Blog
Check out our latest thoughts and insights on a variety of financial topics
FIRE: Financial independence, retire early. Could you?
Do you dream of retiring much earlier than your peers?
Many ideas which originated in the US have made their way across the Atlantic. The latest financial innovation to join index-tracking investments, budgeting apps and exchange traded funds is the FIRE movement – Financial Independence, Retire Early.
How to buy a house for first-time buyers
Calling all first-time buyers...
If you’re ready to buy a house and take that all important first step on the property ladder, then this one’s for you. Maybe you want to start viewing properties, but don't know what you can afford? Have you got your decision in principle ready for when you want to make an offer? Have you budgeted for stamp duty and solicitor fees?
Are interest rates heading down?
Central banks around the world are beginning to cut interest rates with the European Central Bank leading the way.
3 ways we can help with your Pension Sharing Order
Divorce is a difficult time, with a lot to sort out and even more associated costs. If you’ve been given a Pension Sharing Order, it’s probably not at the top of your to do list right now... but you know it will need to be soon.
General election 2024: Initial tax plans
It’s early days yet, but some pointers on tax have emerged from both the main parties.
Within one week of the surprise firing of the general election starting gun, both the Conservatives and Labour have been promoting their tax plans. We can expect more to emerge in the coming weeks and in the manifestos, which will probably appear during the second week of June.
If inflation is down, why does it still feel so high?
April’s yearly inflation figure fell from 0.9% to 2.3%, so why does inflation still feel high?
State pension age rise for anyone born after 1978
The State pension age (SPA) should rise much faster than planned, accordng to an independent report.
Despite the next SPA rise beginning in less than two years (with the phased increase to 67 ending April 2028), neither of the main political parties are likely to say much about further SPA changes in their upcoming election manifestos.
Changes to the child benefit tax rules
The recent Spring Budget brought a few surprises – one of them being the change to how child benefit is taxed for higher earners.
The high income child benefit charge (HICBC or ‘hicbic’) was introduced in January 2013 to reduce child benefit payments for higher earners. It was considered an arbitrary piece of legislation by some as the charge was triggered where one individual had income exceeding £50,000. A couple with income of £49,999 each were unaffected, but a single parent with income of £60,000 lost all their child benefit.
Key announcements from the Spring Budget 2024
Last week’s Spring Budget was almost certainly the last before the election, and whilst it delivered a lot of expected headlines, there were still a handful of small surprises.
The problem with working past State Pension Age
Recent research on planned retirement ages has produced some unexpected and perhaps unrealistic results.
A recent survey revealed that almost half of Britons under 66 who had not already retired were expecting to continue working beyond the age at which they would start to receive the State pension. The average age at which many said they would finally be able to ‘clock off’ was 72.
Women in finance: Inspiring inclusion with equal opportunities
International Women’s Day 2024 is all about inspiring inclusion. When it comes to finance, we believe that representation is crucial in driving change; the more women are seen working within traditionally male environments - especially at senior leadership levels - the more inclusive those environments tend to become.
How much money do you need in retirement?
New research has put some surprising numbers on the income needed in retirement.
Each year since 2019, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has set about answering the question of how much retirement costs for couples and single retirees.
Start your new tax year planning early
There are a range of changes taking effect when the new tax year begins on the 6th April that could impact your financial planning.
The start of the new tax year will see many allowances and tax bands frozen once again. In reality, these freezes are tax increases as the government has effectively allowed inflation to determine how much greater a proportion of your income and estate should pass to the Treasury. Had the allowances and bands all been increased in line with inflation, then they would be rising by 6.7% for 2024/25, using the standard yardstick of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation to the previous September.
4 considerations when looking for independent financial advice
Whether you’d like assistance with your family budgeting, want to know if you can afford to retire early or need help getting a mortgage, great financial advice can be life changing. But with so many IFA firms out there, how do you know where to go?
The Spring Budget 2024 comes early
A date to note in this year’s calendar is the early Spring Budget on Wednesday 6 March.
The Treasury issued a press release in the time between Christmas and the New Year revealing the Spring Budget date, a week earlier than in 2023. The unusual timing of the announcement may seem strange, but there were two inter-linked reasons which could explain it:
