When thinking about your future financial security, it can be hard to know where to find all the right information. Is it best to talk to a solicitor about your will and a pensions’ specialist about your retirement plans? It sounds like a good idea but it means that you are left as the key person in the middle, the person expected to understand and guide the experts to ensure that your financial planning provides you with the best outcome. But what if you can’t find all the information you

There is a secret about Inheritance Tax planning that the UK government doesn’t want you to know! With house prices increasing, more and more hard working UK families are having to pay onerous tax bills as a result of the death of a loved one. In fact, the Office for National Statistics show that the final Inheritance Tax bill in 2015/16 is expected to be £4.6 Billion compared to £3.8 Billion in 2014/15 with each family paying an average of £236,000 on the estate of the deceased.

And with that

Great news!

Average life expectancy across the UK as a whole has risen from 75.9 years in 1990 to a current average of 81.3 years.

Those are fantastic numbers if you are fit and healthy but what if you have to go into care? What if you have to spend a long time in care? How will it be paid for?

Firstly, let’s look at a very typical situation that a number of older couples may find themselves in.

Mary and Peter are in their early 70s, married and own a house on a

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T HAVE LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY

It can be difficult to think of a time when you may not be able to make your own decisions but this happens to thousands of people every year and not just as a result of the ageing process. A sudden accident or illness can also mean you lose your ability to look after yourself but, of course, no one thinks it will happen to them.

But what if it does?

If you have already discussed this issue with your family and

None of us wants to think about a time when we may not be able to manage our own affairs, whether this is because of old age or a more sudden problem such as an accident or illness. But it can happen and this begs the question, who will take care of your affairs if your capacity to make decisions about your own finances or health becomes diminished?

The Situation Without Lasting Power of Attorney

If you have not made any arrangements, the only way your financial affairs can be managed

How Will the Changes in Buy-to-Let Tax Relief Affect You?

If you are a UK landlord, you may already have been reeling as a result of the changes to mortgage interest tax relief; with the recent Autumn Statement adding extra stamp duty, you could find yourself wondering if you can actually continue to make a profit from your property(ies).

What Is the Current Situation Regarding Buy-to-let Tax Relief?

Currently, landlords can offset the cost of the mortgage interest from the rental income when profits are being calculated. As an example, if

We accept that taking time to review your retirement arrangements is not the most exciting thing to do but it is probably the most constructive couple of hours you can spend. Take the time, at least once a year, to sit down and truly understand how your retirement planning is working for you.

Retirement Date

Firstly, unless you have put back your retirement date, you are closer to the age at which you want to retire than you were the last time you reviewed your pension so you need to make

We know that the subject of pensions can be a tricky one for people to engage with; often because retirement always seems to be so far away that we don’t think about it until we are a “little closer”.

A little closer, however, could prove to be a little too late. It’s important that you look at retirement planning with enough time to put your plans into action and ensure you are saving enough. Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you confident that you understand your pension options?

Have you looked