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Autumn Statement 2023
On Wednesday 22nd November the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt stood up and delivered the government’s Autumn Statement 2023. It feels like we have seen quite a lot of Mr Hunt since the end of the Liz Truss premiership back in October last year. The government were keen to...
7 Steps To Get Retirement Ready
When it comes to retirement there are two ways it could go for you. There’s the dream scenario we all hope for where our money outlives us or the disaster scenario where we outlive our money. This is why retirement, the point in life where you stop working and start...
Property In Your Investment Portfolio
Should you be holding property in your investment portfolio? In just the last month three major property funds have announced that they are either suspended or closing down completely. Does this mean time is up for property as an investment? Not necessarily....
Should You Invest In Gold In 2023?
With its price up nearly 19% this year compared to the US stock market (S&P 500) at 7.49% at the time of writing, you will find many headlines saying that you should invest in gold in 2023. These headlines have increased over the last month as turbulence in the...
Protecting Your Money When Your Bank Goes Bust
The recent troubles with Metro Bank may have you thinking about what happens to your money if your bank goes bust. You may be aware of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) but how does it work? Can it be relied upon and has it been used successfully in...
Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
There is around £1.7billion sitting in unclaimed Child Trust Funds according to The Share Foundation. This relates to almost a million young adults, so if you think your child or grandchild might have had a Child Trust Fund set up for them, now is the time to check....
Navigating Early Retirement Reduction Tables for Your Pension
Retirement is like a long-awaited holiday after years of hard work, but what if you're considering retiring a bit earlier than planned? If you have a defined benefit pension, you might encounter something called early retirement reduction tables. Don't let the name...
What Is A Potentially Exempt Transfer?
When planning how to distribute your wealth and avoid Inheritance Tax there's a term that might sound a bit puzzling at first: Potentially Exempt Transfer, or PET for short. Don't let the name intimidate you – it’s not as complicated as you might think. Think of it...
Understanding Poor Returns from Diversified Portfolios in Recent Years
In the world of investment, a diversified portfolio has long been heralded as a key strategy for managing risk and achieving stable returns over the long term. However, the last few years diversified portfolios have not been doing their job properly. They haven’t...
Is It Still The Right Time To Transfer Your Gold Plated Pension?
A defined benefit pension, also known as a final salary pension, has often been described as a gold plated pension. A pension income for the rest of your life that doesn’t usually cost you a huge amount in personal contributions to the scheme. In recent years...
Tax Efficient Investments For Higher Rate Taxpayers
Tax efficient investments for higher rate taxpayers are now essential following last year’s Autumn Statement. As a reminder, the Chancellor announced a series of cuts to tax allowances such as: Dividend allowance, £2,000 to £1,000 and then £500 in tax year...
The Perfect Retirement Age
Since April 2011 there has been no such thing as a legal retirement age. You can basically retire as young or as old as you like. Fantastic if you are someone that values freedom of choice. Scary if you have no idea how to plan for retirement. So, is there such...
Tax Management During The Four Different Stages Of Retirement
As you embark on retirement, ensuring that you make the most of your hard-earned savings becomes a crucial aspect of financial planning. Taxes can significantly impact your retirement income and overall financial well-being, so understanding how to navigate the...
Unplug And Prosper: The Art Of Ignoring Your Investments
The English oak tree is one of the most common trees in the United Kingdom. It can grow to between 20 and 40 meters high. Of course this growth does not happen overnight. In fact, there isn’t even much growth after a few years. It can take well over 40 years for an...
When It Comes To Investing – May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favour
Some of you may recognise this famous line from the book and film ‘The Hunger Games’. Set in a dystopian world, the nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts and each year two adolescents from each district must come together and fight until the death. There can...
Why You Should Not Defer Your State Pension
When you get to State Pension age it’s not usually a good idea to defer your State Pension. Even though your State Pension does increase in deferment, it is likely to take many years for you to recoup the pension you defer. In some cases, you may be well in to your...
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