I am writing this because most families meet the care system for the first time in exactly this way: in the middle of a crisis. That is the worst possible moment to be learning the rules. A little understanding now is worth a great deal later.
NEWS
Retirement
WHY WILLS AREN’T JUST ABOUT ‘WHO GETS WHAT’ – THEY’RE ABOUT PROTECTING WEALTH FOR GENERATIONS
We tend to think of Wills as a simple list of ‘who gets what’ when we’re gone. But the truth is, a well-planned Will is one of the most powerful financial tools you’ll ever have.
SHOULD WE CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL FOR A CHANGE IN THE WAY THE UK TAXES PENSIONS?
The Labour Government has indicated its desire to fill a fiscal black hole and of course there is only one viable way to do this in the short term…increase taxation. They could rely on economic growth but that comes with some financial risk and significant uncertainty.
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS – FOR THE WHOLE OF 2024
It’s never too late to turn over a new financial leaf – whether it’s the new year or not. Reflecting on our financial goals and the habits we need to put in place to reach them should be a regular date in our yearly diary.
LATEST NEWS
THE COST OF CARE
I am writing this because most families meet the care system for the first time in exactly this way: in the middle of a crisis. That is the worst possible moment to be learning the rules. A little understanding now is worth a great deal later.
REAL ASSETS & HOW THEY ADD VALUE
In his book Pioneering Portfolio Management, the former CIO of the Yale endowment, David Swensen, helped popularise the idea that long-term portfolios should extend beyond traditional stocks and bonds to include assets linked to the real economy and alternative assets such as hedge funds. First published in 2000, the book drew on lessons from investing across a range of market environments, including periods of elevated inflation.
CAPITAL GAINS TAX – A CHANGED LANDSCAPE
For most of the past two decades, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) has been a relatively peripheral concern for the majority of investors. The annual exempt amount – the amount of gains you can realise each year free of tax – was generous enough that many clients could rebalance portfolios, fund ISA contributions, and take profits without a CGT liability arising at all. That position has changed significantly.
NAVIGATING THE FOG OF WAR
The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most critical oil chokepoint. Roughly one-fifth of global oil supply transits here each day. Commercial traffic has been severely disrupted since late February. Iran maintains a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz – the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil transits during peacetime. As long as that remains the status quo, analysts expect oil and stock markets to experience continued heightened volatility.