October is Free Wills Month, an initiative solicitors can be part of that offers free will writing expertise to over 55s to support charities. The key reason to write a will is to ensure your wishes are carried out, but did you know it could help you mitigate how much Inheritance Tax your estate will be liable for too?

If you don’t already have a will in place, doing so should be a priority. Without a will, your assets may not be distributed to those you want to benefit from your estate. Even if you do have a will, you should make reviewi...

More people are becoming self-employed and it’s a step that’s been linked to improved wellbeing. But it can mean your financial security falls, particularly when looking ahead to retirement. For self-employed workers, it’s important to take steps that can ensure your financial security in the long term.

According to research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, wellbeing improves markedly upon entering self-employment. Job satisfaction was found to rise by 1 point on a 7-point scale. The improvement is even found among those who did not ...

Your 55^th birthday, rising to 57 in 2028, often marks being able to access your pension for the first time. The opportunity to take a 25% lump sum tax-free is certainly attractive and can be too tempting to resist. But it’s not a decision to take lightly and it isn’t the right move for everyone.

The ability to take a tax-free lump sum means that pension savings are becoming disconnected from retirement, research suggests. For many of us, retirement is still some way off at 55 and you may plan to work for many more years. Removing a quarte...

From 2028, you won’t be able to access your Personal Pension until the age of 57. The government’s decision could affect your retirement plans and it’s important to review what it means for your future.

The government previously stated it intended to increase the age people could access their Personal Pensions, currently set at 55. However, it didn’t put legislation in place, leading to speculation that the change wouldn’t go ahead. The government has now confirmed that it will legislate for the rise ‘in due course’. So, if you turn 55 in...

Back in July, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a second range of measures designed to protect the economy through the Covid-19 pandemic.

His next update was scheduled to be the Autumn Statement in the coming weeks. However, given the newly imposed Covid-19 restrictions and economic uncertainty, the Budget has been cancelled.

In a statement sent to the BBC, a spokesperson for the Treasury said: “As we heard this week, now is not the right time to outline long-term plans – people want to see us focused on the here and now.

“So, we are con...

Just a few months after delivering his first Budget as Chancellor, Rishi Sunak delivered a Summer Statement, dubbed a ‘mini-Budget’ on Wednesday 8^th July 2020.

Back in March, some of the measures announced in the Budget focused on supporting people and businesses as the Covid-19 pandemic was taking hold. Five months later, the focus has now shifted to recovery as lockdown and social distancing restrictions ease.

Rishi began by saying the government had taken decisive action to protect the economy earlier this year but acknowledged people...

When investing, we all know that capital is at risk. We’ve often talked about understanding your risk profile and the level of risk you should take when investing. But what affects how risky an investment is?

Understanding the risk of an investment can help you gauge if it’s the right investment for you and how it’ll change the balance of your portfolio. Numerous factors affect how risky an investment is, fund managers will use multiple ways to analyse each investment. However, one of the simplest places to start is by looking at the asse...

Building a nest egg for a child can help set them on the path to a financially secure future and highlight why saving is important. One of the most popular ways to save for a child or grandchild is using a Junior Individual Savings Account (JISA). During 2017/18, money was added to over 900,000 JISAs.

Money held in a JISA isn’t accessible until the child turns 18, making it an excellent way to save for the milestones they’ll reach in early adulthood. You may choose to save with the hope that it will be used to fund further education, lear...

When you think about your lifestyle goals and financial plan, how far ahead do you look? It wasn’t so long ago that planning to reach 80 meant you could be sure of financial security throughout your life. But now, it’s becoming increasingly common to celebrate your 100^th birthday, bringing new challenges to planning.

Just a century ago, 1% of babies born were expected to live to 100. As healthcare and a range of other factors improved, life expectancy has increased too. If you’re a female aged 60, there’s a 12.3% chance of turning 100, fo...