New Government, New Taxes? Updated 03rd June 2010
We now have a coalition government which is expected to adopt tax policies from both constituent parties. What changes can we expect to see?

What inflation really means  Updated 22nd March 2010
Inflation erodes the value of your savings because, as prices rise, the same money buys you less. So unless your investments are growing faster than prices, you are losing money in real terms.

Investor interest is growing in commercial property funds Updated 25th February 2010
Interest rates remain at their lowest on record,' making the returns available on commercial property enticing. Broadly speaking, there are three kinds of property funds, each with drawbacks and opportunities.

Your retirement income choice could have a lifelong impact Updated 25th February 2010
The choice you make when turning your pension fund into a retirement income is one that needs great care. Get it wrong and you, and possibly your dependants, could spend many years regretting an irreversible error.

Asset allocation is the key to successful investment planning Updated 20th January 2010
Asset allocation took a beating in 2007 and 2008, largely because investors found they seemed to be losing money no matter what securities they favoured. That has led to doubt about its worth, so it is useful to take another look at this approach to investment portfolio design in the light of the past two years' performance

Building financial foundations Updated 20th January 2010
There are now two really tax efficient ways to give grandchildren, or even unrelated individuals, a valuable nest-egg for the future. The child trust fund (CTF) was introduced with effect from 6 April 2005 and every child born on or after 1 September 2002 benefits.

Higher rate pension relief in trouble Updated 20th January 2010
The government has reduced the tax relief on pension contributions for people with high incomes. This has implications for many people - not just the high earners directly affected.

The rising costs of education Updated 20th January 2010
School fees increased by an average of 5.90% in 2009, according to the Independent Schools Council.' Termly fees ranged from an average of £3,358 for day schools to £7,748 for boarding schools, although there was quite a range depending on the actual schools chosen.

Planning for complicated lives Updated 20th January 2010
The way we live is changing and for most people it is becoming more complicated. For example, 'boomerang kids' are much more common - those are adult children who leave home and then return, typically when times get tough. Nearly a third of men and a fifth of women aged 20 to 34 live with their parents, according to government figures.'

Escape your bonds? Updated 20th January 2010
If you have a one-year bank or building society bond about to mature, you may find that your money is going to be automatically transferred to an account paying minimal interest. For example, Northern Rock pays just 0.25% on its matured bonds at the time of writing.

IHT demise exaggerated Updated 20th January 2010
A couple of years ago, inheritance tax (IHn grabbed the headlines, with one national newspaper running a high profile campaign for its abolition.

Start planning early if you want to retire early Updated 18th January 2010
Many people yearn to retire early - well before their 60s if possible. The trouble is that this is hard to achieve without careful preparation; relatively few people achieve a comfortable early retirement, and it may even be getting harder.

Take a long view on planning Updated 19th November 2009
With the tax year end and the Budget both behind us, you might think that the financial season is now closed until next March. If you do, think again.

Covering long-term care Updated 19th November 2009
People in need of long-term residential care are expected to pay for it in full, unless they have extremely limited amounts of capital and income.

ISA limits finally on the rise Updated 19th October 2009
One welcome surprise to emerge from the Budget was the increase to individual savings accounts (ISA) investment limits. When ISAs appeared in April 1999, the initial maximum total contribution was £7,000 per tax year.

Protecting your business Updated 19th October 2009
For both limited companies and partnerships, it is extremely important for a business to protect its assets through insurance (for example, buildings, machinery and company cars). However, many businesses ignore their insurance requirements as far as the individual owners themselves are concerned.

Caught by the Budget tax trap? Updated 01st October 2009
Alistair Darling’s second Budget contained more than the usual share of surprises. Although last November’s Pre-Budget Report (PBR) had seemingly trailed most of the spring Budget’s content, the deterioration in the UK’S economic condition since last autumn forced the Chancellor to revisit and strengthen some of his tax-raising measures. The major surprises revolved around the new top rate of income tax.

Benefits of sacrifice?  Updated 30th September 2009
The latest round of state pension reforms, as set out in November's Pre-Budget Report, starts from 6 April 2009.

Focus on year end planning  Updated 30th September 2009
Now the New Year festivities are over, it is time to consider your year end tax planning. The spring Budget is likely to be less of an obstacle than usual, because last November's Pre-Budget Report (PBR) was more like a Budget in its own right.

Higher rate relief melts away Updated 30th September 2009
Last November, the Chancellor announced that the annual allowance, which effectively sets a ceiling for tax-relieved pension contributions, would be frozen for five years after next tax year’s increase to £255,000. April’s Budget marked a more serious two-stage attack on the same target.

Another round on pensions Updated 23rd June 2009
Another round on pensions Pension Acts have become rather like London buses recently. After a gap from 1995, there have been three Pension Acts in the last five years. The most recent is the Pensions Act 2008, which makes three important changes.

Income shifting legislation delayed  Updated 23rd June 2009
Income shifting legislation delayed If you are a shareholder-director in your company with your spouse or civil partner, you may be thinking about declaring dividends at this time of year and taking advantage of certain tax-saving benefits.

Anything of interest? Updated 21st May 2009
In January 2008, the Bank of England base rate was 5.5%. By 8 January 2009, it was just 1.4%, the lowest level since the Bank was created in 1694. 1 It is quite possible that the rate will fall further - the US already has virtually 0% rates.

Think ahead on income tax Updated 21st May 2009
Last November's Pre-Budget Report announced a variety of proposed changes to income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) over the next three tax years.

SIPPS OPEN UP Updated 26th March 2009
When personal pensions were launched in 1988, one of their most important features was that they could be used to opt out (technically 'contract out') of the state earnings-related pension scheme (SERPS).

BOXED IN BY THE CREDIT CRUNCH?  Updated 26th March 2009
The credit crunch started in the US, but first hit the UK over a year ago with the Northern Rock crisis and has grown in seriousness ever since. The sea change in the world's financial structure is affecting more and more people's lives.

CONTROL YOUR LEGACY - MAKE A WILL Updated 24th February 2009
Many people believe that on death their assets will automatically pass to their surviving spouse or civil partner, even if they don't make a will.

RIDING THE INVESTMENT MARKET RAPIDS Updated 24th February 2009
The first quarter of 2008 was one that many investors would prefer to forget.

ANNUITY RATES REACH A PEAK Updated 24th February 2009
One consequence of the credit crunch has been a rise in the yields on the fixed interest securities that underpin annuities.

Keyperson Insurance - Are You Covered? Updated 19th January 2009
Employment in the UK hit another record level in February, with 29.51 million people now working - three in four (74.9%) of those of working age.1

Reckoning on a Long Life How long will you live? Updated 19th January 2009
The answer is probably longer than you think. A man aged 55 now has nearly a one in four chance of reaching 95, while the odds for a 55-year-old woman are well over one in four.(1)

Time to File Online Updated 19th January 2009
If you received a paper tax return for 2007/08 in April and have not yet sent it back to HM Revenue & Customs, it is now too late to do so.

Focus on a New Year Review Updated 19th January 2009
If you have made, or are about to make, your New Year's resolutions, one of the first, and a vital one, should be to make a full review of your financial situation.

THE STATE OF HEALTH Updated 19th January 2009
Good health is important, but so too is knowing that you are protected if there is a problem.

PEPs Come Under ISA Umbrella Updated 19th January 2009
Personal equity plans (PEPs) are no more. On 6 April 2008, all PEPs became stocks and shares ISAs and the PEP rules disappeared.

WHAT'S YOUR IS YOURS - INCLUDING TAX Updated 12th August 2008
Independent taxation - taxing spouses (and now civil partners) as two separate people - has now been with us for over 18 years.

A BUSY BUDGET Updated 12th August 2008
Alistair Darling's March Budget and May 'mini-Budget' has marked a substantial reform of the UK tax system.

Making Inheritance Tax Work for You Updated 11th June 2008
Another major change in the Pre-Budget Report from the new Chancellor represented a significant reform to inheritance tax (IHT).

Is Your Protection Cover Up To Date?  Updated 11th June 2008
How much do you notice inflation? You could hardly have missed the increase in the petrol price to over 100p a litre late last year, which caught everyone's eye and gained plenty of news coverage. Less obvious is the gradual drift up in prices as retailers struggle to retain margins. Right now, it all adds up to yearly inflation of around 4%, as measured by the retail prices index (RPI).

Funds with a Floor 'May you live in interesting times' Updated 11th June 2008
This phrase, which is allegedly a Chinese curse, certainly sums up how many investors feel about the second half of 2007. Both the US and UK stock markets went on a rollercoaster ride once the sub-prime crisis hit in mid-July. Hints of interest rate cuts would spur the markets into sharp upward movements, while stories about crumbling banks had the opposite effect.

All Change on Capital Gains Tax? Updated 19th April 2008
One of the greatest surprises of last autumn's Pre-Budget Report was the radical proposal to reform capital gains tax (CGT). This was followed in January by a limited U-turn on some of the proposals affecting business owners.

Stay Ahead on Capital Gains Tax: A Quick Planning Guide Updated 16th April 2008
Big changes to capital gains tax on 6 April 2008 will benefit some people, but leave others worse off. What is certain is that nobody who owns a business or investments will be unaffected.

Is Your Deposit Account upto Scratch? Updated 30th November 2007
Any advertisement for an investment fund normally carries the warning that its capital value and income can go down as well as up. There is no such warning for deposit accounts.

More Estates Fall into the IHT Net Updated 30th November 2007
First the good news: the tax nil rate band – the amount of your estate that is inheritance tax (IHT) free – is to rise to £350,000.

Do your homework on school costs Updated 12th November 2007
Every parent wants the best for their children, not least when it comes to education. Many are now finding themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to move house or to pay for their children’s schooling.

Covering Recruitment Updated 12th November 2007
Alan Sugar may have no difficulties in finding potential recruits for his businesses, but outside the world of such television programmes as ‘The Apprentice’, life is rather different. You may have experienced this yourself, if you have tried to hire any senior staff recently.

Where did the Budget leave you? Updated 28th September 2007
This year’s Budget – Gordon Brown’s finalé as Chancellor – was a shocker. It was not until the very end that the Chancellor produced a rabbit from the hat in the form of a surprise 2% cut in the basic rate of tax. However, the tax cut was not all it seemed.

Shoring Up Against Market Turbulance Updated 28th September 2007
Did you feel the earth move at the end of february?

Weighing Up Your Retirement Options Updated 28th September 2007
When it comes to taking income from a pension plan at retirement, most people's default option is to buy an annuity...

When did your personal finances have a review? Updated 28th August 2007
You probably give your car a service once a year and maybe your central heating system too. Both are wise precautions...