Category: Financial News

Further pressure on public sector pension schemes In England and Wales the life expectancy of people has risen unexpectedly, data from a report published by the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries last November has shown. This has raised further the issue of additional increases in the cost of providing pensions and the state pension age.… Continue reading Life expectancy rises unexpectedly

Essential planning to beat the 5 April 2011 deadline Despite the current economic uncertainty as to what the future holds, pressure will continue for increased rates of taxation. This will be further fuelled by the disparity in rates of taxation, particularly for income and capital gains. We can’t over-emphasise the importance of tax planning at an… Continue reading Make time to review your personal tax position

The coalition government’s intent to speed up the process The age at which you could claim your state pension benefits had for many years been 65 for men and 60 for women. But the previous Labour government set out plans, based on recommendations from Lord Turner, to steadily increase the state pension age to 68… Continue reading When you will be allowed to retire

BRIC is anacronym for the combined economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China. The BRIC nations are increasingly providing investors turning to emerging markets with growth potential for their portfolios.The four BRIC countries are the largest emerging markets by population size. While there are plenty of emerging market opportunities to invest in outside of the… Continue reading Investing in BRIC countries

Surprise cut to NEST charges for some company pension savers The new employer duties under the government’s workplace pension reforms will be introduced over a four year period from 1 October 2012. This staggered introduction of these duties is known as ‘staging’. Broadly speaking, the new duties will apply to the largest employers first with… Continue reading Good news for your nest egg

Gap between the cost of care and what local authorities are prepared to pay is growing Many families with elderly relatives in care could find themselves in a situation of falling house prices, low interest rates and rising care home fees. For those families, the situation may be further exacerbated by local authority cost cutting.… Continue reading Cost of care

Options available when an occupational pension is not provided Your employer is currently required to offer you the chance to join a pension scheme if they currently employ five or more employees. If an occupational pension is not provided, then this would normally be a Stakeholder Pension Scheme or alternative Personal Pension Scheme. The requirement… Continue reading Personal Pension Schemes through your employer

What are the options available both to you and to your employees? If you’re a business owner there are many different pension options available both to you and to your employees. We can help you navigate this complex area and advise you on how to make sure that you choose the most suitable pension schemes… Continue reading Pension planning

How to get your money into shape for the New Year The start of the New Year is rapidly approaching and for many this is a time to start setting financial goals. But before you contemplate the important factors in achieving your financial success, follow our New Year wealth check and start by making sure… Continue reading Financial wealth check

10 ways to build a bigger pension income Look at some of the ways in which you could secure a financially brighter retirement. 1. Start saving for your retirement early It may seem really obvious but the younger you are when you start a pension, the better, because it means you’ve got more time to… Continue reading Strategies to boost your retirement