for 2 years straight. Redgrave greatest ever Olympian, etc etc etc. All those listed against him are indisputably the world best at their peak, Murray has always been behind the big three by varying amounts.

    Agreed. Murray isn't even one of the top 10 tennis players of the modern era - all the below would rank absolutely MILES ahead of him (in chronological order):

    Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.

    How on earth can he be anywhere near Britain's greatest sportsman when he has so many people miles ahead of him?

    In contrast there are many British sportsman who have been absolutely leading figures in their sports.
    Compiling a list of potentially greater British sportsmen than Murray ?

    Redgrave, Farah, Barnes, Lewis, Hamilton, lots of cyclists...,
    Potentially greater Scottish sportsmen, you can easily get 5-10.

    Greater British tennis players, then you are struggling....Come on Timmmmm.

    Fred Perry is the only other with a look in and I am not sure 1930s tennis quite compares.
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 51,737
    edited January 2019

    Pulpstar said:

    MikeL said:

    Andy Murray: Why I say he's Britain's greatest sportsman

    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46838567

    God this is even more OTT....

    Yes he was briefly ranked #1, but nobody is going to look back and say he was better than the big three.

    In comparison, Faldo, twice as many majors, world #1 for 2 years straight. Redgrave greatest ever Olympian, etc etc etc. All those listed against him are indisputably the world best at their peak, Murray has always been behind the big three by varying amounts.

    Agreed. Murray isn't even one of the top 10 tennis players of the modern era - all the below would rank absolutely MILES ahead of him (in chronological order):

    Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.

    How on earth can he be anywhere near Britain's greatest sportsman when he has so many people miles ahead of him?

    In contrast there are many British sportsman who have been absolutely leading figures in their sports.
    Compiling a list of potentially greater British sportsmen than Murray ?

    Redgrave, Farah, Barnes, Lewis, Hamilton, lots of cyclists...,
    Potentially greater Scottish sportsmen, you can easily get 5-10.

    Greater British tennis players, then you are struggling....Come on Timmmmm.
    Virginia Wade.

    There does seem to be a peculiarly British attitude to tennis (men’s in particular) where we treat everyone else as superhuman and think any Brit has to overcome a huge handicap in order to win.
  • FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 82,134
    edited January 2019

    Pulpstar said:

    MikeL said:

    Andy Murray: Why I say he's Britain's greatest sportsman

    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46838567

    God this is even more OTT....

    Yes he was briefly ranked #1, but nobody is going to look back and say he was better than the big three.

    In comparison, Faldo, twice as many majors, world #1 for 2 years straight. Redgrave greatest ever Olympian, etc etc etc. All those listed against him are indisputably the world best at their peak, Murray has always been behind the big three by varying amounts.

    Agreed. Murray isn't even one of the top 10 tennis players of the modern era - all the below would rank absolutely MILES ahead of him (in chronological order):

    Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.

    How on earth can he be anywhere near Britain's greatest sportsman when he has so many people miles ahead of him?

    In contrast there are many British sportsman who have been absolutely leading figures in their sports.
    Compiling a list of potentially greater British sportsmen than Murray ?

    Redgrave, Farah, Barnes, Lewis, Hamilton, lots of cyclists...,
    Potentially greater Scottish sportsmen, you can easily get 5-10.

    Greater British tennis players, then you are struggling....Come on Timmmmm.
    Virginia Wade.
    Is a good shout. So we have Fred Perry and Wade up there in tennis alone and BBC bod wants to tell us Anti-Social Andy is the best british sports person ever...

    I forgot that Wade was also not only a top singles player, but also world #1 at doubles.

    I would still have Murray as best tennis, just because of the sheer quality of opposition throughout his career. Having the GOAT Federer plus Nadal (the best ever on clay) and Djokovic for your whole career, you are doing well to get in any final let alone win anything.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,220

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138
    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
  • West Midlands Police has failed to record more than 16,600 violent crimes each year, with some victims "let down and not believed", a watchdog has said.

    Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) rated the force as "inadequate".

    Only 78.2% of violent crime and 89.2% of sexual offences reported were actually recorded, it found.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-46867657
  • viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
  • StereotomyStereotomy Posts: 4,092

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    At 6.3%? Better to pay the student loan.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
  • viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Move to Scotland.
  • Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    At 6.3%? Better to pay the student loan.
    Except the student loan only gets paid off if you earn a sufficiently high salary for 30 years.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Move to Scotland.
    Explain, please?
  • David_EvershedDavid_Evershed Posts: 6,506
    edited January 2019
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Move to Scotland.
    Explain, please?
    No tuition fees.

    You need to be ordinarily resident in Scotland (so not just here for schooling) for at least three years prior to starting your university course. There are no conditions on what you do after your degree.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Move to Scotland.
    Explain, please?
    No tuition fees.
    Is that for Scottish residents, or non-Scottish people studying in Scotland?
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 22,138
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Move to Scotland.
    Explain, please?
    No tuition fees.
    Is that for Scottish residents, or non-Scottish people studying in Scotland?
    [Edit. You've answered my query above, thank you]
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,220

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    At 6.3%? Better to pay the student loan.
    Except the student loan only gets paid off if you earn a sufficiently high salary for 30 years.
    Increasing pension contributions is another route that could mean you're better off taking the loan
  • Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    At 6.3%? Better to pay the student loan.
    Except the student loan only gets paid off if you earn a sufficiently high salary for 30 years.
    Increasing pension contributions is another route that could mean you're better off taking the loan
    Presumably the qualifying salary (before you start having amounts deducted from salary to pay back the loan) is after pension contributions then.

    Alternatively if retired before tacking another degree, keep your income below the qualifying salary level at which you start repaying the loan.
  • PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 78,220

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    At 6.3%? Better to pay the student loan.
    Except the student loan only gets paid off if you earn a sufficiently high salary for 30 years.
    Increasing pension contributions is another route that could mean you're better off taking the loan
    Presumably the qualifying salary (before you start having amounts deducted from salary to pay back the loan) is after pension contributions then.

    Alternatively if retired before tacking another degree, keep your income below the qualifying salary level at which you start repaying the loan.
    No, salary sacrifice reduces your repayments. Since plan II will never be repaid in full by plenty, it is
    Reducing real terms lifetime payment too



    https://www.yourmoney.com/retirement/how-salary-sacrifice-can-reduce-student-loan-repayments/
  • IanB2IanB2 Posts: 49,871
    viewcode said:

    viewcode said:

    Pulpstar said:

    Rich students save by paying fees up front

    https://www.bbc.com/news/education-46866346

    I would have thought putting a decent deposit down and paying the mortgage on a house while at uni would have been better use of their money?

    I smell some sort of tax efficiency going on here. I know when the fees were pay upfront, with reductions for the poor, the fiddle for self employed parents was to not take more than a minimal salary from their companies in the years leading up to kids going to uni.

    Is there some clear tax advantage here if you give your kid the fees upfront, rather than purchasing property?

    I think I might have avoided the fees back one or a couple of years at uni as my Dad rums his own businesses and iirc he was transitioning from one to another when I went.
    But I took the full loan as it was 'the cheapest money you'll ever have'. That isn't the case now - plan 2 is particularly trappy if you want to live/work near the capital with the inflated salaries and house prices there.
    Am I correct in thinking student loans need not be paid back after a certain age (55?). Is it possible to take out a student loan at, say, 54, then pay none of it back? Can you take out such a loan after that point?
    I believe it is 30 years after you graduate, not a set age.
    Damn. I was hoping to do another degree in my 50's. No free gifts... :(
    Wait until you are 80. Or earlier if your retirement income is below the threshold.

    NEW THREAD
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,362
    Pulpstar said:

    MikeL said:

    Andy Murray: Why I say he's Britain's greatest sportsman

    https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46838567

    God this is even more OTT....

    Yes he was briefly ranked #1, but nobody is going to look back and say he was better than the big three.

    In comparison, Faldo, twice as many majors, world #1 for 2 years straight. Redgrave greatest ever Olympian, etc etc etc. All those listed against him are indisputably the world best at their peak, Murray has always been behind the big three by varying amounts.

    Agreed. Murray isn't even one of the top 10 tennis players of the modern era - all the below would rank absolutely MILES ahead of him (in chronological order):

    Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Becker, Edberg, Sampras, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.

    How on earth can he be anywhere near Britain's greatest sportsman when he has so many people miles ahead of him?

    In contrast there are many British sportsman who have been absolutely leading figures in their sports.
    Compiling a list of potentially greater British sportsmen than Murray ?

    Redgrave, Farah, Barnes, Lewis, Hamilton, lots of cyclists...,
    LOL
  • AndyJSAndyJS Posts: 29,395
    The government won't be happy with this tweet coming a few hours before the vote.

    https://twitter.com/ReutersUK/status/1085121753729388544/photo/1
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