29
May
My lockdown
Looking back at the last two months it’s interesting to see how life has changed and the various challenges it has thrown up, but also how in other ways things haven’t changed....
15
May
Gift Aid
When discussing charitable donations with clients, friends and family I often get asked how Gift Aid works and what if anything needs to be recorded in tax returns....
30
Apr
Wisdom of crowds
It’s important to be reminded of how markets work and this is perfectly illustrated by events at a livestock fair in Plymouth in 1906....
16
Apr
Beware of the compensation
Pension savers or retirees who were close to the lifetime allowance (LTA) at retirement or before could be pushed over due to certain pension compensation payments. ...
02
Apr
Strange times
We’re all currently living in very strange times. World stock markets have all suffered big falls and many of us are rightly concerned by this. But ...
19
Mar
Defined benefit pension transfers
Lots of people are considering transferring their defined benefit pensions on the back of just thinking that a higher transfer value means it’s a ‘no brainer’ but it is not that simple...
13
Mar
05
Mar
End of the tax year
The end of the tax year is fast approaching and with it is the last chance to ensure that you have maximised any tax exemptions and allowance opportunities that are available each year. Several of these are ‘use it or lose it’....
20
Feb
Property ladder
If you are a parent like me you might be concerned about your children’s prospects of making it onto the property ladder. So what can they, or you, do to make the goal of property ownership more attainable?...
07
Feb
Estate planning – the basics
Whether you’re starting to think about your wealth and inheritance tax or possibly trying to assist older relatives in this process, before you or they make any big decisions it’s worth reminding yourself of the basics....