Are you due a refund on a Power of Attorney?

Have you checked to see whether you are one of the many thousands of people in the UK who are due a refund on their Power of Attorney fees after being overcharged for applications to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)? Whilst the ability to be able to make a claim has been available […]

How do I securely cover the cost of a care home?

If you have savings and assets in excess of £23,250 (England) and are moving into a care home, you will have to pay your own fees as you are classified as a ‘self-funder’. Fees for a care home in the south east can be eye watering, as much as £1,200 per week*, or more, that’s […]

How can I reduce the cost of long-term care to myself?

Being faced with the prospect of requiring care for yourself or a loved one can be daunting. It is well documented that the cost of care is expensive and must be paid for even by those with modest assets or savings (currently £23,250 in England for the tax year 2018/19). However, there are several steps […]

Brick in the wall

I consider the UK State Pension to be a key component of my clients’ secure income in retirement.  Therefore, it is essential  to be aware of recent and expected amendments to this benefit to assist with the mapping out of a personalised financial plan. There have been a number of major changes over the last […]

The risks of pension consolidation

Bringing together or consolidating the various pension plans that you have built up over your working life into one arrangement will always make sense.   Won’t it? Amalgamating two, three or more pension funds into one might have its merits such as taking advantage of changes in legislation, one tailored investment approach which is aligned with […]

Do I need to reposition my investments prior to 29th March 2019, BREXIT?

Brexit

Often the inference of this question is that the current investment strategy is not or will not be fit for purpose post the UK exiting the EU. The investment portfolios that we put together for our clients will cover all the four asset classes, broken down into shares both in the UK and overseas, cash, […]

What is a Bond?

Bonds come in many shapes and sizes and may or may not be suitable to your circumstances. “Bond” is also one of the most over-used words in financial services. An overview of the typical bonds that we come across in our dealings with clients are outlined below: Fixed Rate Bond these are deposit accounts (cash), […]

Mind the gap!

Are your finances arranged in such a way that £1,000 per week for the cost of funding nursing home fees is affordable? Serious conditions, which include dementia, can result in even higher costs. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that one in fourteen people over the age of 65 years are currently living with dementia. Whilst planning […]

Plain “Vanilla” Inheritance Tax Planning

So, what inheritance tax saving schemes will be withdrawn when the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) delivers its report in the autumn of 2018? Presently, the OTS is seeking views from interested parties via an online survey to understand people’s perception of inheritance tax, taking into account the ease or complexity of legislative rules/process. One […]

Procrastination is the thief of time

Clock at a few minutes past midnight

I don’t need to save towards my financial future now, there’s plenty of time to do that later! If I use a pension to boost my savings, allowances are very generous and I’ll catch up through funding a plan more heavily when I get around to it. Planning and saving is always something that can […]