Topic: Uncategorized

If the worst does happen, it’s important to make sure you’re financially protected
We never think a critical illness is going to happen to us, especially when we feel fit and healthy, but it can and does. If the worst does happen, it’s important to make sure you’re financially protected against the impact a critical illness could have on you and your family. (more…)

No one is immune to the risk of illness and accidents
No one likes to think that something bad will happen to them, but if you couldn’t work due to a serious illness, how would you manage financially? Could you survive on savings or sick pay from work? If not, you may need some other way to keep paying the bills – and you might want to consider income protection insurance. (more…)

Time to get wrapped up? How to shelter income and capital gains

For long-term investors, Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are a very tax-efficient wrapper that can hold cash savings as well as investments in stocks and shares. Savvy investors are also able to shelter income and capital gains.

The limit on how much can be saved in an ISA each year has doubled since 2009; you can add up to £15,240 to an ISA in the 2016/17 tax year. Cash that you withdraw from a flexible ISA can be replaced during the same tax year without counting towards your annual ISA allowance, which is known as ‘ISA flexibility’. What sets ISAs apart from other savings and investment accounts is that any interest on cash savings, gains from investments or income from dividends are tax-efficient, and you don’t have to declare ISAs on your tax return. (more…)

Facing new challenges at every turn to meet long-term objectives

We are now living in a more uncertain world. As correlations between asset classes rise, the right strategy is crucial to preserve capital when markets are falling.

In addition, the result of the European Union (EU) referendum came as a shock to financial markets, and there is likely to be fallout from this historic event for some time. Many investors are now facing new challenges at every turn. So what can you do to manage your investments in current markets? (more…)

How the lifetime allowance reduction could impact on your retirement savings

The Government has introduced comprehensive reforms to the pension rules over the previous few years. One important change, which may have been overlooked by some savers, is the reduction of the lifetime allowance that applies to pension savings. The lifetime allowance is the total amount you can hold within all your pensions without incurring an additional tax charge when you extract money from the pot.

Inflationary increases

The Government has indicated that this allowance will increase each year in line with inflation (CPI) but only from 6 April 2018. It was reduced from £1.25m down to £1m from 6 April 2016. If you have more than £1m in your pension pot or are likely to do so at retirement, you can apply to protect it against reductions to the lifetime allowance. (more…)