With so many financial priorities to juggle, it can be hard to put your pension first, especially with spiralling household costs. Starting or maintaining your pension contributions is important. Whatever type of pension plan you have, you get tax relief at the highest rate of Income Tax you pay on all contributions you make, subject […]
Category archives: All
IHT – time for a refresh?
Latest data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) revealed IHT receipts for April 2021 to March 2022 were £6.1bn, 14% (£0.7bn) higher than in the same period 12 months earlier. Factors at play Receipts have increased partly due to higher death rates during the pandemic, as well as due to the rise in property prices […]
Don’t give up your protection policy
With households facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes in many years, it’s understandable that families are looking for ways to cut costs. When looking to cut back, reviewing subscriptions and direct debits (for example, for streaming services, food subscription boxes or gym memberships) is often a good place to start, but there is one […]
News in Review
“It’s our job to get inflation back down to 2%, so we have raised interest rates” After five successive smaller rises, last week saw the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) up the ante and increase Bank Rate by 0.5 percentage points, the biggest rate hike since the MPC was established in 1997. At […]
News in Review
“The world’s three largest economies are stalling, with important consequences for the global outlook.” Last week saw the International Monetary Fund (IMF) release its latest economic assessment andforecast for the global economy. Following the effects of the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the IMF now expects growth to slow to 3.2% in 2022, a […]
Trust Registration Service update
The Trust Registration Service (TRS) opened in 2017 with the aim of digitalising the trust registration process. Following the UK’s adoption of the EU’s Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5MLD) in 2020, changes to the TRS were required in order for HMRC to fulfil its obligations under the new regulations. The new rules require all UK […]
Your retirement – no two are the same
The Class of 2022 retirement report1 provides a riveting insight into the plans and thoughts of those either planning to retire this year or recent retirees, really highlighting the changing face of retirement in the UK. The last couple of years have impacted people’s plans, with people reassessing what retirement looks like to them. Less […]
Home Finance – In the news
The great bungalow shortage Demand for bungalows has increased over 60% in 20221, while supply has flattened, meaning prices for single storey properties has risen at double the market rate in some areas. Popular because of their large gardens and potential to extend, families are now keen to make offers, debunking the myth that only […]
Residential Property Review – July 2022
Cooling demand slows sales Demand is cooling in the UK housing market, according to the latest Residential Market Survey published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). New buyer enquiries slipped to a net balance of -27% in June, a significant drop from the -9% recorded a month earlier. Net buyer enquiries had fallen […]
Commercial Property Market Review – July 2022
Strong first half for commercial property Investment and take-up performed strongly in H1 2022, according to Savills’ latest UK Commercial Property update, while vacancy rates remained low. Overall investment levels in H1 2022 were 20% above the long-term average, even after slowing in the second quarter.The total half-yearly investment of £25.4bn came mostly towards the […]