Whatever hopes and dreams you have for your children or grandchildren, it’s reassuring to know that you can help make this happen by setting them on the path to financial security when they are young. To fund the future you want for them, it’s crucial to start saving early.
What would life be like if you were diagnosed with a serious illness? Things could change very suddenly. You’d get your family together and tell them what was going on. Before long, you’d start spending time in hospital for treatment. You may also need to take some time off.
Research carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that, since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), over 25 million people have experienced ‘high’ levels of anxiety. Professional financial advice offers so much more than just practical, financial benefits. It also helps to improve your emotional wellbeing by making you feel better about your money and yourself – especially in times of crisis.
If you’ve spent a lifetime saving for retirement, you’d probably like any remaining money to go to a loved one after your death. But whether pension benefits are payable to a beneficiary, and how they’ll receive them, is dependent on the type of pension you’ve chosen and how you’ve accessed it in your retirement.
If you have an income of over £50,000 it doesn’t just push you into a higher income tax bracket, it also means that you’ll pay higher tax on capital gains and dividend income from your investments. So, it’s important to choose a tax-efficient investment vehicle that is appropriate for your particular investments goals and tax position.
Even those who believe they have moderate wealth levels may still need to take action to minimise Inheritance Tax, particularly if they own property and have savings and investments. Inheritance Tax is payable in the UK on death, and sometimes when you give away certain assets during your lifetime. It can be a great concern for individuals with wealth exceeding the current £325,000 nil-rate band (2020/21 tax year).
One thing retirement is not, is an age. Not any more anyway. Gone are the days of being told to stop working one day and pick up your State Pension the next. Today you have new pension freedoms to decide when and how you retire. Pension freedoms in 2015 fundamentally changed the rules for cashing in your pensions. Current rules allow you far more freedom and flexibility over how to take your pension than in previous generations.
Responsible, sustainable and environmentally friendly investing is here to stay. But, while demand is growing among all age groups, genders and income bands, some savers and investors are missing their biggest opportunity for responsible investing, which is through their pension. We all want to make responsible choices as more of us are becoming aware of global challenges, such as environmental issues, human rights and climate change. We’re also starting to care more about how our behaviours affect the planet and society.
No one likes to pay tax on their hard-earned money. But due to the complexities of the tax system, without expert professional financial advice, some individuals could be paying more tax than necessary. Before the end of every tax year on 5 April, you have the opportunity to save money on taxes and plan for the year ahead.
With current interest rates on cash savings very low, it is difficult to achieve growth above the rate of inflation. And if the cost of living is rising faster than your savings are growing, you’re effectively losing money. With cash savings, a penny saved is a penny earned. But thanks to inflation, over time, the value of the penny saved could be much less than when it was earned.
