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Autumn Budget Review 2021
How to make ISAs work for you
How can you make the most of your tax allowances by using the different types of ISAs that are available? Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) were first introduced in 1999 and are a tax-free way to save into a cash savings or investment account. There lots of different...
Be wary of the cryptocurrency craze
You might be thinking about whether to invest in cryptocurrencies. We explain why it may not be the right choice, and how to better approach your portfolio. This year has been eventful for bitcoin, with the cryptocurrency reaching a record high and then almost halving...
Get the best out of your Buy To Let mortgage
Many fixed mortgage deals will be approaching the end of their term this October, so it’s a good idea to review your buy-to-let mortgage. With interest rates still at low levels and demand for rental properties increasing around the country, investing in a buy-to-let...
The Bank of…Granny and Grandad?
For many younger people struggling to get a foot on the property ladder, the Bank of Mum and Dad is the only option. With rent taking a huge chunk out of their income and the requirement for increasingly onerous deposits, two in five renters do not believe they will...
Achieving your financial goals
We lead complex lives in an increasingly complex world. As financial planning experts we can help you better understand your financial challenges, goals and needs, and help you find appropriate ways to meet them. Even a seemingly straightforward financial goal can...
A Matter Of Trusts
Taking out a life insurance policy gives you valuable peace of mind: you know you’ve protected your family against financial hardship, should the worst happen. But how can you make sure your policy will pay out quickly, to those who’ll need it most, if you died...
The new £1m Inheritance Tax allowance
In the wake of the 2015 General Election, the Conservative Party confirmed it would deliver on its Manifesto promise that parents could pass their property up to the value of £1m to their children free of Inheritance Tax, thanks to a new ‘family home allowance’. The...
Death Cover – Are You and Yours Protected?
Losing your partner at any stage in life can be devastating, but it may be particularly devastating when children are involved because of the financial pressures of raising a family. Ensuring your children and other dependants are provided for in case you die should...
Exchanging contracts? Get insured first
Purchasing a property can be a busy, stressful time and it can seem like there are a million things to remember. Some things however, are more important to remember than others – for example, getting the right insurance in place at the right time. Many people believe...
Working from home – are you covered?
Following lockdown, many firms have closed workplaces, meaning that millions of people across the UK have are now required to work from home. Should I inform my insurer that I am working from home? The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has issued reassurance that,...
Assessing your post-COVID insurance needs
Insurance brokers have reported an increase in enquiries about income protection cover since the pandemic outbreak, with people concerned about becoming ill and being unable to continue working, or worried about losing their jobs. Income protection explained Income...
Understanding Buy To Let
The Buy to Let strategy allows onward movers to convert their old home into an investment property instead of selling it. This can be an interesting option. Like all investment decisions, however, it does need to be assessed carefully. The basics of let to buy There...
New Year (Some) New Rules
While the calendar year is already a third of the way through, the financial year is just beginning. As with most financial years, some key points stay the same (or at least much the same) while some change. With that in mind, here’s a quick rundown of the...
Where Now For Mortgages?
The Stamp Duty holiday appears to have stimulated the housing market. It is, however, only of benefit to people who can afford to buy. For many people, their ability to buy depends on their ability to get a mortgage. Right now, however, that is a major challenge for a...
Get mortgage fit for 2021
Estimates suggest that well over one million borrowers have lapsed onto their lender’s default standard variable rate (SVR). Has this happened to you? If so, now could be the perfect time to consider a remortgage, to get your finances in good shape for the year ahead....
Retirement For The Self-Employed
Time famously waits for nobody. Growing up may be optional but growing old is a reality. This means that everybody has to plan for it. If you’re a paid employee, the chances are that your retirement arrangements will be linked to your job. If, however, you’re...
Covering the cost of the ageing process
Growing up is optional but growing older is mandatory for as long as you live. Ageing disgracefully can be a lot of fun but it’s important to realise that your post-work years can now stretch on for decades. You need to think about what the ageing process could mean...
What Does An Executor Do?
If you leave a will (which is highly recommended), then you can name up to four executors. As the name of the role suggests, the executors are the people with both the authority and the responsibility to ensure that a person’s estate is wound up in accordance with the...
Can You Afford Your Pension Income?
Since April 2015, pension savers have been able to choose between buying an annuity and receiving a standard investment income. Getting this decision right can make a huge difference to a person’s retirement. That’s why the government is taking steps to ensure that...
What Does An Executor Do?
If you leave a will (which is highly recommended), then you can name up to four executors. As the name of the role suggests, the executors are the people with both the authority and the responsibility to ensure that a person’s estate is wound up in accordance with the...
When Can You Retire?
Over recent years, the state pension has made the headlines fairly regularly. One of the reasons for this is the increase in state pension age. Now, the government is proposing to increase the age at which people can access private pensions. Depending on your...
How To Avoid Being A Poverty-Stricken Pensioner
If you’re on a defined-benefits (“final-salary”) pension, then you’re probably either already drawing it or in the public sector. For most people, defined-contributions (money purchase) pensions are the only option available now. That means the onus is on you to...
Can You Afford Your Pension Income?
Since April 2015, pension savers have been able to choose between buying an annuity and receiving a standard investment income. Getting this decision right can make a huge difference to a person’s retirement. That’s why the government is taking steps to ensure that...
A global approach to asset allocation
Asset allocation is one of the key tools in our investment proposition to help strike the right balance between risk and reward in your portfolio. It applies to asset classes, such as equities, bonds and cash, and different global regions. The actively-managed Omnis...
All about ISAs
In the 2019/20 tax year, you can save up to £20,000 tax-free in an Individual Savings Account (ISA), and when it comes to your ISA investment, you have a number of options. Investors comfortable with the slightly higher risk Peer to Peer lending can also now invest in...
How a trust can help your financial planning
Writing a policy in Trust could be perceived as something that only the wealthy require, but the reality is Trusts can play an important part in financial planning for people from all walks of life. When it comes to planning your family’s financial future it makes...
Helping you to save
Help to Save is a government savings account aimed at an estimated 3.5m people on low incomes. The scheme pays a bonus of 50p for every pound saved over four years, representing better value compared to the 1 - 2 per cent returns on savings bonds offered by high...
Protection in trust
Taking out a Life Insurance policy gives you valuable peace of mind; you know you’ve helped protect your family against financial hardship, should the worst happen. But how can you make sure your policy will pay out quickly, to those who’ll need it most, if you...
Are you thinking of downsizing?
According to a survey by Lloyds Bank, 45 per cent of empty nesters have no plans to downsize, despite the potential windfall moving to a smaller place could create. For these empty nesters then, life seems pretty comfortable, but their new-found wellbeing could be at...
Getting Ready To Meet The Grim Reaper
Do you know how your family would cope after your death? It's not an easy question to answer, or a nice subject to think about, but you could help to make their lives easier by setting up a Whole of Life plan, getting your finances in order and making a detailed will....
What's the Cost of a Comfortable Retirement?
Have you ever stopped to think about the monthly income you'd need to provide for a comfortable retirement? If you’re thinking it would be the equivalent of your current salary you've probably overestimated. Remember, by the time you retire, you will hopefully have...
