No images? Click here
Hello from Howells!
Welcome to our first-ever newsletter! We're very happy to have you here. Read on to find out what's new with us, the world of share plans, and everything we got up to in July.
Howells Heroes
Yorkshire Dales 'Mighty Hike' Marathon 2023
On July 1st, 7 members of the Howells team completed a marathon - 26.2 miles - across the Yorkshire Dales.
We had 4 seasons in a day, from sleet to scorching sun, and we were drenched and scalded by the elements over 10 hours of slogging up and over 3,000ft of Yorkshire's finest features.
There were some Herculean efforts from Howells' best to get across the line, every one of us leaning in to the experience, far beyond our comfort zones.
And, what's more, we've raised over £2,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support!
Thank you to all of those who sponsored our walk. If you'd like to support our cause, feel free to give generously to our JustGiving.
What Makes Howells Different From the Crowd?
We're a Privately Owned Company
We're not pulled by a race for quarterly growth. Instead, we work for sustainable quality relationships with our clients.
No City Frenzy!
We're remote-first, and not based in London. Our flexible team perfectly manage their work/life balance to ensure they are always on top of their game, working wherever's best for them.
Dedicated Specialist Share Plans Experts
With an average tenancy of 12 years working with Howells on share plans from 80,000+ participants, our team are supremely experienced.
Discreet, Ring-Fenced Database
All client data is logically separated into private databases with unique passwords, so one client couldn't ever access another client's data.
HMRC's Changes to Save As You Earn (SAYE) Bonus Rates
SAYE plans are a form of tax-advantaged, all-employee share option scheme, in which participants can enter into a three or five year savings contract. At the end of the savings period, the savings contract can have a tax-free 'bonus' added, expressed as a multiple of monthly contributions.
HMRC have announced that the mechanism for calculating bonus rates for SAYE participants will change from 18th August. This is expected to result in a bonus being provided to new participants for the first time in almost 10 years.
The previously-used mechanism to calculate SAYE bonus and interest rates was complex, so this new method offers a simpler solution. The bonus rates will be linked to Bank of England Bank Rates, and if the Bank Rate changes, the new bonus rates will apply 15 days later.
The new mechanism will apply to SAYE invitations issued on or after 18th August. HMRC will record the bonus rates, early leaver rates, and effective date of any change here.
It's a good time to check what your underlying SAYE rules say, and what you need to think about to take advantage of any bonus rate increase from August.
And, if you need any help understanding these changes, get in touch, and we'll talk you through it.
We're looking forward to the future of SAYE plans here at Howells!
Events Coming Up!
North & Midlands Reginal GEO Meeting
September 12th
Hosted by Pinsent Masons, Manchester, this exciting event will be connecting the share plans industry in the North of England for the first time in a long time. The topics of discussion will be: Equity To Incentivise, The Power of Purpose, and Growing Governance. The meeting will then be followed by networking. Look out for sign up details to come from the GEO community!
An Introduction to Employee Ownership
September 13th
How can I prepare the business and our team for becoming employee owned? Is employee ownership even right for my business?
If you’re looking to answer these questions, you’re not alone. The number of businesses owned by employees has doubled since 2020, and the EOA is hosting this online event so you can find out more.
ProShare Annual Conference 2023
September 26th
This year’s theme is Time for Change.
What are the key changes we can expect to see over the next year or two, and what challenges will they bring? What changes excite you and offer genuine opportunities? How best to plan for change, and how not to get left behind?
ProShare's Annual Conference is an exciting opportunity to have these conversations and more. Not to be missed!
Security First
We have just been recertified following our ISO27001 audit!
At Howells, we continually emphasise the importance of security, and how it takes priority in all areas of our software, and business as a whole.
Both Sharehub and Insiderhub are completely secure and flexible share plan options, with all data AES 256-bit encrypted, at rest and in transit. All data is logically separated into databases with their own passwords. Our traffic light system is another example of how we prioritise our clients' data security - and this system is what makes Howells unique.
When you work with Howells, you know that we keep everything safe.
Like the sound of that?
