Transferring ISAs Time to bring your investments together? If you have accumulated a number of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) over the years, keeping them all in one place could give you better control and help you save money. There’s a common misconception that you can’t move your existing ISAs from one provider to another. Transferring your ISA doesn’t affect its tax-efficient status, but you should make sure that you don’t have to pay penalties or give up valuable benefits. If you

Congratulations to our new Pension Transfer Specialists Two more members of the Investing For Tomorrow Team are now qualified Pension Transfer Specialists We’d like to congratulate Toby Turner and Gary Hanley who have recently passed their AF7 exams to become qualified Pension Transfer specialists. This is part of Investing For Tomorrow’s ongoing commitment to our clients, to stay as up to date as possible in a constantly changing financial landscape. Completion of these exams requires extensive study and practical application which alongside

Easing into retirement Older workers are increasingly valuable members of the gig workforce We tend to associate young people with the gig economy, but new research shows that older, more skilled workers are increasingly making the move. The gig economy has been enthusiastically embraced by millennials who favour the flexibility it offers, although it appears that it is older workers who might be benefiting the most. However, over a third (36%) of gig workers aged 55 and over take on

Protecting your estate for future generations Many individuals find the Inheritance Tax rules too complicated If you struggle to navigate the UK’s Inheritance Tax regime, you are not alone. Whether you are setting up your estate planning or sorting out the estate of a departed family member, the system can be hard to follow. Getting your planning wrong could also mean your family is faced with an unexpectedly high Inheritance Tax bill. Reluctant to seek professional advice Findings from a

Planning for a bigger retirement income Looking forward to having more time to explore faraway places Today, with more Britons living longer and healthier lives, the concept of retirement is much different to what it was only one generation ago. For each retiree, retirement is different. Perhaps you’re looking forward to having more time to explore faraway places, or maybe you dream of simply waking up each day and doing whatever takes your fancy. However you see your future, retirement

Pension freedoms Running out of money remains the biggest retirement fear for over-55s Three years on from the pension freedoms revolution, people are saving more for their retirement while the over-55s are working longer to fulfil their retirement plans, new exclusive research shows[1]. The new rules have led to consumers taking a variety of different choices when investing their pension pots. Working for longer than originally planned The research reveals that over-55s are planning to work for longer than they had

Retirement rewards Common planning mistakes lead to an opaque future With increasing life expectancy and rising cost of living, the need to plan for one’s golden years is essential. Although retirement is one of the most distant financial goals, it is in our own interest not to ignore it. And 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].

Diversification, diversification, diversification Portfolio building requires different characteristics to evaluate There are many ways to invest and different types of investments. But when looking to build an appropriate diversified portfolio, investors have a number of different characteristics to evaluate. For example, is the investment designed to provide growth or income? Is it domestic or international? Does it have a maturity? Another consideration is whether the investment is actively or passively managed. Economic and market conditions Active fund managers select individual

Retirement wealth What’s the right answer for you? The first increase in minimum automatic enrolment (AE) workplace pension contributions came into effect on 6 April[1]. According to research from Scottish Widows, however, one in five Britons (20%) – amounting to more than ten million people – say they’ll work until they’re physically unable to, while one in 20 (6%) – another three million people – say they expect to work until they die. While the increase in AE workplace pension

Financial freedom Deciding what to do with pension savings – even if you’re still working On 6 April 2015, the Government introduced major changes to people’s defined contribution (DC) private pensions. Once you reach the age of 55 years, you now have much more freedom to access your pension savings or pension pot and to decide what to do with this money – even if you’re still working. Depending on the scheme, you may be able to take cash lump

Art of bond investing Portfolio balancing, negating stock market volatility and lowering risk A bond is an IOU, typically issued by a government or company (an ‘issuer’). Companies issue bonds to meet their expenditure or to settle out their debts. Governments also issue bonds in order to settle any financial deficits of the government, and also to bring development. When issued by a company, they are referred to as ‘corporate bonds’. By buying a bond, you are lending the issuer money.

State Pension New changeover arrangements designed to be simpler than the old system The State Pension changed on 6 April 2016. If you reached State Pension age on or after that date, you’ll get the new State Pension under the new rules. The new State Pension is designed to be simpler than the old system, but there are some changeover arrangements which you need to know about if you’ve already made contributions under the old system. You can claim the