These articles help you understand your financial needs and aspirations
Welcome to our latest issue. On 30 October, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will deliver the Autumn Budget Statement 2024. It will be a critical indicator of the government's approach to managing the economy, aiming to foster an environment conducive to sustainable growth. The outcomes of this Autumn Budget will have far-reaching implications, potentially influencing everything from tax rates and public services to business investment and consumer confidence. As such, it is a pivotal moment that will shape the economic landscape in the months and years ahead. On page 10, we look at what it could mean for your finances.
Could you have been underpaid the State Pension?
HMRC estimates that affected women could be owed an average of £5,000 each
Pension scams on the rise
Protect your savings! 7.3 million UK adults encountered an attempted scam in the past year
Navigating the complexities of inheritance
Should you consider estate planning and gifting for future generations?
Mastering financial planning
Essential tips for mothers balancing family and finances
Autumn Budget Statement 2024
What it could mean for your finances
Time to revisit your retirement plan?
Helping you feel more prepared for this stage of your life
The middle-aged squeeze
Juggling careers, family care and financial pressure amid rising costs and wealth transfers
The cost of early withdrawal from your pension
How retirees are impacting their financial future by accessing pension pots too soon
Rising demand for health cover
Grappling with a workforce sickness epidemic and long NHS waiting times
Building wealth and achieving financial goals
Aligning investments with risk tolerance and capacity
The future of retirement
Experiences of the past and potential future scenarios
The Great Unretirement
Contemplating a return to work after a significant absence or considering a phased return?
Sandwich generation
Two-thirds of people in the UK will care for a loved one at some point
Take your pension to the max
Do you have potential shortfalls and need to address these gaps?
Empowered savers
How to make future aspirations more attainable and less stressful
Shaping a sustainable future
The imperative of collective action and responsible investment
New study uncovers financial vulnerability in five million UK households
Delayed life milestones and lack of planning pose significant risks
Redundancy and your pension
Understanding your workplace pension options to navigate your next steps confidently
Have you secured your legacy?
The vital role of Wills in estate planning
Should you use your pension lump sum to pay off your mortgage?
Essential key considerations and potential pitfalls you need to know
The retirement gap
Why UK retirees are working seven years longer than planned
The rise of remote work and moving abroad
Becoming a UK expat can mark the start of an exciting chapter, but what about your pension?
Welcome to our latest issue. Nobody wants to consider what would happen if they became too ill to support their family financially. Financial protection is essential to creating a secure future for your loved ones, but understanding what cover you may need can be confusing. On page 10, we discuss whether you have considered the implications financially if you or someone in your family were unable to earn money, became ill or were to die prematurely. It’s not something we like to think about, but if you have left regular employment and are now either retired or have become self-employed, then any previous protection you received from an employer becomes your responsibility.
Articles featured in this issue:
Retirement matters
Making the right decisions today could boost your retirement pot and make the future a whole lot brighter
Caring for grandchildren
How it can help you boost your State Pension
Britain’s biggest pension taxpayers
How to make sure you avoid becoming one
Placing assets into a Trust
Ensuring your legacy is managed according to your wishes long into the future
Financial protection
Ensuring a secure future for you and your loved ones
Ways to reduce a Capital Gains Tax liability
How will you ensure more of your money will go towards your future?
Investing a lump sum
Received an inheritance, windfall, or proceeds from a business or property sale? But what next?
How much do I need to save for retirement?
Ensure your money works effectively to enjoy retirement on your own terms
The importance of drafting a Will
Protect your family from uncertainty and potential conflicts
Quarter of retirees financially struggling despite paying off mortgage
Urgent need for effective financial strategies and support systems to ensure a dignified and secure retirement
Financial planning conversations you need to have
Protecting your legacy and boosting your children’s financial security
Young women and retirement
How much income will you need for a comfortable retirement?
State Pension awareness
What payments can you expect to receive from the government later in life?
Changing retirement trends
Why the concept of a 'hard stop' retirement is becoming less prevalent
Learning from the retired
Balancing financial security with mental wellbeing
Retirement experience among over-55s
Money, or lack thereof, a significant driver of overall retirement satisfaction
Building financial confidence in children
Sharing values and encouraging children to formulate their own
Many Britons unaware of incorrect tax codes
What you need to know to avoid discrepancies and potential financial strain
Retirees supporting family and friends financially
Nearly 40% support grown-up children, a spouse or partner, a parent, an elderly relative or a friend
Downsizing in later life
Research highlights what people consider before making the decision
Minimise Inheritance Tax
Allow your loved ones to benefit more from your accumulated wealth
Only two-fifths of Britons know how to boost their pension
How much money will you have for retirement, where is it invested and what are you being charged?
Welcome to our September/October 2023 edition. In this issue, we look at investment bonds and explain how they offer several benefits that some investors may be missing out on, which have become even more beneficial due to recent changes in tax regulations. This follows last November’s Budget and the Chancellor’s decision to reduce the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Allowance from £12,000 to £6,000 this year and to £3,000 in April 2024. This is likely to increase the appeal of investment bonds for some investors who want to minimise Inheritance Tax (IHT) liabilities when passing on wealth.
Preserving wealth for future generations
Starting estate planning early and implementing it in stages is desirable
Will you make the right decisions around your pension pot?
Why defined contribution pensions are even more appealing for wealth transfer
Building a reliable income stream for your golden years
Make sure you maximise your retirement income through annuity shopping
Investment bonds
How bonds' structure and tax advantages can help you pass on wealth
Missing out on unclaimed money that could be in your pocket?
£1.3 billion pension tax relief unclaimed by pension savers over a five-year period
Saving for the next generation
Taking proactive steps in securing your child’s or grandchild’s financial future
Money and divorce
Untangling your finances and navigating the financial aspects of divorce
Pension drawdown
Greater flexibility in accessing your pension funds
Cost of care in later life
Choosing the best option for yourself or your loved ones
Retirement cash flow modelling
Assessing your current and projected wealth, income and expenses
Preparing the next generation to engage with their finances
How to help with money management and financial literacy
Key traits for successful wealth-building
Developing an investment strategy tailored to your goals
Macro trends impacting weddings in 2023
Main pressures are rising costs and unexpected expenses from suppliers
Retirement challenges faced by women
Nearly half of women aged 50-65 plan to continue working in some capacity after reaching the State Pension age
Do our later life dreams really become retirement reality?
Taking the necessary steps towards a fulfilling retirement
Gap in knowledge and uptake of Power of Attorney
Protecting individuals and facilitating smoother decision-making processes
Millions may have to rethink their retirement plans
More than one in ten have mortgage debt in the final decade before they retire
How much will I need to live on in retirement?
Planning for your life after work to ensure a financially secure future
How to reduce the impact of inflation on retirement income
During periods of economic uncertainty, it's advisable to reassess your retirement plan
Professional financial advice – where’s the value?
Making more informed decisions about money leads to better financial health in the long run
How to find or trace a lost pension
Total value of lost pension pots £26.6 billion in 2022
In this issue, financial planning can be a daunting and uncomfortable conversation for many, but thankfully attitudes towards talking about money are changing. Wealth succession should be an integral part of your financial plan as early as possible – because the right preparation now can have positive long-term impacts on future generations. On page 06, before you start this process, we consider the questions you need to ask.
Articles featured in this issue:
Goals don't just happen, you have to plan for them
How professional financial advice benefits both you and your family
Rising prices can wipe years off retirement pots
How to protect your pension income against inflationary pressures
Wealth succession
Making the right preparation for future generations
Show me the money
Britons not researching their investments because it’s ‘time consuming’ and ‘complicated’
Time to retire?
Planning your finances to be sustainable for the long term is key
Critical illness cover, your questions answered
Protecting against the financial impact that a serious illness can cause
Retirement planning
Your wealth. Your legacy
Giving retirement a second thought?
Over a third of over-55s think they will work beyond their State Pension age
Financial security and freedom
Rising prices add almost 20% to ‘minimum’ cost of retirement
Thinking about divorcing?
Protecting your assets and preparing you for going forward on your own
Cost of living crisis
Almost one in three over-55s’ mortgage repayment plans derailed
Financial bliss!
Money and finances are a common source of disagreement and stress
Cost averaging your investments
Reducing the risk of investing in volatile markets
Insurance that works while you can’t
2.5 million Britons lose at least £23,126 a year due to long-term illness
Retirement planning for every life stage
Alleviate any fear and uncertainty you might have about your financial future
Overwhelmed by your pension?
Almost half of UK consumers find pensions information daunting
Protecting income
7% of self-employed workers would choose to carry on working through illness or injury
Financial jargon
7 out of 10 adults are puzzled by financial matters lingo
Future wealth
Ready to start investing for your grandchild’s future?
Drawdown, annuities or both?
Make sure your retirement strategy meets your needs and goals