Many people find themselves in the unfortunate position of starting their retirement savings later in life. Perhaps you had a long-term relationship which ended, and your former partner took the pension savings with them. Whatever the case, there is still time for those in their 50s to build up a retirement fund which supports your lifestyle. Below, our team at WMM outlines ideas for you to consider with your financial planner.
Did you know that, in 2021-22, there are still tax benefits to being married or in a civil partnership? One of the lesser-known advantages is the Marriage Allowance – which lets one spouse transfer up to £1,260 of their personal allowance to the other person. Yet how does this work, exactly? Who could benefit from it and what other tax advantages are available in the current tax year? Below, our team at WMM addresses these questions.
When you put money into shares, bonds or real estate, what kind of return on investment (ROI) can be realistically expected? Moreover, what kinds of forces can eat into your returns – notably, fees and taxes? Below, our financial planning team at WMM here in Oxfordshire tackles these questions in more detail. We hope you find this useful and invite you to contact us if you’d like to discuss your own investment strategy.
If you already have a financial planner you will be well informed of your income options in retirement. Your retirement plan will most likely comprise a mix of different sources to deliver a tax efficient ‘income stream’. Even without a financial planner, some people may still feel they have a solid plan in place. However, there is worryingly high number of people who aren’t really sure what they have or how they’ll provide for themselves in retirement, perhaps believing the State will support them.
Climate change is top of the agenda as the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP 26) comes to an end. World leaders congregated to discuss how to limit emissions and develop more sustainable economies, with varying options on their success. Many people know that there are ways to live in a way that helps protect the environment such as recycling, limiting road and air travel and reducing meat consumption.
What is the state of the British stock market, and how could things transpire in 2022? Predicting the future is, of course, impossible. Yet there are trends, structural conditions and market forces at play which could indicate some likely scenarios. Below, our financial planning team at WMM discusses the UK investment outlook for the 2021-22 financial year. In so doing, we will show the importance of diversifying your investments – domestically and globally – to minimise risks to your portfolio in the years ahead.
In early November, the Bank of England (BoE) surprised traders, investors and fund managers by holding interest rates steady, at their historic low of 0.10%. Many analysts had forecast that these would rise to 0.25%, leading to high street banks raising their own rates in anticipation – making mortgage deals more expensive.
Life is unpredictable. You cannot fully anticipate what will happen in the next hour, let alone tomorrow or in the coming years. This can make life exciting and interesting; an unknown adventure to experience. Yet it also brings dangers such as crippling injury, personal loss or early death. Whilst you cannot shield yourself from tragedy, there is much you can do to lower the financial impact. In this article, our financial planning team at WMM lists some common tragedies that can afflict people and what you can do to preserve financial stability.
Those of us with children may have already faced the difficult situation where your child asks for money. Should you give it to them? If so, how much and under what conditions? Should you ask for the money to be repaid? These are difficult questions. Not only do they potentially impact a financial plan, but they can also influence your child’s character regarding money as they grow up. In this guide, our financial planning team at WMM offers some thoughts on how to be a good “Bank of Mum and Dad” in 2021. We hope you find this content useful.
What happens to your pension when you die? The rules about this were changed in 2015 under the Pension Freedoms. The good news is, your pensions are not usually considered to be part of your estate when you die – which means they are not subject to inheritance tax (IHT). Your surviving spouse or civil partner may also be able to access them, in certain circumstances. However, the rules depend on a range of factors including the type of pension in question and your age upon death. In this post, our team at WMM outlines how the rules work for different types of pension when someone dies.
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