ewx: (Default)
Richard Kettlewell ([personal profile] ewx) wrote2007-03-21 02:42 pm
Entry tags:

Budget 2007

[Poll #951035]

My back-of-the-envelope calculation suggests that the break-even point is around £18,600: you win by about 2p on every pound you earn above that, and lose below it.

There are benefits changes at the bottom end which presumably ameliorate the doubling of 10% rate to some extent (e.g. working tax credit) but I'm afraid I don't know how those benefits work, so if you're affected by those you'll have to work it out yourself.

[identity profile] naath.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 03:05 pm (UTC)(link)
If you're right I win by about 60 pounds a year.

I like the ISA raise, I assume that applies from this April?

And the Inheritance tax threshold is a long overdue rise given real estate prices. Although I'm not generally in favour of inheritance, so I'm not sure I like that much.

Selling off student debt was rumoured, but I can't see if it is true...
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[identity profile] ewx.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 03:08 pm (UTC)(link)
The income tax and ISA changes come in for 08/09. Table 1.2 in this PDF (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/21_03_07_budget_report.pdf) has a good summary.

[identity profile] naath.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 03:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I was trying to cheat and read the bbc interpretation...
aldabra: (Default)

[personal profile] aldabra 2007-03-21 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I saw something that said the selling off student debt is true. Maybe in the FT.
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Default)

[identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 03:35 pm (UTC)(link)
'Selling off' Student Loans is a done deal, but you'll see very little of that: it's a securitisation, raising bonds on the open market secured against the income from graduates' repayments.

[identity profile] naath.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Are the new owners of the debt going to be able to change the terms of the repayment though?

I'm aware of the normal process of selling of debt in this way (I'm reading Stevenson, and Eliza has explained it all in very short words for the reader's benefit)... but this is debt that *I* owe, so I'm naturally more worried about it *grin*.

[identity profile] hsenag.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
No, they can't change the terms.
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] naath.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
ah. good.
ext_3375: Banded Tussock (Default)

[identity profile] hairyears.livejournal.com 2007-03-21 04:28 pm (UTC)(link)
No. Securitisation doesn't work that way... However, a transfer of the management to a third party might: it isn't clear what the SLC is actually going to do, and they might transfer the right to set the terms of future loans out of the hands of the Sec State for Education.

Nor is it clear what happens if the bonds default: the bondholders sometimes acquire the authority to replace the administrators of a failed asset-backed securities' collateral pool. However, that's a management issue which would probably manifest itself in the pursuit of arrears: the assets in the pool (namely: your loans) would remain the same - same interest, same repayment terms. The 'tail' of derivative securities does not wag the pool of assets, even if they do indeed turn out to be dogs.