This is the third in a series of articles about the difficult questions you need to be asking about your elderly parent's finances. In the first article, we looked at the importance of ensuring that there is a financial plan in place and the need to have a record of your parent's assets. In the [...]
What is a silver striver I hear you ask? Is it a new superhero from Marvels Infinity Wars film? Well no, a silver striver is the term being used by marketing types for people who are working past their retirement date. If this is something that you are considering out of choice or necessity, then [...]
Many people may struggle to repay their interest-only mortgage when it comes to the end of its term. A large number of interest-only mortgages were sold in the 1990s and early 2000s. They were often linked to endowment savings plans. These plans were designed to generate a tax-free lump sum to repay the mortgage. Some [...]
There are many ways to reduce your capital gains tax (CGT) liability. In this article, we will look at some of the most common options available to you. Make the most of your £12,000 (2019/20) annual CGT exemption. A "reported loss" on a "chargeable asset" can be deducted from the capital gains you made in [...]
By Rachel Efetha, Chartered Financial Planner. Personal Finance Society Mentoring Scheme When the Personal Finance Society (PFS) approached me a few weeks ago about joining their Mentoring Scheme, I originally thought ‘Great idea – I could do with a Mentor!’ until the penny dropped... I'm in the top 15% of Financial Advisers in terms of [...]
Recent figures from data analyst Moneyfacts, show that equity release rates are falling. For the first time in more than a decade, equity release rates have dropped to an average below 5%. Most lenders now charge an interest rate of 4.99% for releasing funds from your home. This is down from 5.1% from just a [...]
Since pension freedoms came into force in April 2015 more than £372 million has been reclaimed by more than 150,000 savers. The average amount being claimed for a refund was £2,000. How does this tax overpayment happen? When someone takes out a lump sum from their pension pot, only 25% is tax-free. The technical term [...]
Congratulation to Sam William who passed his final exam. Sam completed and passed the RO6 Financial Planning exam. The three-hour assessment involved answering in writing two practical case studies in exam conditions. The exam is set by the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). It has been developed to help financial advisers develop and demonstrate their financial planning capabilities. [...]
Until about ten years ago most people bought an annuity with their pension "pots" on retirement. Over the years buying an annuity this has fallen out of favour. This has been due in part to the fact that many felt it was unfair that you needed to lock in your future pension returns at some [...]
Welcome to new team member Andie Derry. Andie has joined us from Southfields School after completing her “A” levels. She will be part of the expanding Investment Client Support Team, based at the Kettering office. Her role will be to support the Paraplanners and Independent Financial Adviser (IFA's). While at Southfields School sixth form Andie [...]
