Buy (almost) now while stocks last – NS&I pensioner bonds

Cash or money held on deposit forms an important part of personal financial planning. Typically we would expect to see around six months of living expenses in the bank for emergencies. Many people will hold more than this, with cash acting as an important security blanket particularly when the ability to be able to add […]

Finance Bill reverses attacks on multiple trust planning

The Finance Bill removes speculation on whether a ‘settlement nil rate band’ would go ahead; it is now confirmed that for mainstream estate planning Trusts will still remain a prudent planning tool. Aggressive planning through use of multiple ‘pilot trusts’ will be limited by new legislation. Background In June 2014, the third set of proposals […]

Autumn Statement December 2015 – what are the key financial planning considerations?

On 3rd December 2014, the Chancellor, George Osborne, stood up and delivered his Autumn Statement. We have looked at the detail of the official publication on the Treasury’s website, and had the following observations, which we trust to be of use. Please understand that many of the proposals are not final law, and therefore maybe subject […]

Can you reduce your Inheritance Tax Bill through pension planning

We are currently waiting for draft legislation giving further detailed on changes to the taxation of pension lump sum death benefits. There has been much publicity over the increased flexibilities on withdrawals for individuals, and we find the changes to the reduction in the so called pension “death tax” very interesting. It is worth remembering that an individual […]

Our fourth gold standard in independent financial advice award

For the fourth consecutive year we are delighted to announce that members of Wingate’s Financial Planning team were invited to the house of commons last night to receive the prestigious Gold Standard in Independent Financial Advice. The Gold Standard award seeks to assess excellence in five key areas. Wingate Financial Planning shows a keen understanding of the need […]

Wag Your Own Tax Tail

Paying income tax, at best, is begrudgingly accepted as a necessity. Paying as little as possible is appealing to most of us. Business owners, and the employed in particular, may well have the ability to reduce their immediate income tax bill and manage it in retirement. In some instances an effective rate of income tax […]

Is Peer-to-Peer lending right for me?

The government has announced it is considering allowing peer-to-peer lending in a new individual savings account. Over the past couple of years we have seen an increase in enquiries on peer-to-peer lending as clients seek returns in excess of conventional cash deposit accounts. What is peer-to-peer lending? Peer-to-peer lending uses online technology to match private individuals […]

Independent Contractors: The Bottom Line

Some of the key points to take away are: Investing is a complex area and getting things wrong can be costly, so it is sensible to take advice from a professional. An Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) will not be tied to specific providers and so you need not worry that they are trying to promote […]

Independent Contractors: Case Studies

Chris Chris is a project manager who specialises in Technology. His last salaried role was three years ago and since then he has been operating on a consultancy basis through his own limited company. He is currently on a twelve month contract at an Asset Management firm and charges £700 per day. He is married […]