News & Insights - Page 19 of 21

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 [...]

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Don’t leave your loved ones facing financial ruin

March 26, 2018

Many people take out a life policy, perhaps when they take out a mortgage, put it away in a drawer and don’t think any more about it. This can be a mistake, as the level of cover you took out a few years back may [...]

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Spring Statement 2018

March 15, 2018

The Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement on Tuesday. See the detailed commentary here.

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Will your pension go to the wrong person?

December 8, 2017

It can come as a surprise to many people to learn that their pension doesn’t form part of their estate on death. Unlike property, savings and investments which can all be dealt with under the terms of your Will, who gets your pension savings depends [...]

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Why IHT planning matters

December 8, 2017

The amount of revenue that the government raises from inheritance tax (IHT) continues to rise year by year. In 2016- 17, the figure rose again to over £4.9bn¹, with experts expecting it to be even higher in this financial year. Controversially, the threshold at which [...]

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Treasury confirms lifetime allowance will go up in line with inflation

December 8, 2017

In his 2015 Budget, the then Chancellor George Osborne announced that the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) for pension contributions would be reduced from £1.25m to £1m from April 2016. It was also announced that the LTA would be indexed by inflation from April 2018. As there [...]

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Lifetime ISAs growing in popularity

December 8, 2017

Despite a relatively low-key launch, the Lifetime ISA, or LISA as it is often referred to, is proving popular with young savers. So far, 28,000 savers have opted for the cash edition of the product and early indications are that the stocks and shares version [...]

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Budget 2017

November 29, 2017

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

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U turn on probate fees

July 3, 2017

Ahead of the general election, the government postponed plans for a sharp rise in probate fees. Obtaining a grant of probate is the process by which someone is given authority to deal with the property, money and possessions of a person after they die. It [...]