It’s natural we may want to give younger members of our family a financial start in life. Especially when we hear about some students graduating with eye-watering levels of debt. If you are able to help your children or grandchildren without risking running out of money yourself, it’s important that you do so effectively.
Over six million adults refuse to discuss their will with loved ones
Making a will is very important if you care what happens to your money and your belongings after you die, and most of us do. But have you tried to talk with your parents about their will? If that conversation isn’t happening, you’re not alone.
Getting your date right will help your plans stay on target
Some people will have set their retirement date when they were in their 20s or 30s and a great deal will have changed since then, including their state pension age and perhaps their career plans.
Providing a financial safety net for your loved ones
Your wealth should work in all the ways you want it to. Whatever your goals are in life, careful planning and successful investing of your wealth can help you get there. Whatever stage of life you’re at, we’ll help navigate you through the opportunities and challenges you may face.
Protecting, preserving or ultimately distributing wealth
As part of your Inheritance Tax planning, you may want to consider putting assets in trust – either during your lifetime or under the terms of your Will. Putting assets in trust – rather than making a direct gift to a beneficiary – can be a more flexible way of achieving your objectives. For example:
Changes to pension rules introduced in 2015 mean you’ve now greater access to your pension. It might seem like a far off prospect but knowing how you can access your pension pot can help you understand how best to build for the future you want.
Making sense of today’s market headwinds and building a diverse portfolio should be key priorities for all investors. Whether you have a lump sum to invest or want to invest regularly each month, it’s important to know your money is working hard for you.
Minimising the financial impact on you and your loved ones
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.
Don’t ignore the corrosive impact rising prices can have on your investments
Inflation is an economy-wide sustained trend of increasing prices from one year to the next. The rate of inflation is important as it represents the rate at which the real value of savings and an investment is eroded and the loss in spending power over time. Inflation also tells investors exactly how much of a return their investments need to make for them to maintain their standard of living.
The introduction of pension freedoms has been a huge enabler for over 55s, allowing millions to draw income from their pensions flexibly. Pension freedoms offer the opportunity to transition into retirement by continuing to work with reduced hours beyond traditional retirement age.
