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Emergency fund – savings for unexpected costs
Your Emergency Fund An emergency fund is a pot of money you should have available for use if an unexpected bill comes your way. This is one of the most important elements of your financial planning. Everyone should have an emergency fund, but most people do not have...
Probate Fees Increase 2019
PROBATE FEES INCREASE 2019 The UK Government has announced that probate fees will switch from a flat fee to a banded approach. Changes were due to take place in April, and are expected to pass through Parliament soon. The Ministry of Justice has...
Logging Inheritance Tax Gifts
LOGGING INHERITANCE TAX GIFTS One of the best ways to reduce your inheritance tax liability is to make gifts during your lifetime. This article explores how to document these transactions by logging inheritance tax gifts as you go. Ultimately, this will save a lot of...
Continuing Account of a Deceased Investor (CADI)
CONTINUING ACCOUNT OF A DECEASED INVESTOR Since April 2018 the rules have changed on how ISAs can be passed on to spouses and civil partners on death. The rules allow for a continuing account of a deceased investor (CADI). These changes improve the rules on Additional...
ISA season
WHY ISA SEASON IS IN APRIL, NOT MARCH Have you heard of 'ISA season'? Every March, just before the end of the tax year, we read in the financial press about how you should 'use your ISA allowance, or lose it'. This article explains the flaw in the logic of ISA season,...
Stock Market Corrections
STOCK MARKET CORRECTIONS Today, the media has been full of news of a dramatic fall in stock markets around the world with one measure of the US S&P 500 stock market falling by 4.6% in one day. The drama could lead you to believe that you should start selling your...
Carillion & investment diversification
CARILLION & INVESTMENT DIVERSIFICATION Recent press have been full of stories about the collapse of Carillion, and the wider effects of the company's liquidation. This article explores how investors could be exposed to individual companies, like Carillion, and how...
Inflation and investments
Inflation is rising in the UK, mainly due to the fall in the value of Sterling and rising oil prices. Inflation rises mean that goods cost more to buy. As a result you should consider inflation and investments, so this article examines the effects of inflation on your...
The Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 came into force from April 2015 and builds on recent reviews and reforms to replace and update the existing law. Its aim is to provide a consistent approach to adult social care in England and is in two parts: Part one consolidates and...
Probate fee increases to add 2.5% to the inheritance tax rate
The Ministry of Justice is proposing eye-watering probate fee increases - effectively increasing the inheritance tax rate by 2.5% for larger estates. The largest estates will pay a whopping £20,000 to be allowed to distribute assets -that is an increase of over 9,200%...
Transferrable ISA allowance on death
We explain how married couples and civil partners can use the transferrable ISA allowance on death (known as the Additional Permitted Subscription, or APS). This permits the surviving spouse to keep the accumulated ISA allowance of their deceased partner. These rules...
What happens when someone dies?
The death of a loved-one is always a shock, and you will have questions about how to deal with the practicalities of the money and assets. This article explains what happens when someone dies. This article explains the position in England and Wales. Key points: Is...
Inheritance tax property threshold budget changes
A major change applies to how inheritance tax will be charged on your main residence. This creates a new inheritance tax property threshold, which could increase your ability to pass on assets up to £1 million free of inheritance tax from 2020. Ultimately, you could...
Pension death benefits changes
Pension funds will receive a boost in April 2015 when the tax on certain death benefits is removed. You can now pass your entire pension fund to anyone tax-free if you die before age 75, whether you have accessed the income or not. Tweet this You will no longer be...
Dying without a will
If you have overlooked making a will this article applies to you, especially if you are not married or have step-children. You will be amazed at the inconsistencies in the law if you die suddenly without making a will. You could open some disastrous family issues if...
7 powerful strategies to maximise your inheritance
Are you about to receive a sizeable inheritance? If so, you’ll grasp the importance of this unexpected money. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity won’t come around again, so you’ll want to maximise it. Tweet this. Before you fritter away your precious inheritance, you...
What to do with an inheritance – investment advice
Have you received an inheritance? If so, you need to make important decisions, which may affect your future security. We are often asked about inheritance investment advice. Surprisingly, although an inheritance is a windfall, the sudden wealth this brings can mean...
The ultimate guide to why you should make a will
You know you should have a will, but do you have one? If so, when was it last reviewed? We all know we should make a will, but most of us put it off. This can have disastrous consequences for your family, as this article explains. This article covers the English law...
How inflation hurts your savings
I was in my bank the other day so I took a look at the interest rates they were paying on savings accounts. It was not great reading - 1.59% for a cash ISA. You are probably well aware that bank accounts are not paying much interest at the moment. If you have...
Why make a Lasting Power of Attorney?
It is a sad fact of life that we all know someone who has been seriously ill during their lifetime. This is why most of us insure our lives and probably our incomes. However, have you thought about the practical consequences of getting ill? If you get ill you may...
UK Inheritance tax rates and thresholds
This article gives you all you need to know about UK inheritance tax rates and thresholds. This information is for you if you need to get information about how inheritance tax is applied, and has data going back many years. Key points: Current position Why you need...
Inheritance tax insurance – a simple solution
Inheritance tax insurance is a simple solution to a complex problem. This article explains how inheritance tax insurance works, and why you might want to consider it if you have an inheritance tax liability. Key points: What is inheritance tax insurance? Why consider...
7 strategies to avoid inheritance tax
This article explores all you need to know about UK inheritance tax (IHT). We explain who pays inheritance tax, how much inheritance tax might be due, and all the issues you need to know if you want to avoid paying inheritance tax legally. 1. Inheritance tax overview...
Inheritance tax gifts
If you have worked out that you have an inheritance tax liability you may have considered inheritance tax gifts to reduce the amount of money your family will pay. This article examines the key issues surrounding inheritance tax gifts and why you might consider making...
Financial planning and wills
You may have seen the series of programmes on the BBC with Gerry Robinson helping people through difficult decisions regarding their wills and estate planning. This is a very important subject, and is one which is often neglected by people who we meet. The value...
