News & Insights - Page 17 of 19

IHT – under the spotlight

February 12, 2019

According to figures from HM Revenue and Customs, Inheritance Tax (IHT) revenues are up again, with £5bn being paid in the 2017–18 tax year. This increase comes despite the introduction of the residence nil-rate band in 2017. With more families falling into the IHT bracket, [...]

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What are the main asset classes?

February 12, 2019

With investing, the old saying ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ rings true. To improve the potential for long-term gains and spread risk, the best advice is to diversify your investment across a range of companies, asset classes and geographical regions. This helps [...]

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Autumn Budget 2018

November 1, 2018

The Chancellor delivered his third Budget on Monday and no doubt you have read or been sent a number of commentaries since then; as before we have therefore tried to pick out those points that we feel are of most relevance to our clients. As [...]

Thought pieces

Average private school fees rise above 17,000 – How to save for your child

October 4, 2018

According to the annual census of leading independent schools, the average fee for attending a private school is now over 17,000 a year. Despite the rising cost of fees, private education continues to remain popular, with the number of pupils reaching 529,000, the highest figure [...]

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Stamp duty penalises older people for moving

October 4, 2018

Think tank, the Adam Smith Institute, believes that Stamp Duty Land Tax, to give stamp duty its full name, should be scrapped. Amongst many reasons why they think it should be abolished is the belief that its existence prevents older people from downsizing. The prospect [...]

Pensions

Drawdown – a popular choice, but advice is essential

October 4, 2018

Income drawdown is where you leave your pension pot invested and take an income directly from it, instead of using the money in your pot to buy an annuity from an insurance company. As the rest of your pension pot remains invested, it will continue [...]

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Your ISA – Lump sum or regular savings?

July 26, 2018

The good news is that since 6th April you can use this year’s ISA savings allowance to put your hard-earned cash to work in a tax-efficient way. The 2018–19 allowance is a generous 20,000, and it makes sense to take advantage of this savings opportunity [...]

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Tax traps the bank of mum and dad should avoid

July 26, 2018

With the Bank of Mum and Dad regularly helping to finance property transactions for their offspring, it’s important for parents to be aware of the tax consequences of doing so. Research has shown that scammers frequently search for information in social media profiles, emails and [...]

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Economic Review 2018

July 5, 2018

MPC vote boosts prospect of August rate hike Although interest rates were left unchanged following the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting on 20 June, an additional dissenting voice has increased the likelihood of a rate rise at the next meeting in August. The Bank of [...]

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If you employ a nanny or a cleaner, you may need to set up a pension

March 26, 2018

Whilst you might not think of yourself as an employer, if you have a carer, gardener, nanny or cleaner, you may find yourself classed as that under government pension rules. As part of the government’s auto-enrolment scheme designed to encourage pension saving, almost every worker [...]