Increasing the long-term value of your investments

It’s natural to be looking for ways to smooth out your portfolio’s returns. Investing regularly can smooth out market highs and lows over time. Continue reading…

Families could be missing out on thousands

Half (49%) of parents are confused by the array of state benefits available to them, and many don’t claim them even though they are eligible according to figures from LV=’s 13th Cost of a Child study. Continue reading…

What are the key reasons for shifting retirement patterns?

New pension rules which give you far greater flexibility over what you can do with your pension pot came into force on 6 April 2015, but according to Aviva’s latest Working Lives report a third of people aged over 50 who are employed in the private sector are now planning to retire later than they previously hoped. Continue reading…

More people could face financial hardship despite medical advances

Most homebuyers purchase life assurance when they arrange a mortgage, but only a minority obtain another form of financial protection that they are five times more likely to need before they reach retirement. Continue reading…

Tax-free Dividend Allowance introduced under new system

rom April this year, the notional 10% tax credit on dividends has been abolished and replaced by a new tax-free Dividend Allowance. The Dividend Allowance means that you won’t have to pay tax on the first £5,000 of your dividend income, no matter what non-dividend income you have. Continue reading…

Should you review your situation with further changes on the horizon?

Inheritance Tax (IHT) affects not just the very rich – other people may be liable without realising it. Few taxes are quite as emotive – or as politicised – as IHT. Continue reading…

Taking stock of Budget 2016

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, delivered his eighth Budget speech on Wednesday 16 March, his third in 12 months. Now that we’ve had time to take stock of the key announcements, we consider how they could impact your finances both today and in future years. Continue reading…

Impact on financial markets ahead of the EU referendum

With an increasing focus on ‘Brexit’, our investment clients will naturally be monitoring the impact on financial markets ahead of the referendum scheduled for Thursday 23 June. Continue reading…

Harnessing the simplicity and popularity of the ISA wrapper

The introduction of the new Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) next year is aimed at helping young people save flexibly for the long term throughout their lives, and simultaneously enabling them to save for a first home and for their retirement without having to choose one over the other. Continue reading…

What could the shake-up mean for you?

A shake-up of the stamp duty rules took effect on 1 April 2016 in relation to anyone owning more than one residential property – this will affect those buyers funding the purchase of a new home with the sale of an existing home: if their buyer pulls out but they still want to go ahead – perhaps by using a bridging loan – they will be liable for the stamp duty surcharge because they will technically own two residential properties at completion. Continue reading…