King Charles III will not pay any inheritance tax

King Charles III has avoided paying millions in inheritance tax on the Duchy of Lancaster estate due to an old rule designed to protect the Royal Family’s wealth.  His Majesty automatically inherited the estate, worth over £652 million, following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. Under UK law, Inheritance Tax is levied at…

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Do you know where all your pensions are?

When people move home, only around 1 in 25 remember to tell their pension providers their new address.  This has led to over £19.4 billion of unclaimed pension pots, equating to 1.6 million pensions with an average fund size of £13,000.  National Pension Tracing Day is on Sunday, 30th October, an unhelpful date as all…

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Investing in a zombie company

The Financial Times recently reported that the UK Future Fund, a government-run venture fund set up during the pandemic, has mostly invested in zombie businesses that have no long-term viability.  This is not surprising given the apparent confusion over whether the fund was focused on growth or simply providing a backstop for high-risk businesses. The…

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The cost of education

A good education can be invaluable, but also requires significant investment and long-term planning.  Last year the average cost for parents getting a child from birth to the age of 21 came in at £231,843, according to a recent study compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in London.  Although the total includes…

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