The future is always unknown, but when it comes to retirement it pays to be in the know
Topic: Financial News
Estate planning requires a strong foundation and a clear plan of action
Have you made sure your beneficiaries will be looked after?
Families find discussing their finances and mortality 'uncomfortable
The effects of ignoring the issue and failing to appreciate the value of protecting your family
UK Trusts, passing assets to beneficiaries
You may decide to use a trust to pass assets to beneficiaries, particularly those who aren’t immediately able to look after their own affairs. If you do use a trust to give something away, this removes it from your estate provided you don’t use it or get any benefit from it. But bear in mind that gifts into trust may be liable to inheritance tax.
Long-term care
Insurance for long-term care means that you pay (either in premiums or a lump sum) for your provider to take care of costs for you. State provision is currently very complicated and typically only assists people once their personal assets have fallen below a certain level. The level of help also varies from one local authority to another.
Making the right decision
With so many different protection options available, making the right decision to protect your personal and financial situation can seem overwhelming. There is a plethora of protection solutions which could help ensure that a lump sum, or a replacement income, becomes available to you in the event that it is needed. We can make sure that you are able to take the right decisions to deliver peace of mind for you and your family in the event of death, if you are too ill to work or if you are diagnosed with a critical illness.
Protection strategy
Having the correct protection strategy in place will enable you to protect your family’s lifestyle if your income suddenly changes due to premature death or illness. But choosing the right options can be difficult without obtaining professional advice to ensure you protect your family from financial hardship.
Locating a lost pension
If you think you may have an old pension but are not sure of the details, the Pension Tracing Service may be able to help. They will try and match the information you give them to one of the schemes on their database and inform you of the results. If they have made a match they will provide you with the contact address of the scheme(s) and you can get in touch with them to see if you have any pension benefits.
Consolidating pensions
Most people, during their career, accumulate a number of different pension plans. Keeping your pension savings in a number of plans can result in lost investment opportunities and unnecessary exposure to risk. However not all pension consolidations will be in your best interests. You should always look carefully into the possible benefits and drawbacks and if unsure seek professional advice.
Annuities
An annuity is an investment which will pay you an income for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live. This is achieved by handing over your pension fund to an insurance company in return for an annuity when you retire. The insurer then guarantees to pay you an income for the rest of your life via the annuity.