[ad_1] U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican House members celebrate following the signing of U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. Jonathan Ernst | ReutersHow to read this guideFollow along from start to finish, or use the table of contents to jump to the section(s) you want to learn more about. Need a refresher on key tax terms? Start here.Trump’s 2017 tax cut extensionsTrump’s new legislation makes permanent the 2017 tax cuts while increasing these tax breaks:Standard deduction: Up from $15,000 to $15,750 (single)…
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[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images I’ve been wary about the long-term outlook for the State Pension for some time. That’s the single biggest reason I started investing in the stock market a few years ago. The latest study from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) suggests my scepticism is well-founded. It suggests that – unless something changes – the State Pension age might have to go up to 74. Pension problems The triple lock on pensions guarantees the amount the paid out to its recipients increases each year by at least 2.5%. But there are a lot of issues with…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Here’s something I never thought I’d write about the Tesco (LSE: TSCO) share price: it’s rampant. This is a stock I once described as the ultimate FTSE 100 ‘Steady-Eddie’. Newsflash: it isn’t today. The shares are up 30% over 12 months and 60% over two years, with dividends on top. I never expected that, and sadly, never bought Tesco shares. Surging profits, steady hands So what’s fuelling this change of pace? On 10 April, Tesco posted a 10.9% rise in full-year adjusted operating profit to £3.13bn, helped by strong volumes and investment in price, quality and service. Group sales…
[ad_1] Staff reports | Springfield News-LeaderO’Reilly Development Company announces The Meadows at WicklowO’Reilly Development Company, LLC announced it has broken ground on a new development in Nixa, The Meadows at Wicklow. The 240-unit, market-rate apartment development will open in phases starting in mid-2026 with full completion expected by mid-2027.The development in north Nixa totals 267,175 square feet, with plans for seven open-breezeway, walk-up-style buildings and a variety of floor plans, from 460 square-foot studios to 1,239-square-foot three-bedroom units, all with modern finishes, energy-efficient appliances and in-unit washer and dryer capabilities. Other planned amenities include a clubhouse, fitness center, resort-style swimming…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images There are two commonly used measures that point to UK shares being undervalued compared to most other international markets. CAPE The cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings (CAPE) ratio considers the value of a market relative to the profits of all its component companies. It’s then adjusted to remove the impact of the irregular nature of earnings. The maths is complex but, fortunately, some clever people at Barclays have taken care of the calculations and published the results for all to see. The latest figures show that UK equities have a CAPE of 16.7. Although not the cheapest, Australia…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images One popular way to earn passive income is investing in shares that pay dividends. It is an approach that can be tailored to someone’s individual financial circumstances. It can also be pretty lucrative, especially if that someone has patience to wait and adopt a long-term approach to investing. As an illustration, here is how they could target a monthly average passive income of £841 from an initial investment of £20k. How to calculate prospective passive income Let me explain how I arrived at that number. It is based on an investor compounding £20k at 9%…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images When it comes to the FTSE 100, most investors gravitate towards familiar names like Shell, HSBC or Unilever. But among the lesser-covered stocks, one company stands out: 3i Group (LSE: III), the private equity giant that’s become one of the most profitable stocks on the index. Revenue’s up 53% in the past year and its diluted earnings growth is up to 31% year on year. Even more eye-catching, its share price has climbed an astonishing 380% over the past five years. It’s no surprise many are wondering how this FTSE 100 company is delivering such…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images The aberdeen (LSE: ABDN) share price has been through hell, but now it seems to be coming back. It’s up 30% in the last month and 22% over 12 months. And I’ll say it, I saw this recovery coming, but didn’t buy. My hands were tied. I’d already got outsize exposure to the recovering financials sector via FTSE 100 rivals Legal & General Group, M&G and Phoenix Group Holdings. For the sake of diversification, I had to hold back. So does aberdeen’s rally have further to go? FTSE 250 recovery play This FTSE 250 asset manager was created by the botched…
[ad_1] Image source: Getty Images Personally, I adopt the same investment approach for my Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) as I do for my Stocks and Shares ISA. Usually, this involves looking at the pros and cons of investing in certain members of the FTSE 100, whose names are more familiar to me. However, until recently, I must admit I knew very little about Beazley (LSE:BEZ), the specialist insurer. But it caught my eye after it announced a record-breaking pre-tax profit for 2024 of $1.42bn. That’s a healthy 13% increase on the previous year. And it comes against a backdrop of…
[ad_1] Image source: The Motley Fool As chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway — as well as its largest shareholder — it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between Warren Buffett and ‘his’ company. But even though the two aren’t the same, I think the American billionaire remains hugely influential in formulating its strategy. And in 1967, I’m sure he had a major say in the company’s decision to take its first position in the insurance industry. Today, the sector’s an important contributor to the group’s results. For example, in 2024, insurance underwriting and investment income accounted for 47.8% of Berkshire’s…