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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...
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The Safe Withdrawal Rate in Retirement
The Safe Withdrawal Rate in Retirement When you approach retirement, you should think carefully about how long your money will last, especially if you plan to use flexible pensions, or drawdown to access your capital. Your retirement goal should be to ensure that your...
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Our Guide to Pension Lifestyling
OUR GUIDE TO PENSION LIFESTYLING Pension lifestyling aims to gradually reduce risks in your pension investments as you approach retirement age, and is a common feature of most pension schemes. You should read this article if you are 10 years away from your pension...
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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...
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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,...
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4 expert strategies for tax-free pension withdrawals
4 EXPERT STRATEGIES FOR TAX-FREE PENSION WITHDRAWALS If you want to access your flexible pensions for capital or income you should think carefully about how to access your money. This article explores 4 strategies to get tax-free pension withdrawals, and also 2...
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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...
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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...
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How likely are you to need nursing care?
HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO NEED NURSING CARE? This article examines the chances of you needing nursing care, and explores the main rules that apply if you need to pay for nursing care. Key points: What is your disability-free life expectancy? How likely are you to need...
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What pension death benefits are paid when you die?
WHAT PENSION DEATH BENEFITS ARE PAID WHEN YOU DIE? Your pension plans are worth a lot of money, but you may not exhaust these funds during your lifetime. Have you ever considered what would happen if you die before using all of these pension funds? Your pension death...
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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...
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5 ways to guarantee retirement insecurity
You have some very important decisions ahead if you are about to retire. This article examines the 5 biggest risks to your retirement plans. Or to put it another way: 5 ways to guarantee retirement insecurity. Key points: 5 key risks which you should carefully...
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Pension withdrawals – 12 crucial considerations
Before you take any pension withdrawals, read this article. You have been saving for years, and it is your money, so why shouldn't you withdraw money from your pension? We examine 12 crucial considerations to think about before you take pension withdrawals. A recent...
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Plans to sell annuities abandoned
The plan to allow consumers to sell annuities for a cash lump sum has been abandoned by the UK Government. Key points: You will now not be able to sell your pension annuity from April 2017 Anyone who bought an annuity before the pension freedoms will not be able to...
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New State Pension from 2016
This article explains how the new State Pension works from 6th April 2016. The changes do not affect you if you are already claiming the State Pension. This change is important to you if you are approaching State Pension age, and particularly so if you are a...
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Tax planning with investments
As you approach the new tax year, you should examine methods to shelter your savings and investments from tax. Here are 9 ideas for tax planning with investments. If a married couple used all of these to the maximum you could shelter an amazing £2,826,680 from tax in...
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Pension tapered annual allowance for high earners
If your total income is greater than £110,000 and you pay into a pension plan, you need to be aware of changes to the pension annual allowance for high earners. You may find that your ability to make pension contributions is reduced by up to £30,000, and this could...
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Should you top up your State pension?
The State pension is changing from April 2016. As a result of this change you will be offered the chance to top up your State pension if you already receive the State pension under the current rules, or will become entitled to get the State pension before April 2016,...
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Pension lifetime allowance to reduce
The March 2015 Budget introduced that the pension lifetime allowance will reduce to £1 million from April 2016. Tweet this These changes will be important to you if your existing pension funds are near this level, or are likely to do so in the future. Key points:...
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Plans abandoned to allow you to sell your retirement annuity
The March 2015 Budget introduced an interesting consultation designed to allow you to sell your pension annuity and convert this to a lump sum. These proposals have now been abandoned, so it will now not be possible to sell your retirement annuity, except in very...
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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...
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4 flexible retirement income options
The new flexible pensions will be introduced in April 2015. What are your flexible pension income options? We explore the 4 new flexible pension income options you can exploit from April 2015. This will help you to start planning methods to release your valuable...
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Income: the overlooked power of ISAs
What’s the most powerful feature of your ISAs? One that’s so blindingly obvious that it’s often overlooked, even by the experts. This article explores the astonishing value presented by ISAs. Nothing else comes close when it comes to saving tax on income and...
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Flexible pensions – How to decide your retirement options
Do you need help deciding your retirement options? You know that important decisions are facing you. Imagine yourself free of all that complexity. You will learn how we helped Simon to make important decisions on his retirement options, and why he ruled out flexible...
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A Lamborghini for all retirees, or a £3 billion raid on pensions?
Are the new rules on flexible pension withdrawals what we need, or simply a cynical tax raid on pension funds? Would you like to get access to all of your pension funds when you retire? After this week's Budget announcements, it seems like the Government wants to give...
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Would you like to retire at 70?
How attractive is the idea of retirement at age 70? Probably not very! A recent speech by an influential adviser to the Government, has raised the realistic possibility that the State pension should be only available from age 70. This could happen sooner than you...
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The Single Tier State Pension from 2016
No doubt you have heard a lot about the Single Tier State Pension, which is due to come into force for all those who become entitled to their State Pension in the UK from April 2016. This article examines the main proposed changes, as the legislation passes through...
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How does pension tax relief work?
This article should tell you what you need to know about tax relief on pensions. Key points How pension tax relief works Reclaiming pension tax relief for higher rate tax payers and self employed Claim your free retirement checklist What is a pension plan? A pension...
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Impaired life annuity – boost your retirement income
If you are about to retire you are probably considering a retirement annuity to secure an income for life. You may have seen reports that retirement annuities have fallen in value in recent years. Impaired life annuities (also known as enhanced life annuities) are a...
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How to choose a retirement annuity
This article explores how you can choose a retirement annuity and will help you to make decisions about the options available to you. There are many options when considering a retirement annuity, and the decisions can seem daunting. This article will show you how to...
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Investing for income in retirement
If you are approaching retirement, or are already retired, this article could be for you. We examine investing for income in retirement. Key points: The problems when investing for income in retirement Issues to consider How to invest for income in retirement 8...
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Delaying the state pension – how & why
You may be approaching your state retirement age, but might be thinking that you do not actually need to take this money. Perhaps you do not need the income, or you might be planning to carry on working or earning after that period. If you do not need to take the...
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