Newsletter

These articles help you understand your financial needs and aspirations 

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  • Divorce
  • Financial Planning
  • Inheritance Tax
  • Investment Risk
  • Pensions
  • Protection
  • Retirement
  • Savings
  • Tax
  • Tax Planning

Autumn Budget Statement 2024 - What it Could Mean For Your Finances

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?

Financial Protection - Ensuring a Secure Future For You and Your Loved Ones

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?

Investment Bonds - How Bond's Structure & Tax Advantages Can Help you Pass on Wealth

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

Wealth Succession - Making the Right Preparation for Future Generations

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