Author: Phillip Arnold

Goodwill Accounting Changes Damage Board Performance, Profits and Dividends

UK Plc is damaged, yet again, by the overly rigid application by our regulators of EU rules. The accounting standard, FRS102, forces UK companies and their boards of directors to amortise all intangible assets through the annual P&L.  However, those companies and directors operating under an IFRS accounting environment would not have to do this. IFRS… Read more »

National Budget Deficit Massaged Downwards

The annual deficit is definitely being reduced, but perhaps not as fast as the official figures suggest. The UK Government uses cash accounting, which fails to differentiate between cash raised from the sale of assets such as the formerly state owned Royal Mail and cash raised from repeatable cash generating operations such as corporation and… Read more »

Pension Freedom Day is the 6th April 2015

The government has relaxed many of the rules surrounding pensions. Fundamentally many more people will be able to directly control and invest/spend/blow (please delete mentally as applicable) their entire pension pot. There is no government safety net, other than the very small State Pension, which cannot thankfully be invested in fast cars and loose sarongs.… Read more »

FTSE100 Heading for A Significant Fall – Probably

The forthcoming general election and the uncertainty it will generate is about to take a big bite out of any substantially based UK investment portfolio.  However, over the long term it should recover and climb to new heights, barring any new catastrophic incidents.  This is a personal opinion and does not constitute investment advice.