Choosing the right cover can help ease your financial pressures You really need to find the right peace of mind when faced with the difficulty of dealing with a critical illness. Critical illness cover is a long-term insurance policy designed to pay you a tax-free lump sum on the diagnosis of certain life-threatening or debilitating… Continue reading The critical factor
Category: Financial News
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… Continue reading Annuities
Stakeholder pensions
Meeting government standards Stakeholder pensions are a type of personal pension. They have to meet certain government standards to ensure they’re flexible and have a limit on annual management charges. The minimum payments are also low and you can stop and re-start payments whenever you wish. Stakeholder pensions work in much the same way as… Continue reading Stakeholder pensions
Taxing times
How the taxman treats investments Different investments are subject to different tax treatment. The following is based on our understanding, as at 6 April 2011, of current taxation, legislation and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) practice, all of which are subject to change without notice. The impact of taxation (and any tax relief) depends on… Continue reading Taxing times
Is your retirement clock ticking?
Steps you can take to catch up on a shortfall If you are in your fifties, pension planning has never been so important, which is why there are a number of steps you should take to improve your pension prospects if you discover you have shortfall. Planning for retirement is one of the biggest financial… Continue reading Is your retirement clock ticking?
Renting a property
Make your move go as smoothly as possible There are a lot of costs involved in renting a home. Some may be quite obvious but some you may not have thought about. Here are some useful tips to help your move go as smoothly as possible. You’ll need to pay a deposit (usually the equivalent… Continue reading Renting a property
Inheritance Tax matters
Careful planning is required to protect your wealth Inheritance Tax is the tax that is paid on your ‘estate’, chargeable at a current 2010/11 rate of 40 per cent. Broadly speaking, this is a tax on everything you own at the time of your death, less what you owe. It’s also sometimes payable on assets… Continue reading Inheritance Tax matters
Income drawdown
Keeping your pension funds invested beyond your normal retirement date Income drawdown or ‘Unsecured Pensions’, became available in 1995. It allows people to take an income from their pension savings while still remaining invested and is an alternative to purchasing an annuity. You decide how much of your pension fund you want to move into… Continue reading Income drawdown
Wealth protection
Whatever happens in life, we can work with you to make sure that you and your family is provided for. Premature death, injury and serious illness can affect the most health conscious individuals, and even the most diligent workers can be made redundant. One important part of the wealth management process is to develop… Continue reading Wealth protection
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… Continue reading Consolidating pensions
