State pension update
The Chancellor has announced that from 6th April 2016 the state pension will rise to £155.65 a week, £8,094 a year. However, despite Pensions Minister Baroness Altmann hailing the new…
Blog
2015 Summer Budget
There has been a lot of positive press around Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's first budget of the new Tory-majority government. For all but the wealthiest, the family home will…
The Budget – What a Surprise…
The 2014 Budget announced groundbreaking reforms in the pension tax rules and a huge boost to Individual Savings Account rules. Portland Financial Planning see it as one of the most exciting…
Beating the Granny Tax
Last month’s Budget attracted the headline ‘Granny Tax’, as the chancellor announced he was to end a century old tax break. This move will see the retired ‘tax break’ frozen…
It is not just QE that people looking for annuities should worry about!
Recent press articles have highlighted how Quantitative Easing (QE) is hitting annuity rates as the BoE continues to buy back government bonds, thereby depressing long term interest rates and as…
New Year Resolutions
The usual ones are giving up smoking and loosing weight, but what about your finances and savings? Over the years I have met too many people who neglect these issues. …
The new Junior ISA
A recurring question this year from my older clients has been, “Where can I invest money for my Grandchildren?” Until recently I advised them to wait until we saw what…
Approaching Retirement?
If you are approaching retirement you’ll want to take stock of what you can expect to receive in pensions. If you haven’t received a State Pension forecast, ask for one,…
Spread your savings to keep them safe
I am speaking to a lot of clients who are concerned that the Banking crisis has not gone away and asking whether they should still hold deposits of up to…