Archive

Well that was a pleasant surprise. The latest official figures show an unexpected fall in the rate of price inflation. Inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index was 2.6% in June, down from 2.9% the previous month. Economists expected no change to price inflation, so the official figures came as a surprise. It’s the […]

An important part of financial planning in later life is considering where you will live and the associated costs. As we get older, our housing needs change. What might have been a suitable home in our 40s, 50s and 60s can quickly become unsuitable or undesirable with age. Perhaps there are too many rooms to […]

What’s a reasonable amount of money to save each month towards your retirement? Some new research suggests a combined 12% employer and employee contribution as an adequate level of saving. Saving for the future at that sort of level could be a hard pill to swallow, especially for cash-strapped millennials who experience several demands on their […]

One of the questions I was asked at our inheritance tax planning seminars on Thursday was about the ability to transfer the nil rate band. Since 9th October 2007, it’s been possible to transfer any unused percentage of the nil rate band from a deceased spouse or civil partner to the surviving spouse or civil […]

If you’ve agreed to act as executor to the estate of family or friends, you might face an unexpected tax bill yourself. Royal London is warning that executors can face paying inheritance tax bills out of their own pockets in cases where sorting out the finances of an estate is delayed. These sorts of delays […]

Theresa, Theresa, Theresa. What have you done?! When the results of the exit poll were announced at 10pm last night, I was sitting in a rather grotty hotel room (it looked nice on the Internet when I booked it) in Folkestone. Several months ago, before Mrs May called the snap election, I booked to attend […]

Informed Choice is hosting two seminars about inheritance tax planning. These free seminars are for anyone who wants to learn how to reduce inheritance tax and maximise value for future generations. There are two seminars; the first at 4.30pm on Thursday 22nd June 2017 is hosted by Shelley McCarthy, an experienced Chartered Wealth Manager and […]

This article first appeared in issue one of Informed, the new client magazine from Informed Choice. One of the benefits of financial planning is its ability to help realise long-held dreams. For Peter and Maggie Morgan, the financial planning journey with Informed Choice was the beginning of a bigger journey; twelve months touring Europe in […]

Following the Budget at lunchtime today, Martin and Shelley have produced a free briefing note for our clients and professional contacts. Within this briefing note we have described the main Budget announcements as they relate to personal financial planning. Download the Budget 2017 Briefing Note Hammond started his Budget speech by explaining we have economic […]

It’s a scary world out there and, sadly, there are plenty of people who want to steal your personal information to commit fraud. The latest ONS figures show a 3% increase in fraud cases in England and Wales. These figures cover the period to the end of September 2016 and reveal an estimated 3.6 million […]