In his final Budget speech to parliament on 18 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced that Britain was ‘walking tall again’ after five years of austerity.
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Gender disparity
Funding a post-work life will be difficult without sufficient planning
A new report has revealed a huge gender disparity when it comes to pension savings and income, indicating that funding retirement is likely to be a significant challenge for many women.
Trading places
It’s not just about picking investments wisely, it’s holding them in the most suitable place
Now that we’ve entered a new tax year, if you are already planning how you are going to fully utilise your current Individual Savings Account (ISA) tax-efficient allowance, it’s not just about picking investments wisely – it’s also important to make sure you hold them in the best place.
With this in mind, the Association of Investment Companies (AIC) has taken a look at investment company performance data when the full ISA limit is invested. If you had invested a lump sum of £15,000[1] into the average investment company ten years ago, you would now have £38,323.50. This is £6,433.90 more than the same investment in the FTSE All-Share, which would generate £31,889.60.
Pensions Freedom
Your questions answered
Most people now have more options when it comes to their retirement choices. But generally they’ll still want their pension income to last their lifetime – so careful planning is a must.
Getting more financially savvy
Sorting out finances high on most people’s list
Britons are determined to become more financially savvy about their saving and spending habits this year, with three quarters (76%) of adults admitting they are prepared to moderate their lifestyle, according to a new survey by Standard Life.
Inheritance Tax checklist
Start planning today to spare your family from a potential Inheritance Tax bill tomorrow
1. The main ways to avoid Inheritance Tax are to spend your money while you are alive or give it away.
Life assurance cover
Funding a potential Inheritance Tax liability
After taking the appropriate steps to put in place an Inheritance Tax planning strategy, if there is still the potential likelihood of a liability on your estate, or if you have made gifts which have created a potential liability for the recipients if you die within seven years, we can help you review how you could fund this liability in the most efficient way.
Trust solutions
Different trust solutions to managing your wealth
We can advise you on a range of different trust solutions, each designed with a particular purpose in mind. Some types of trust are treated differently for Inheritance Tax purposes.
Trusts
Helping you control and protect your assets
One of the most effective ways you can manage your estate planning is through setting up a trust. The structures into which you can transfer your assets can have lasting consequences for you and your family, so it is important that you obtain professional advice, as the right structures can protect assets and give your family lasting benefits.
Dying intestate
If there’s no valid Will
When you die, your estate has to be distributed one way or another. If you have a Will, your executors have to gain a Grant of Probate in England and Wales or Northern Ireland (a Grant of Confirmation in Scotland). If there’s no valid Will, or the named executors in the Will are unwilling or unable to carry out their duties, a Grant of Letters of Administration is needed. This is known as ‘dying intestate’.
