David Harrison discusses raising ISA investment limits ahead of Budget 2014 - Global Banking & Finance Review
Image of David Harrison, Managing Partner at True Potential, advocating for raising the ISA investment limit to £25,000 in light of Budget 2014 discussions on savings and retirement.
Investing

BUDGET 2014: INVESTMENT LIMIT ON ISAS SHOULD BE RAISED TO AT LEAST £25,000

Published by Gbaf News

Posted on March 19, 2014

2 min read

· Last updated: February 28, 2019

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True Potential Calls for Higher ISA Limits

Ahead of the Budget, to be presented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, on Wednesday 19 March 2014, financial services group True Potential has called for the investment limit on ISAs to be raised to at least £25,000.

David Harrison

David Harrison

ISA Limit Increase Could Rival Pensions

Managing Partner at True Potential, David Harrison, said: “An increase in the ISA limit to at least £25,000 would make ISAs a viable alternative to pensions, which currently have a £50,000 annual limit. ISAs allow people to save tax-free in a way that is easy to understand and easy to arrange, but reforms to ISAs are long overdue to make them more attractive to savers.”

Research Reveals Alarming Savings Gap

Research commissioned by True Potential has found a worryingly high number of people are not savings enough for their later years. A quarter (25 per cent) of people surveyed were not saving anything for retirement, while two thirds (64 per cent) were putting aside less than £100 per month. Indeed, the findings suggest an unprecedented savings crisis as Britons realise too late that they do not have enough in savings and investments. Two thirds (64 per cent) of 45-54 year olds are not confident that they have put enough aside for a comfortable retirement.

Concerns Over Poor Returns and Retirement

David Harrison continued: “As a nation we are not saving enough for our own retirements and, typically, the products that we do deposit our savings in give such poor returns that they are quickly outstripped by inflation. Many factors have combined to create a ‘Savings Gap’ that, at its heart, is an outdated savings structure with complicated, inflexible products.”

Key Takeaways

  • True Potential urged raising the ISA annual limit to £25,000 ahead of the 19 March 2014 Budget.
  • They argued that higher ISA limits could make ISAs a viable alternative to pensions and help address a national savings crisis.
  • True Potential’s research showed 25% saved nothing for retirement, and 64% saved under £100 per month, highlighting a 'Savings Gap.'

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What did True Potential propose regarding ISA limits?
They recommended increasing the ISA annual investment limit to at least £25,000 to rival pensions and better support savers.
Why did True Potential believe ISA reform was needed?
They believed current savings products yield poor returns, are complex and inflexible, and that there is a widespread shortage of retirement savings.
What did their research reveal about UK savers?
It showed that 25% of people saved nothing for retirement and 64% put away less than £100 per month, and that two‑thirds of 45‑54‑year‑olds lacked confidence in their retirement savings.

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