Is there room for any further disappointment? Europe has suffered a stream of destabilising news this year. Firstly, there was January’s emerging markets crisis, which slowed the demand for European exports. Then there were EU parliamentary elections in May, which returned a large number of anti-establishment MEPs to Brussels and spurred David Cameron’s attempt to… Continue reading Europe’s economic slowdown
Category: News
Making a will
Don’t leave your loved ones with additional costs and complications People who die without a valid will, or intestate, leave costs and complications to their loved ones and often gift thousands of pounds to the State in what may be avoidable Inheritance Tax (IHT). The Law Society says that anyone with assets and family or… Continue reading Making a will
Critical illness cover
Protection for the unexpected Critical illness policies are the type of policy nobody wishes to have to claim against, yet evidence shows that these are vitally important policies that can support families and secure their financial wellbeing during the worst of times. Most people buy critical illness cover when they take on a major financial… Continue reading Critical illness cover
Income protection insurance
How would you pay the bills if you were sick or injured and couldn’t work? Protecting your income should be taken very seriously, given the limited government support available. How would you pay the bills if you were sick or injured and couldn’t work? Income protection insurance, formerly known as ‘permanent health insurance’, is a… Continue reading Income protection insurance
Investment trust
Reflecting popularity in the market An investment trust is a company with a set number of shares. Unlike an open-ended investment fund, an investment trust is closed ended. This means there are a set number of shares available, which will remain the same no matter how many investors there are. This can have an impact… Continue reading Investment trust
Self-Invested Personal Pensions
TAKING MORE CONTROL OVER YOUR PENSION FUND INVESTMENT DECISIONS If appropriate to your particular situation, a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) could be another option to consider if you require the flexibility to choose where your pension money is invested. SIPPs are now also open to people of lower incomes – not just those with commercial… Continue reading Self-Invested Personal Pensions
Inheritance Tax
Isn’t it time you assessed your estate’s potential liability? In the event of your premature death, unless you plan carefully your family could end up paying a sum in Inheritance Tax (IHT). Have you recently assessed your potential liability to IHT? If so, and you have a potential liability, have you planned to reduce it?… Continue reading Inheritance Tax
Pooled investment schemes
Investing in one or more asset classes Investing in funds provides a simple and effective method of diversification. Because your money is pooled together with that of other investors, each fund is large enough to diversify across hundreds and even thousands of individual companies and assets. A pooled (or collective) investment is a fund into… Continue reading Pooled investment schemes
Saving for a rainy day
Fewer people are putting money away despite improvements to the economy T he gap between the fortunes of savers and non-savers continues to widen, and research supports these findings[1]. ‘Habitual savers’ continue to put away more for a rainy day, but the total number of people saving has fallen, and, despite improvements to the economy,… Continue reading Saving for a rainy day
Open-ended investment funds
Acting in the investors’ best interests at all times Open-ended investment funds are often called collective investment schemes and are run by fund management companies. There are many different types of fund. These include: Unit trusts OEICs (Open-Ended Investment Companies, which are the same as ICVCs – Investment Companies with Variable Capital) SICAV (Société d’Investissement… Continue reading Open-ended investment funds
