Why the days of ultra-low interest rates look numbered
Inflation figures recently showed a sharper than expected drop in prices, cementing expectations that any rise in interest rates would be delayed until next year.
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Pension decluttering
Have you considered tidying up your arrangements?
It would appear we are now increasingly becoming a ‘consolidation nation’, with many people combining their different contracts and services to make them easier to manage. It’s a growing trend, and new innovations are coming into the market all the time to tempt consumers. The recent launch of ‘quad-play packages’, which now combines mobile, home phone, broadband and TV, are a good example.
Plugging the household gap
UK adults forced to borrow money from family members
More than one in four (28%) UK adults have been forced to borrow money from family members, according to new research. With the average amount borrowed by individuals standing at £2,123, the collective family lending economy is now worth around £31billion.
Family Generations & Financial Pressures is the title of the new report from Scottish Widows think tank Centre for the Modern Family and shows that 23% of family borrowers need this support just to cover day-to-day household costs.
A new-look NISA way to save and invest
Have you taken advantage of your larger tax-efficient allowance?
The new Individual Savings Account (ISA) rules were introduced in July, giving savers and investors more flexibility and a larger tax-efficient allowance than ever before. Four out of ten people told the consumer organisation Which? that they would save more as a result of the annual limit increasing to £15,000, up from £11,880.
What’s in your basket?
Diversifying your assets helps spread risk by lessening the potential for losses
Most investors are used to hearing the term ‘diversification’ – but it has a broader meaning than many realise. Diversification is the process of investing in areas that have little or no relation to each other. This is called a ‘low correlation’.
Clever retirement strategies
How to influence the income you’ll receive in your retirement
On 10 July this year, the Office for Budget Responsibility warned that many of us might not be eligible for a State Pension until we reach the age of 70. That’s the minimum age AT WHICH the Government will be able to afford to pay our pensions by 2063 if it is also to stop the national debt spiralling out of control.
Do you know your Inheritance Tax numbers?
How to UNLOCK your assets from unnecessary tax
£325,000
The first £325,000 value of your estate is called the ‘Nil Rate Band’ because although it is taxable to Inheritance Tax (IHT), it is taxed at 0% (tax year 2014/15).
Pension reform: what you need to know
Further clarity on the new rules for pensions published by the Government
Retirement should be an exciting time, and these days there’s more scope than ever to arrange your finances the way you want them. For example, you could continue to work and take your pension benefits. That flexibility is great, but it does mean that the financial decisions coming up need careful consideration.
How bright is your future?
Millions of over-40s expect to carry on working
until they physically can’t continue
One in five Britons admitted that they are planning to ‘work until they drop’ in order to have a comfortable retirement, a study from Aviva has revealed. Worries about being able to afford their ‘ideal retirement’ means millions of over-40s are expecting to carry on working until they physically can’t continue.
Save smart and make your existing money grow
5 tips to help you be more confident about your financial future
1 Always have some money that you can access easily and quickly for emergencies, before looking to invest for the longer term. It’s reassuring to know you’ve got money set aside to cover your rent, mortgage, food and utilities for a number of months.
