Issue #61: March Round-Up

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Let’s Talk About March 🤑

We’ve officially hit Spring, the clocks have changed (I hope I’m not the only one who forgot about this and woke up extremely confused on Sunday) and the sun is shining!!

The world of finance however, yeah maybe not quite as sunny…

So, without further ado, here is the March monthly roundup, where we discuss everything you might have missed when it comes to ✨money✨.

Let’s goooo!!

Incase You Missed It…

Here's a summary of March's financial updates and news:

1. The Spring Budget 🌼💰

On the 26th March, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered the 2025 Spring Budget… here are the highlights:

💷Income Tax and National Insurance: Rates paid by employees remain the same

📈ISA Allowance: The £20,000 annual limit stays intact (phew!!)

📉Welfare Budget Cuts: Cuts are set to affect over 3 million families

🤝Universal Credit: The basic rate is increasing, potentially granting claimants an additional £420 annually

✋Personal Independence Payments: Stricter eligibility criteria will be implemented starting November 2026

💼Minimum Wage Boost: From April 1st, the National Living Wage is increasing:

• 21 +: increases from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour

• 18-20 year olds: increases from £8.60 to £10.00 per hour

• 16-17 year olds/apprentices: rises from £6.70 to £7.55 per hour

2. Bills Increase 🙃

Unfortunately, UK households will face significant price increases starting April 1st, including energy prices, council tax, broadband and mobile phone contracts… greeaaat.

3. Stock Market 📉

The global stock market has faced widespread decline, especially following annoucements of upcoming US tariffs. I’ve personally stopped checking my portfolio, and I recommend you do too 😅(read last week’s newsletter for more on this).

Seeing as energy bills are rising, I thought I’d share some of the best fixed-rate energy deals on the market right now to see if we can save some of your hard earned cash (correct as of March 31st).

Keep in mind, energy prices and tariffs are always on the move. It's a good idea to compare current deals and think about your household's energy use before settling on a plan.

⏰A Reminder of What To Do BEFORE Midnight April 5th:

If you haven’t already heard me talk about this a million gazillion times… the tax year is ending on April 5th. Here’s a reminder of everything you need to do before your financial allowances reset:

• Maximise Your ISA Contributions: You can invest up to £20,000 tax-free each tax year in a Stocks & Shares or Cash ISA. Unused allowances don't roll over, so use it while you can!

• Enhance Your Pension Savings: Contribute up to £60,000 or 100% of your earnings (whichever is lower) to your pension annually. This not only increases your retirement fund but can also reduce your income tax liability.​

• Fill Gaps in National Insurance Contributions: To qualify for the full State Pension, ensure you have sufficient National Insurance credits. You have until April 5th to pay voluntary contributions to fill gaps in your record dating back to 2006. After this date, you'll only be able to pay for gaps from the past six tax years.​

• Invest in Your Child’s Junior ISA: Contribute up to £9,000 per tax year into a Junior ISA for your child, tax free money for them too!!

• Utilise Your Capital Gains Tax Allowance: If you're planning to sell assets like stocks or property, remember that the annual Capital Gains Tax allowance is currently £3,000. Any gains above this amount could be subject to tax, so timing your disposals before the tax year ends might be beneficial.​

What I’ve Been Up To This Month:

So, before I wrap up this newsletter, I thought I’d share some of the exciting stuff I’ve been up to!

A HUGE standout moment for me was taking a trip to the No.10!

Myself alongside a bunch of other amazing creators spoke to the government and their media teams about why we do what we do, what issues our communities are facing and how the government can bring creators into the picture.

Btw, I will NEVER be a political creator… but I think it’s long overdue that governments work closer with the people talking to YOU through platforms you ACTUALLY USE!

So keep your eyes peeled for what’s next to come 👀

In the meantime, thank you for being the reason I get to have these incredible opportunities to make actual change on how personal finance is taught in this country 😌

And that’s it for today friends, see you next week 🙂 

^{DISCLAIMER: None of the above is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly education and should not be taken as investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and always do your own research.}