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Avoid the mad March rush

Avoid the mad March rush Get a head start on your tax planning resolutions Although the current tax year does not end until 5 April 2019, tax planning shouldn’t be a mad March rush. Now is the perfect time get a head start on your tax planning resolutions to enhance your own, your family’s or your company’s tax-efficient plans for the future. We have set out some tax tips and actions that may be appropriate to certain taxpayers. Reviewing your

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Relationship breakdowns

Relationship breakdowns A pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship What is likely to be a divorcing couple’s most valuable asset? The family home will spring to most people’s minds first. But the value of a pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship. When and how pensions are divided on divorce depends on the circumstances of you and your family. If your marriage has been short and both of you are in

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Independence plan

Independence plan Least financially resilient group delay life milestones due to financial insecurity Life can get complicated when you hit your early thirties, which means your finances are starting to get serious. You might be in the middle of countless transitions, like moving up in your career, starting a business, buying a home, getting married, having children…and a whole lot more. A study[1] reveals that people in their early thirties are putting off life milestones, such as having children or

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Pensions shake-up

Pensions shake-up Getting away from the stresses of everyday life For many, the idea of retirement means getting away from the stresses of everyday life. But with living costs rising and interest rates low, people need to think about how to generate extra income from their savings in retirement. Pensions offer a number of important advantages that will make your savings grow more rapidly than might otherwise be the case. However, changes announced in April 2015 have lead to a

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Eyes wide shut

Eyes wide shut Do you know the value of your pension savings? With people living longer than ever before, we all need to save more. But because there’s always something more urgent to pay or save for, it’s something that many of us rarely think about. Almost three quarters (73%) of people aged 45 or over are longing for the day when their life is no longer confined by their working routine, according to new research[1]. Yet despite an eagerness

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Back to the future

Back to the future Visualising what really matters to you is the key to the planning process Have you ever thought about writing a letter to yourself to describe your ideal future life, long-term life goals and the process of how to plan for them? Imagining what you want your life to be like in the long term when you retire can help you think much further ahead than you might ever have done before. Research conducted for a new

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Seeking a higher retirement income

Seeking a higher retirement income Retirement needn’t be an all-or-nothing decision The onwards march of ‘pretirement’ – where people scale back on work or slow their retirement plans down rather than giving up entirely – is continuing, with half (50%) of those retiring this year considering working past State Pension age. This is the sixth consecutive year[1] in which half of people retiring would be happy to keep working if it meant guaranteeing a higher retirement income. More than a

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ISA rules and Inheritance Tax

ISA rules and Inheritance Tax Families set to pay millions in unnecessary tax There’s a fundamental lack of awareness and understanding around Inheritance Tax, especially when it comes to how Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are treated after death. Given that some people have been able to amass over a million pounds in their ISAs, it’s an area where lack of knowledge could prove costly. Over half (51%) of over-45s do not know that ISAs are liable for Inheritance Tax, leaving

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Investment choices

Investment choices Which is the right approach for you? The world of investing can seem daunting. Whatever stage of life you’re at, we’ll guide you through the appropriate investment opportunities available to you. Every investor needs to ask themselves the same basic questions before getting started. You’ll need to know what your goals are, how long you expect to invest, how much money you are able to invest and how comfortable you are taking risks. You’ll invest differently for a

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To transfer, or not to transfer?

To transfer, or not to transfer? More than 100,000 people transferred out of Defined Benefit (DB) pensions in 2017/18[1]. A DB pension scheme is one where the amount you’re paid is based on how many years you’ve worked for your employer and the salary you’ve earned. The figures show that a large number of people are still transferring out of traditional salary-related pensions, but whether this is a good idea or not depends crucially on your individual circumstances. For many

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Positive outcomes

Positive outcomes Impact investing without sacrificing returns or profits For those looking to make the world a better place, but not wanting to sacrifice returns or profits, impact investing aims to support a positive social or environmental impact as well as looking to achieve compelling financial returns at the heart of sustainable investing. The term ‘impact investing’ was first coined in 2007, although the practice developed over years beforehand. It seeks to generate both social change and a return on

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Cash stash

Cash stash Study exposes a whole host of financial secrets It’s bad news for romantics, according to the latest annual research[1] into the retirement aspirations and financial planning of UK couples aged 40 and over. This identifies that nearly one in three couples (31%) have secret savings or investments that they have deliberately started without telling their partner or spouse. And it’s not just a few pounds, as 7% admit to hiding savings of over £50,000. Individuals who have not

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