Category: Financial News

The state of theeconomy and the government’s future plans   On 29 November 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced the Autumn Statement, which provided an update on the government’s plans for the economy based on the latest forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. These are the key announcements from his speech.… Continue reading Autumn Statement

What should you do to reduce, or even eliminate, an Inheritance Tax burden? Inheritance Tax (IHT) in the UK may be one of life’s unpleasant facts but IHT planning and professional advice could help you pay less tax on your estate. With the current thresholds set to remain at £325,000 for individuals and £650,000 for… Continue reading Identifying the most appropriate solution for you

 Over half of UK workers are unable to survive financially for more than three months New research from Aviva reveals that over half of UK workers (52 per cent) would be unable to survive financially for more than three months if they were off work with an illness. Around a third (30 per cent) say… Continue reading Would you need to get back to work quickly if you were off sick?

Gaining prudent exposure to stock exchange investment without putting all your eggs in one basket Investment trusts are a way of gaining prudent exposure to stock exchange investment but without putting all your eggs in one basket. They are often categorised into country and regional funds and sub-divided further into funds that invest only in… Continue reading How will you achieve your investment goals?

Don’t miss out on using your tax-efficient allowance An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax-efficient wrapper. Within an ISA you pay no capital gains tax and no further tax on the income, making it one of the most tax-efficient savings vehicles available. If you are planning to open or transfer an existing ISA, you have… Continue reading Happy ISA Year 2012

Do you want more control over where your money is invested? Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) were introduced in 1989 to give those planning for retirement greater control over where their pension fund is invested. Essentially, a SIPP is a pension wrapper that is capable of holding investments and providing you with the same tax advantages… Continue reading Wrapping up your pension

The highest first half on record According to the Investment Management Association (IMA), net retail sales of funds of funds (an investment strategy of holding a portfolio of other investment funds rather than investing directly in shares, bonds or other securities) totalled £3.8bn for the first six months of the year, the highest first half on record. Richard Saunders, chief… Continue reading New retail sales of funds

What retirement income should you aim for? Retirement may seem a long way off but are you saving enough now for a comfortable retirement in the future? A general rule of thumb suggests that you should aim for a retirement income of two-thirds of the amount you would expect to be earning at the end… Continue reading Planning for tomorrow

Will you be faced with an income shortfall? While pensioners said they needed an average of £22,000 a year to live comfortably, their actual income averaged £15,800, according to a recent report by Prudential, the insurer. Almost two in five said they found living on their retirement income harder than they had expected. Income shortfall… Continue reading Bridging the gap

Spreading your capital across different investment vehicles Having the right mix of investments will enable you to plan to keep your savings ahead of any inflationary concerns you may have. Spreading risk and getting a good mix of assets is known as ‘diversification’. This is a relatively simple concept; it means spreading your capital across… Continue reading Getting a good mix of assets