Informed Choice financial planning director Shelley McCarthy presented a seminar this morning on the subject of inheritance tax planning. We broadcast her presentation live on our Facebook Page and the video is now available to watch. Within the 40 minute presentation, Shelley described the foundations of inheritance tax planning along with how the new residence […]

Each week we’re contacted by people with a burning financial question; should I transfer my defined benefits pension plan, or not? It’s a tough one to answer and shows the importance of professional independent advice. Chances are that they have received a statement from the administrators of an ex-employer’s pension scheme, in which they used […]

Born in the autumn following Euro 96, only leaving full time education in 2015 and largely dodging the minefield of the ’08 financial crisis, I came into the profession at a very ‘rosy’ time. When I joined Informed Choice; regulation and scrutiny in the profession was firm and fair, the Retail Distribution Review of 2012 […]

Making a will doesn’t mean you are going to die! A large number of adults have not made valid wills when they really should do. Shelley McCarthy shares a few reasons why you should. A survey by Macmillian Cancer Support revealed that nearly two thirds of adults in the UK have not made a will. […]

This feature – Extraordinarily lucky – first appeared in the September 2018 edition of Informed magazine One part of my job I really enjoy is meeting with clients and finding out more about them. Tim and Barbara Albert are no exception. I recently met them at their home in Leatherhead, where we chatted around their […]

Remember A Charity in your Will Week 2018 is underway and a good reminder to take action if leaving money to a charity if your goal. A recent major survey into death, dying and bereavement, carried out by Co-op Legal Services, found that 68% of adults in the UK don’t have a will in place. […]

Another day, another data breach. The latest victim of a malicious hack is British Airways, resulting in the exposure of credit card and other customer details to criminals. The airline has apologised for the security breach, which they describe as sophisticated. They have also promised to fully compensate any customers who lose out as a […]

Should you invest your money to achieve long-term financial goals or keep the money safely in cash? It’s a common dilemma and can be a difficult decision, especially for first-time investors who are yet to experience the ups and downs of stock market investing. History tells us that investments typically outperform cash over longer periods […]

Does saving money make you happy? There have been plenty of debates about the links between money and happiness. Some new research has added weight to the argument that a regular savings habit contributes towards a general feeling of happiness. According to the latest Lloyds Bank Quarterly Savings Report, there is an overlap between savvy […]

When we think of a typical life, several important financial milestones come to mind. Getting married, buying a home, having children. All of these are big steps in life and can have significant financial implications. But with the increasingly expensive cost of living and buying a home, many people are delaying these milestones until later […]