Spring Budget 2023 – key points 

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered the Spring Budget on 15 March declaring it to be “A Budget for Growth.” The fiscal update included a range of new measures, starting with the latest economic projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR):  The Chancellor’s strategy for growth focuses on four pillars ‘Everywhere, Enterprise, Employment and Education.’ Key […]

Family Finances: get talking

New research1 suggests young adults and their parents are becoming increasingly comfortable talking about money matters, which should ensure future generations are much better equipped to tackle their financial affairs.  Breaking the taboo  Historically, intergenerational discussions about finances have too often been viewed as a no-go area, but the research suggests UK families are beginning […]

‘Magic’ scam warning 

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned pension holders to beware of scammers’ ‘magic tricks’ as research shows the economic squeeze is encouraging more people to withdraw pension savings.  ScamSmart  Britain’s financial watchdog recently launched its latest ScamSmart campaign aiming to give consumers the knowledge and tools to avoid scams. Over 700,000 pension plans were […]

Estate planning – take control

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is once again in the spotlight following the Chancellor’s decision to freeze IHT thresholds for a further two years until April 2028. Extending the frozen thresholds, together with rising house prices and soaring inflation mean that more estates are likely to be affected.  IHT receipts on an upwards trend   The latest IHT […]

Saving for their future 

With the current generation of graduates typically leaving university with a mountain of debt, it is perhaps unsurprising that so many parents are now looking to ease the burden by investing on their children’s behalf.  University challenge  Government statistics show the average debt accumulated by a university student is currently around £45,000. Thankfully, graduates only […]

Beat the tax chill 

Following his controversial ‘stealth tax’ Statement in November, the Chancellor made a raft of key personal taxation and pension announcements.  The government pledged its commitment to the pensions Triple Lock, which will increase the State Pension in line with September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of 10.1%. This means that the value of the basic […]