Were you a winner or a loser?
Take a look at our guide and see how your finances may have been affected by the emergency Budget.
Monthly Archives: July 2010
Annuity rule change
Securing a retirement income
A rule that requires all pension savers to purchase an annuity by age 75 will cease next year, the government announced on 22 June. Initially at least, the age will be revised up to 77, with a consultation process on whether the rule should be removed altogether.
Financial foundations
We take the time to find out about you
In times of turbulent markets and changing tax legislation, you want to be certain your future is adequately planned for. That is why, rather than offering clients an off-the-shelf financial planning solution, we take the time to find out about you, your current financial situation and your short-, medium- and long-term goals. Only then will we make firm recommendations about how you should plan for your future.
Open for business
Business taxes given some respite
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP, said in his emergency Budget speech that he wants a sign to go up over the British economy saying ‘Open for Business’.
Taking control of your existing pensions
Alternative homes for your nest eggs
The Bank of England’s decision to keep interest rates low means that many savers will now receive virtually no return from their money. As a result, many will be looking for alternative homes for their nest eggs. If you are considering building a portfolio of income-producing funds, your first priority should be to decide the level of risk you’re happy with and the investment term. Let’s consider some of the options available.
Lifestyle protection
Has your need for protection changed?
Most people fully understand the need to protect their valuables, but when it comes to protecting their ability to provide for their loved ones after their death, this can get overlooked. In the event of your premature death, having the correct level of life assurance will ensure that your dependants are able to cope financially and their lifestyle is protected.
Spreading your investments
Risk is an implicit aspect OF investing
When deciding whether to invest, it is important that any investment vehicle matches your feelings and preferences in relation to investment risk and return. Hence your asset allocation needs to be commensurate with your attitude to risk. Another key question to ask yourself is: ‘How comfortable would I be facing a short-term loss in order to have the opportunity to make long-term gains?’ If your answer is that you are not prepared to take any risk whatsoever, then investing in the stock market is not for you.
Planning your investment strategy
What are you trying to achieve with your investments?
There are different types of risk involved with investing, so it’s important to find out what they are and think about how much risk you’re willing to take. It all depends on your attitude to risk (how much risk you are prepared to take) and what you are trying to achieve with your investments.
Protecting Your wealth
Valuing an estate for inheritance tax
Helping you protect your wealth is an important part of what we do, and one thing is certain, you need to plan to protect your wealth from a potential Inheritance Tax (IHT) liability. Benjamin Franklin once said that ‘nothing is certain but death and taxes’, and thanks to IHT, they’re not only certain, they’re intrinsically linked. Once only the domain of the very wealthy, the wide-scale increase in home ownership and rising property values over the past decade have pushed many estates over the IHT threshold. However, in recent years we have also seen property price reductions.
Green investors
A principled approach
Green investors have been rewarded for their principled approach after it was revealed that the performance of the ethical funds sector had improved over the past year.
The latest survey from Moneyfacts showed that ethical investment funds had enjoyed strong returns over the last 12 months. The Ethical Investment Research Service (EIRIS) also recently revealed that investments into green and ethical funds in the UK had hit a record high.