Why parents should look to Christmas investment gifts instead of toys. With the festive season approaching, have you thought about gifting your children or grandchildren something different this year? Giving them a good start in life by making investments into their future can make all the difference in today’s more complex world. Lifetime gifting is not only a good way to set up children for adulthood but is also a way of mitigating any Inheritance Tax concerns. However, what’s clear

People thinking more about their spending and financial priorities. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has lead to more people re-thinking how they spend and manage their money, with more than half (51%) now prioritising saving for an unexpected event or loss of income, research published suggests[1]. A third (32%) are setting aside money. This reflects Bank of England[2] estimates that more than £200 billion of savings have been built up during lockdown, but only 10% of these are expected to be

Older homeowners receive £1.94 billion. Older homeowners received a £1.94 billion property wealth boost in the first half of 2021, data shows[1]. More than half of the proceeds of equity release (52%) were used to clear mortgages (45%) and manage unsecured debts (7%) while 23% was used to help family and friends – notably for help with house deposits as buyers rushed to beat the end of the Stamp Duty holiday. These ‘big ticket’ expenses saw an average of £74,894

£5.3 billion lost from over-50s’ retirement pots throughout the course of the pandemic. Over-50s workers in the UK could have a £5.3 billion hole in their collective pension pot due to cutbacks on retirement savings over the course of the pandemic, according to new research[1]. The new findings estimate that approximately 10% of pre-retired over-50s – 1.4 million people[2] – are continuing to save less every month when compared to before the pandemic. At present, those over 50 saving less

Attitudes and aspirations of this year’s retirees. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted on every aspect of our lives, affecting individuals’ financial situation and for many, their plans for retirement. If you are approaching retirement in the next 12 months, your plans should be under continuous review. We take a look at new research which has highlighted the attitudes and aspirations of this year’s retirees[1]. Shifting attitudes The pandemic has shifted attitudes and priorities across almost all aspects of people’s

Plan for tomorrow, live for today. Change is the only constant in life. It inevitably involves twists and turns, with some that are expected while others may be entirely unplanned. When this happens, it’s important to feel secure with the knowledge that you have the right contingency plan in place. None of us can predict exactly what a life-changing event will be or when it will occur, and many of them will take you by surprise, whether good or bad.

Over time, pension schemes close, merge or become renamed. Changed job? Moved house? It’s not always easy to keep track of a pension, especially if you’ve been in more than one scheme or have changed employers throughout your career. Over time, pension schemes close, merge or become renamed. So even if you remember the name of your scheme, it could now be called something else. With more of us changing jobs regularly throughout our working lives, it has become harder

Protection should be a core part of your financial plan. If you are worried illness or injury could leave you without enough to pay bills, there are solutions to help protect your income. While some people could rely on state benefits as a safety net if they experienced a sudden loss of income, for many the drop in income would be too severe to maintain their standard of living. Being able to keep paying the bills In many situations, families

Vision without action is merely a dream. Having a financial plan in place early on can make it easier to manage your money further down the line. It’s never too early to make a financial plan. The sooner you work out your goals and start following a plan to achieve them, the more likely you are to succeed. Here are three key questions to ask yourself when building a financial plan. 1. What are my goals? Building wealth takes time

Understanding your options and putting a plan in place. We spend our working lives building towards retirement. Choices we make today will have a big impact on the quality of our lives later on. If you only have a handful of years to go until you reach your retirement, it has never been more important to understand your options and put a plan in place – now could be a good time to re-evaluate your plans with us. The changes

Are you making use of this useful and much under-utilised exemption? If you want to make inheritance gifts from surplus or excess income, there is a useful and much under-utilised exemption that allows gifts over and above the value of £3,000 per annum to be made without these gifts forming part of your estate if you die within seven years of making them. The exemption comes under the heading of ‘Normal expenditure out of surplus income’. It is a particularly

Minimising the impact of inheritance tax on your estate. The latest Inheritance Tax (IHT) statistics show an additional 4% was added to HM Revenue & Customs receipts compared to the previous year[1]. IHT is a tax payable when you die. Whether your beneficiaries have to pay it, and how much they’ll pay, is based on the value of your estate. Your estate’s value is the value of the whole entirety of your assets. An asset is anything of value that