REPORT: In case you missed it, we thought you might be interested in a recent report commissioned by the London Stock Exchange that looked at the economic impact of AIM.

Amongst other findings, the report found that in 2023, AIM companies contributed £35.7 billion gross value added to UK GDP.

These findings highlight the potential for AIM to make a valuable contribution to the Labour Government’s mission to support the economy. However, the report emphasises that if AIM is to play a part in this, the Government needs to ensure that the comprehensive and well-calibrated package of fiscal incentives and reliefs are maintained.

The Economic Impact of AIM report was commissioned by the London Stock Exchange and written by Grant Thornton UK LLP. It highlights the significant contributions of AIM companies to the UK economy. Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, AIM has continued to support business growth by providing access to capital for smaller, ambitious companies. Since its inception in 1995, AIM has supported over 4,000 companies, raising a total of £135 billion.

The report emphasizes AIM’s role in fostering a diverse and resilient business environment. It notes that 83% of new admissions since 2015 have been UK-incorporated companies.

AIM’s contribution to the UK economy is substantial, with the market enabling companies to achieve significant growth and development. The report also compares the latest data (2023) with pre-COVID figures (2019), providing a comprehensive view of AIM’s performance and resilience.

Overall, AIM continues to play a crucial role in supporting the UK economy by facilitating business growth, providing investor opportunities, and contributing to economic stability and diversity. The comprehensive and well-calibrated package of fiscal incentives and reliefs play a key role in spurring these achievements on.

FIND OUT MORE
To find out more about the benefits of AIM, please speak to our Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall, via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894.

If you are wondering how the results of the General Election will impact small caps, watch Fundamental Asset Management’s webinar on Tuesday 16th July at 3pm “False start or are small caps up and running?”

Fundamental’s Chris Boxall, Stephen Drabwell and Jonathan Bramall will review the impact of the General Election result. They will also look at whether small caps have had a false start or if they are now up and running?

Your seat can be reserved for the webinar “False start or are small caps up and running?” by clicking here. This will also allow you to watch the webinar on demand after the event.

The webinar is CPD eligible.

Pre-registering will also mean you can view it on demand.

Please submit any questions you would like to be covered via email [email protected]

FIND OUT MORE
To find out more about the benefits of AIM, please speak to our Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall, via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894.

Recent research has provided compelling evidence that within each tax year, early ISA (Individual Savings Account) investors significantly outperform those who invest in their ISA later in the tax year.

THE POWER OF DAY ONE INVESTMENTS
New data is clear; early investments in ISAs significantly outperform according to recent research from Hargreaves Lansdown. The research looked at a decade of investing clearly showed, individuals who maximised their ISA allowance on the first day of the tax year every year have seen their investments soar to a superb £360,500.

PROCRASTINATION COSTS RETURNS
In contrast, those who waited to invest until the last day of the tax year, accumulated a lesser £322,500. The substantial difference, highlighting the cost of delay.

TIMING MATTERS
The conclusion from the research was unequivocal: timing matters. By investing early, you’re putting your money to work sooner, capitalising on a full year’s worth of potential growth. As we embark into the new tax year, let’s keep this lesson in mind and wherever possible be the early birds of the ISA world.

HOW HAS THE MARKET BEEN?
With the research in mind, it is also a good time to review what the market did in the 1st Quarter of 2024. Join us for our next free webinar on Wednesday 24th April at 3pm “Q1 REVIEW – WHAT HAPPENED TO AIM?” Click here to register. The webinar is CPD eligible. Submit your questions to [email protected]

THE PROFESSIONAL INVESTOR PODCAST – EPISODE 2
In Episode 2 of The Professional Investor Podcast; Fundamental Asset Management’s Chris Boxall explains how a professional investor constructs an investment portfolio (which could be held in an ISA). Listen to it here or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss a future episode.

FIND OUT MORE
To find out more about the benefits of AIM, please speak to our Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall, via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894.

The Professional Investor is a podcast series which goes inside the mind of a UK based professional investor. It explores; the secrets of asset management, gives the inside scoop on the latest developments from the front line of the investment industry as well as analysis and opinion on what is going on in the economy.

In Episode 2 of The Professional Investor Podcast; Chris Boxall will explore how a professional investor constructs an investment portfolio. Chris is co-founder and portfolio manager at Fundamental Asset Management.

Chris will talk about:

• His strategic investment approach
• Risk
• Research
• The key criteria he looks for in a company
• His strategy around diversification – including a sector he stays away from
• Some of the challenges there are in the market at present

Links & Resources:

Chris Boxall on LinkedIn

Fundamental Asset Management on LinkedIn

Follow Fundamental Asset on Twitter

Fundamental education webinars

Disclaimer: This podcast, all opinions and information are for educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Trading and investing carries a high level of risk and are not right for everyone. If you need financial advice, consult with a regulated financial adviser in your country before making any decisions.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Fundamental’s AIM IHT ISA and General portfolio is a discretionary investment management service where clients can obtain 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax, benefit from the capital growth and income afforded by the AIM market and retain control of their assets.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

Fundamental now offers its standard AIM IHT Growth Portfolio, as well as its newer AIM IHT Income Portfolio service.

All portfolios are managed by the same team of managers and researchers that have delivered exceptional returns since the firm’s founding in 2004.

You can find out more from the link here or by contacting [email protected] or calling 01923 713894.

The Professional Investor is a new podcast series which goes inside the mind of a UK based professional investor. It explores; the secrets of asset management, gives the inside scoop on the latest developments from the front line of the investment industry as well as analysis and opinion on what is going on in the economy.

For Episode 1 of The Professional Investor Podcast; the professional investor is Chris Boxall. Chris is co-founder and portfolio manager at Fundamental Asset Management.

Chris gives his opinion on the Budget and explains some of the changes he would like to see at the London Stock Exchange.

Chris has 25 years as a professional investor under his belt having worked in New York as well as the UK. Back in 2004, Chris and his colleague Stephen Drabwell brought an American approach to investing over to the UK when they founded Fundamental Asset Management. The firm as well as managing general portfolios, has a focus on smaller companies on AIM including running a specialist AIM for Inheritance Tax Portfolio Service. Chris is the long term editor of the popular research site Investor’s Champion.

Key topics:
• The Budget
• The London Stock Exchange
• The Financial Times coverage of Chris’ recommendations

Webinar: “How Do You Use AIM For Inheritance Tax Planning?”

Previous Fundamental education webinars

Follow Fundamental Asset on Twitter

Chris Boxall on LinkedIn

Fundamental Asset Management on LinkedIn

Disclaimer: This podcast, all opinions and information are for educational purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Trading and investing carries a high level of risk and are not right for everyone. If you need financial advice, consult with a regulated financial adviser in your country before making any decisions.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Fundamental’s AIM IHT ISA and General portfolio is a discretionary investment management service where clients can obtain 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax, benefit from the capital growth and income afforded by the AIM market and retain control of their assets.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

Fundamental now offers its standard AIM IHT Growth Portfolio, as well as its newer AIM IHT Income Portfolio service.

All portfolios are managed by the same team of managers and researchers that have delivered exceptional returns since the firm’s founding in 2004.

You can find out more from the link here or by contacting [email protected] or calling 01923 713894.

With ISA season 2024 upon us and people looking to do more with their money; a “Bed and ISA” could be just the ticket. We look at what it is and how it can help with Inheritance Tax (IHT) Planning.

A Bed and ISA transfer is a process in which a client moves their non-ISA investments into an ISA. The term “Bed” refers to the process of selling the investments and then using the proceeds from the sale to purchase equivalent investments within the ISA. This transfer enables clients to take advantage of the tax benefits provided by an ISA, such as tax-free income and capital gains. On top of this; when using a service such as Fundamental Asset Management’s AIM IHT portfolio service, the ISA can also be used to reduce IHT.

Fundamental Asset Management’s AIM IHT portfolio service is designed to deliver 100% IHT relief on the investment by purchasing Business Relief qualifying AIM shares on behalf of a client. For the client’s investment to qualify, the following is necessary:

1) qualifying shares must be held for at least two years and still be held on death;
and
2) the company must still qualify for Business Relief at the time of the investor’s death

Another advantage of a Bed and ISA transfer is that it can help investors simplify their investment portfolio. By consolidating their investments within an ISA, investors can reduce the number of accounts they need to manage and keep track of. This can save time and effort and make it easier to monitor the performance of their investments.

Overall, a Bed and ISA can be a useful tool for clients who want to take advantage of the tax benefits offered by an ISA while combining this with investing through an AIM IHT portfolio service, has additional IHT planning benefits.

ISA ACCOUNT DEADLINE FOR FUNDAMENTAL

Existing clients: 5th April.
New clients: 2nd April at the latest (assuming all information needed has been provided).

We spoke about Bed and ISA transfers in a past webinar which can be watched here.

To find out more about the benefits of AIM, please speak to our Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall, via email [email protected] or phone 01923 713 894.

Despite many articles in the press in the run-up to today’s Autumn Statement, Inheritance Tax (IHT) was neither scrapped nor were thresholds changed.

With figures this week showing that the Treasury is on course to secure a record IHT take this year; if you want to save your family money on IHT when you pass away, you can use Business Relief by investing in qualifying AIM stocks.

What this means is if you buy and hold shares in such companies, you could potentially pass on those shares IHT free provided that:

• the shares are held for at least two years and are still held on death
• the company still qualifies for BPR at the time of the investor’s death

You could buy as few or as many shares as you wish. There is no upper limit or allowance. Provided the above conditions are met, the whole value of the investment – be it £10,000 or £10 million – should attract 100% IHT relief.

For those already invested, say it quietly, but we may have started to see the markets taking a tentative step towards turning the corner after a torrid time; however, “one swallow does not a summer make”.

As we know from back in 2020, the nature of AIM is such that large loses can be made up quickly – early that year saw falls in AIM of around 30% before ending the year with a rise of around 20%. Whether we are at the turning point in the market remains to be seen but the issue when it does move, is it can move very quickly, and with liquidity being limited, it means those invested, could end up being the only people who can take advantage of an invigorated market whenever it arrives.

AIM IN 2023: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

In a recent interview with IG’s Jeremey Naylor, Chris Boxall, co-founder of specialist investment manager Fundamental Asset Management, discusses AIM’s challenges in 2023 and suggests what prospective investors should be looking for in the current environment and also what they should expect, when investing in AIM and smaller quoted companies.

You can watch the interview by clicking here.

Companies discussed include AB Dynamics, CVS Group, Jet2 and RWS Holdings.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Fundamental’s AIM IHT ISA and General portfolio is a discretionary investment management service where clients can obtain 100% mitigation from Inheritance Tax, benefit from the capital growth and income afforded by the AIM market and retain control of their assets.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

Fundamental now offers its standard AIM IHT Growth Portfolio, as well as its newer AIM IHT Income Portfolio service.

All portfolios are managed by the same team of managers and researchers that have delivered exceptional returns since the firm’s founding in 2004.

You can find out more from the link here or by contacting [email protected] or calling 01923 713894.

The latest data released by HMRC shows receipts for Inheritance Tax (IHT) has gone up while Stamp Duty receipts have declined. For the period of April 2023 to September 2023, IHT receipts have surged to £3.9 billion, marking a £400 million increase from the same period last year.

This rise can be attributed to the freezing of tax thresholds over the years, dragging more families into the IHT bracket. The requirement to pay IHT within six months after a person’s death poses a challenge, especially when the primary asset, such as a house, needs to be sold to cover the tax liability. Delays in the probate process and the current market conditions mean that individuals might incur interest charges until the property is sold.

Additionally, Stamp Duty receipts for the same period have experienced a significant decline, totalling £7.7 billion, which is £3.0 billion lower than the previous year. This drop is attributed to the slowing housing market which has seen house prices falling. The prevailing cost-of-living crisis and high mortgage rates indicate that there might not be a substantial improvement in the immediate future.

The interplay of frozen tax thresholds, delayed probate processes, and fluctuating housing market conditions underscores the challenges faced by individuals and families dealing with Inheritance Tax which is so often affected by property ownership. These factors create uncertainties, with families struggling to navigate the intricacies of estate management and tax payments amid these challenging times.

An established strategy for individuals concerned about IHT is using AIM listed companies which are eligible for Business Relief to reduce their potential liability. The easiest way to do this is using an AIM specialist firm that specialises in investing in AIM for IHT planning. For more information click here. Existing ISAs can also be transferred; keeping the ISA allowance while taking advantage of the Business Relief to reduce IHT potential liability.

You can find out more about AIM ISAs here: ‘AIM ISA Explained’.

FURTHER INFORMATION
If you or your clients would like to speak to one of our portfolio managers, please contact Business Development Manager, Jonathan Bramall at [email protected] or on 01923 713 894