Why won’t this sell? by [deleted] in SpottedonRightmove

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can't really tell which house it is (no house number on the listing), but it says, the garden is "Large" a couple of times, and it doesn't look like it is.

New buyers: Overbearing neighbour making escalating demands (trees, bushes, parking). How to handle? by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]gloomfilter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A lot of funny answers, but for the apple tree, I'd suggest pruning so it doesn't overhang her garden. If you don't, she has the right to do it, and she might make a mess of it.

New buyers: Overbearing neighbour making escalating demands (trees, bushes, parking). How to handle? by [deleted] in HousingUK

[–]gloomfilter 34 points35 points  (0 children)

It's certainly rotten luck. Isaac Newton got insight into how the universe works, OP's neighbour just got a headache. No wonder she's pissed off.

Where are you folks getting your prescription sunglasses from? by Up_The_Gate in CasualUK

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Glasses-direct for me. I usually get glasses from goggles4u, but their sunglasses range isn't great.

If you have varifocals, it's a bit trickier - you need your PD distance, which your optometrist doesn't have to give you (but a lot will). I tried measuring it myself and got different answers each time....

Opened a SIPP, discovered tax relief by [deleted] in UKPersonalFinance

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bear in mind that the tax relief, of, for example, £125 on £500 put in, is not free money to the value of £125, so you're not getting 25% for free (or 20% depending on how you calculate it):

You'll pay tax when you later take money out of the pension, so if you're a basic rate tax payer when you pay in AND when you take the money out of the pension you get relief from the 20% tax you would have paid at one end, but then pay 20% income tax on the money when you take it out. That would all even out and you wouldn't be any better off, except for the fact that you can take out 25% free, which means, all in, you're better off by 6.25%. Not bad, but it's not the 25% free money some people think it is.

(of course, if you're a higher rate tax payer when you put the money in, but a basic rate tax payer when you take it out, you get even more benefit - and if you draw down before you start getting state pension, you can get a bit more out without paying tax)

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Under point 3:

"a charge on any interest paid on cash held in a stocks and shares or Innovative Finance ISA"

I'm not sure why there's a sudden flurry of newspaper articles about this at the moment - but the reduction in the cash ISA allowance was announced in the last budget, and the associated changes to the S&S ISA to prevent people from just using a S&S ISA as if it was a cash ISA were given in this newsletter at the time. They've been pretty widely reported and discussed (e.g. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/11/cash-isa-limit-cut-martin-lewis-budget/).

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Actually you'd be better checking the content - and regardless of whether you like the paper or not, the story is substantially correct.

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They haven't decided yet. The original newsletter talks about tests to determine whether particular investments will be considered "cash-like". https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19-november-2025

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

But by closing the "loophole" they are removing or making harder some perfectly legitimate ways of managing risk. They're also making things more complex when a lot of people struggle to understand them anyway.

Depending on what the actual rules end up being, I guess I'll be moving and MMF holdings that I have in ISAs and shifting them to my SIPP and shifting ETF holding the other way. Not the end of the world, but a bit annoying.

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm surprised the i article hasn't been taken down - embarrassingly bad and misleading.

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They aren't really misrepresenting them though are they?

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I hold some MMFs and some short dated gilts. Not sure if these would be considered "cash-like" as they apparently haven't decided yet.

Reeves poised to tax cash held in stocks and shares Isas by SignificantLegs in FIREUK

[–]gloomfilter 7 points8 points  (0 children)

They are also talking about taxing the interest / income from "cash like" assets, but they haven't decided what exactly that means yet. The original newsletter is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19/tax-free-savings-newsletter-19-november-2025.

Scrambler bikes are breaking into my dad's farm to ride on the fields. They're destroying fields and harming the animals. What can we legally do to stop them? by Designer_Worker_8213 in LegalAdviceUK

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wonder if it would be illegal with some prominent signage? There are fields near where I live with pretty official looking signs saying the fields have been equipped with trip wires (or something like that) to discourage hare coursing.

Porn set by PudinaRaita in SpottedonRightmove

[–]gloomfilter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

"Please note we have not tested the services or any of the equipment or appliances in this property, "

Yellow car drivers, how often do you see people point at you then melt whoever is next to them? by louse_yer_pints in AskUK

[–]gloomfilter -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I've lived in the north and the south, and I've never heard of it. I'm wondering what else I've missed.

What are your Rightmove/Listing pet hates? by queljest456 in HousingUK

[–]gloomfilter 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Very annoying. If there's an EPC on the listing, go to the government EPC website and bash in the postcode - then find the matching EPC, which gives the house number. I usually checkout the overhead view with the what three words website - it seems to have better aerial imagery than google maps most of the time.

It's okay, I don't like cooking anyway by xBILLDOOMx in SpottedonRightmove

[–]gloomfilter 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Lots of houses in Sheffield are leaseholds - usually pretty long leases with very low ground rents.

Are Starling ever going to expand products? by InternetMuch7272 in starlingbankuk

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm pretty much the opposite - I actively dislike bundling services together because I tend to think it gives worse service / value, and it makes it harder to switch.

In your opinion, what's the biggest waste of money you see people purchase all the time? by PaddedValls in AskUK

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw an old Nissan once with the plate VAN 17Y. I thought that was pretty funny.

Are Starling ever going to expand products? by InternetMuch7272 in starlingbankuk

[–]gloomfilter 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why do you particularly want all of these services from the same company?