Many people will have come across the headline-grabbing interest rate of 5.6% per annum on some student loans. Many people rightly believe that we should pay off all our debts where possible and should never take out a loan that we know we cannot repay. However, with the average starting salary of graduates stagnant at…
Workers nowadays have, on average, 11 jobs during their working lives. So, it is not uncommon to have built up numerous pensions, which are easy to lose track of overtime. Some might be “Defined Benefit”, also known as Final Salary schemes, which promise a certain level of pension from retirement age, while others – increasingly…
One of the most fundamental risks in retirement is longevity, the risk of running out of money before running out of life. Whilst there are a lot of benefits to living a long time, longevity undoubtedly increases financial risk. So just how long will your retirement plan need to generate income? Most people underestimate their life expectancy, often significantly. A man who is 65 years…
Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) offer the opportunity to invest up to £20,000 annually. ISAs are a tax-efficient way of investing, with no liability to either Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax on the invested funds. Unlike pension allowances, the ISA allowance cannot be reclaimed from previous years. Therefore, if you are intending to utilise this…
As a Wealth Strategist, one of the things that you learn at a very early point is that it is not the amount of money you have that makes you happy, it’s what you do with it that gives the enjoyment. And, although the richest clients are not necessarily the happiest, it is also true…
The rules have now changed on how ISAs can be passed on to spouses and civil partners upon death. These rules now allow for a Continuing Account of a Deceased Investor (CADI), which improves the rules on Additional Permitted Subscriptions (APS). The process of inheriting these assets is now simpler and more tax-efficient, meaning fewer…
