WORRYINGLY, 68% OF RETIREES DON’T TAKE ADVICE
If you’re looking ahead to your retirement, the good news is that nowadays there are more choices open to you than ever before. However, recent research7 shows that many retirees may not be exploring these options and aren’t shopping around at retirement, selecting instead to take the annuity or drawdown facility offered to them by […]
Gifting money for a deposit – what you need to know
Parents and grandparents keen to help their offspring get onto the housing ladder are increasingly helping them out with the money they need for their deposit. This can help reduce Inheritance Tax (IHT) too, but you need to be aware of the rules. Everyone has a yearly ‘gift’ allowance for IHT and can give away […]
Transfers of wealth – who gets what
Data from the Office for National Statistics5 show that various patterns are emerging in how wealth is transferred down the generations. Unsurprisingly, gifts and loans are more commonly made to those aged 25–34, with 11% in this age bracket receiving more than £500 during the previous two years, with the average across all age groups being […]
How can you pay for a mortgage if you lose your income?
Losing your income can be a major financial upset. However, there are policies designed to protect your income in this situation, giving you valuable peace of mind. Income protection These policies are designed to replace a proportion of your income should you be unable to work due to an accident or illness. You can also […]
Celebrating 20 years of the ISA
The Individual Savings Account (ISA) was launched on 6th April 1999 and it hasn’t looked back. Today it’s estimated that 42% of adults hold one, which is hardly surprising considering how simple and tax-efficient they are. When the ISA was launched, the annual allowance was £7,000 and it has risen steadily over the years. In […]
In the news
ARE ‘SLASHIES’ THE FUTURE OF WORK? A study by the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed1 reports that more than 320,000 self-employed people in the UK have two or more jobs. The term used to describe this is ‘slashie’, as in “I’m a writer/dog-walker/gardener”. AUTO-ENROLMENT BENEFITTING THOSE IN SMALLER FIRMS The government reports that […]
In The News
75% OF OVER-50s AREN’T SAVING FOR CARE New research3 shows that although 60% of those surveyed feared losing their savings and homes to pay for care fees, less than a quarter of adults aged over 50 are making any provision for later-life care. As people are living longer, it’s estimated that more than 143,000 older […]
When will you retire?
New research4 has shown that one in 10 workers expects never to be able to afford to stop work and believe they will have to keep on well into their retirement years. This survey also reports that 58% of respondents think they’ll need to take on some form of work, in order to supplement their […]
GETTING COVER FOR NON-STANDARD HOMES
With buildings insurance, part of your premium is based on what it would cost to rebuild your home from scratch if it were to be destroyed by perils like fire or flood. If your property is constructed largely from materials such as timber, concrete or straw, rather than the more traditional bricks and tiles or […]
What time of the year is best for selling a home?
This can be a difficult question to answer as there are many factors, economic and political, that can affect the UK housing market. As many people will be aware, the protracted negotiations over Brexit have recently taken their toll, particularly on the London property market, as uncertainties affecting the future prospects of European workers coming […]