Latest News
Oct 2017 – Tough new measures on Pension cold calling
New tough measures that have recently been announced by the Government have been commended by Independent Financial Planning firm Clarke Nicklin Financial Planning. The new measures, which will mean cold calling to sell pensions (including emails and texts) will be banned, are being enforced to ...
Sept 2017 – Mortgage switching inertia – many losing hard cash as a result
Once mortgage borrowers come to the end of their fixed discounted rate, they could see themselves paying a hefty price as they are automatically moved onto the lenders Standard Variable Rate (SVR). Recent industry assessments suggest that the SVR charged by the big six lenders ...
Aug 2017 – Passing on wealth without further tax charges
On 6 April 2017, a new additional main residence nil-rate band (RNRB) was introduced, which allows for less Inheritance Tax to be paid in situations when a family home is left to children, grandchildren or certain other ‘qualifying beneficiaries’ – including stepchildren and foster children ...
July 2017 – New Lifetime ISA – save for a new home and or retirement
New Lifetime ISA – save for a new home and or retirement The start of the new tax year on 6 April 2017 saw the launch of the Lifetime ISA (LISA). A new type of Individual Savings Account (ISA) to help save for a first ...
July 2017 – Pension freedoms – some retirement savers still confused by the rules
It was over two years ago that the pension freedoms reforms took effect. Some retirement savers say they are still confused by the rules and want no more changes. The changes of April 2015 represented a complete shake-up of the UK's pensions system, giving people ...
June 2017 – Untying the knot – Divorcees twice as likely to have no savings
A daunting part of a separation or divorce for most couples is sorting out the finances. Financial disputes can be a major stumbling block in the divorce process and could take longer than the divorce itself. The choices and decisions that you make will have ...
Career kick-start – Parents feel it is their responsibility to support their children
Despite footing the bill for further education, almost a quarter of parents worry their children’s qualifications won’t be valuable in the workplace. Parents in Britain are spending on average £17,400 to help kick-start their children’s careersnew research from Scottish Widows’ think tank, the Centre for ...
May 2017 – A little today, a lot tomorrow – Managing investing risk during turbulent markets
A common mistake some investors make is not diversifying their portfolio enough. To make sure investments are spread across different asset classes, it couldcontain a blend of equities, bonds, cash and property to benefit from their changing investment cycles. A common mistake some investors make ...
Planning financially for long-term sickness
How would you pay the bills if you were sick or accidentally injured and couldn't work? According to research by Unum and Personnel Today, just 12% of employers support their staff for more than a year if they're off sick from work. Given the low ...
May 2017 – Smooth out your investment planning
If you are looking for a sustainable medium to long term investment approach then a smoothed investment plan may be worth exploring. Scott Herbert Partner and Independent Financial Planner, discusses the benefits of smoothed funds. He comments ‘Put simply it is investing in a range ...
April 17 – Who will be opening a new ISA in 2017?
I5 million over-50s looking to make their money work harder Savers have had it extremely tough over many years now, and yet many still feel uncertain about making the switch to investing. This is largely because people don’t know quite here to start, and they ...
Pension booster – Setting goals for your retirement
Pension booster - Setting goals for your retirement Those who set tangible goals for the future could be £30,000 better off in retirement, according to new research. The Set the Right Goals study from Zurich UK found that those that set specific goals for when ...
