Spear's Salon
Strong Opinion from our Stable of Star Turns
Josh Spero
Josh Spero is the Senior Editor and Website Editor of Spear's. He has written for the Times, the Guardian and Time Out, and is currently writing a book.
The £230,000 spork
Now that you know what a spork is, try and imagine this: a mobile phone which is also a mechanical watch. Which costs £230,000. That is what I had the pleasure of holding at Harrods yesterday - a Celsius X VI II LeDIX.
No More Money!
Too much money, he says, is given to the same old places, rather than to small projects which tackle the grassroots of poverty.
Luxuriating
I make it a principle to avoid putting gratuitous jewellery shots or sexy yacht photos in the magazine.
Not Haunted by Hoarding
As of this Friday, I wil be a householder in Dalston, Hackney - not an area known to most Spear's readers, I imagine.
The Art of Ingratitude
It's incredible - auction houses are the beneficiaries of the new global wealth yet have the brazenness to insult them.
Budget 2010 Expert Reaction & Analysis
Watch this space for expert reaction to the Budget and analysis
Budget 2010 Liveblog
Headlines: CGT up to 28% for higher-rate tax payers. Income tax allowance up by £1,000 for basic rate payers. VAT up to 20%. Bank levy with France and Germany too, amount unspecified. Corporation tax down to 24% in four years.
To Catch a Banker
It's the old solution of using criminals to catch criminals. Unfortunately, the criminals in the banks were just too high-paid.
Unbillable Hours
Our specialists solve your HNW problems (gratis!)
Q
I currently earn over £200,000 per annum and have a portfolio of investments that are actively managed. The gains exceed the annual allowance by a considerable margin. Following the increase in the rate of Capital Gains Tax to 28% announced in the emergency budget, is there anything I can do to reduce my tax bill?
A
One of the simplest things to do would be set up an Offshore Bond to hold your investment portfolio. An Offshore Bond has a number of advantages, including ease of administration, tax deferral and simple access to a range of assets. One of the main drawbacks of managing a portfolio independently is the burden of administration and record keeping.
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