Care Plans or to give them their technical name – Immediate needs annuities. These types of plans are designed to provide an income for life in exchange for a lump sum investment. The income from the annuity is paid out regardless of how long, the plan holder, may live. These types of plans are [...]
By Rachel Efetha, Chartered Financial Planner. I spent most of my teens and twenties sailing and am qualified as a Yachtmaster, not that I’ve done much sailing in recent years! However, I like to use the analogy of sailing across the Atlantic when it comes to reviewing your portfolio. Let’s say you’re on a [...]
By Caroline Anstee, Managing Director of Anstee & Co. In the autumn budget last year, important changes to pensions were announced. The main one hitting the headlines was that they will now be included in the estate for inheritance tax. This means that there could be a charge of 40% on the pension and [...]
By John Cossons, Mortgage & Protection Designer. Home-buying trends change. If you are retired or close to retirement, you may be thinking about buying a home for one of several reasons. This might include moving elsewhere, downsizing, or more increasingly upsizing your home or possibly helping your children or grandchildren to buy a property [...]
Recent figures show that almost two-thirds of the United Kingdom population have not made a will. So, why is this? Firstly, what is a will and what will it do for you. A will is a legal document that sets out your wishes regarding the distribution of your estate and the care of any [...]
Originally equity release was designed for older people who wanted to increase their income in retirement by releasing some of the equity tied up in their homes without downsizing. The equity release market is very competitive with lenders bringing out more innovated products that can offer more flexibility than before. These new products still [...]
By Rachel Efetha, Chartered Financial Planner. Recently, I visited two sets of completely unrelated new clients who are both in very similar positions. Both the husbands are tradesmen and both the wives run the office for them under a limited company. Both got in touch as their businesses were ticking along nicely and they felt [...]
By John Cossons, Mortgage & Protection Designer with Anstee & Co. Are you retired, or planning to retire, and concerned that your current mortgage fixed rate is coming to an end? With the rise in energy costs and general cost of living you may well be concerned that when your current mortgage fixed rate [...]
By Caroline Anstee, Managing Director of Anstee & Co. Tariff Turmoil. There isn't much to say about recent global events except that by the time you read this, circumstances may have changed. One thing the markets dislike is uncertainty, and we are currently facing a significant amount of it. All investment managers are working [...]
By Rachel Efetha, Chartered Financial Planner. Pensions are much like cars when you think about it. You get a brand-new shiny car, the interior has that new car smell, there’s not a scratch on the paintwork and you make sure you park as far away as you can at the supermarket, so no one [...]
