Keeping track of your pension portfolio pays dividends
If you’ve accumulated numerous workplace pensions over the years from different employers, it can be difficult to keep track of how they are performing. There is a danger that long-forgotten plans may end up festering in expensive, poorly performing funds, and the paperwork alone can be enough to put you off becoming more proactive. Continue reading “Time to review your retirement provision?”
Month: March 2014
Investing for retirement
Building a savings pot to provide income when you retire
Investing regularly from as young an age as possible, while taking advantage of various tax incentives, is the logical way to achieve this. Continue reading “Investing for retirement”
Overseas assets
Investors should not delay in disclosing their assets
With the latest HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) campaign aimed at targeting investors with overseas assets, some investors could be worried about the impact this could have on their overseas investments, and others could be put off from investing overseas altogether. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Once assets have been appropriately disclosed, there are ways in which the investments can be restructured, or new investments made, to make them more efficient going forwards. Continue reading “Overseas assets”
Increases in the cost of childcare
Families are feeling the impact of benefit cuts
The cost of bringing up a child has reached £227,266, up from £222,458 last year, with the first year of a child’s life seeing the largest increase. Continue reading “Increases in the cost of childcare”
Taking vital steps before the new tax year
You need to act fast to avoid next year’s child benefit charges
Families impacted by the high income child benefit charge need to act now to limit or avoid it in the next tax year. Doing this could make them potentially up to £2,449 better off, but they only have until the 6th April 2014 to take some vital steps for the 2013/14 tax year, according to Standard Life. Continue reading “Taking vital steps before the new tax year”
Generating market-beating returns
How much risk are you willing to take?
It is impossible for an active manager to always outperform the market, but through the process of stock selection, active management introduces the potential of generating market-beating returns. Continue reading “Generating market-beating returns”
Do you have enough money to retire comfortably?
New data shows consumer confidence improving but worry is still strife
Data recently released by Aviva shows that over half (55%) of UK consumers worry that they will not have enough money to provide an adequate standard of living when they retire, with 18% of consumers saying they do not hold any form of savings or long-term investment products. Almost the same proportion of consumers (49%) think they will have to work beyond the normal retirement age. Continue reading “Do you have enough money to retire comfortably?”
Tax attack
Legitimate planning could save you money by reducing a potential tax bill
With tax increases the prospect for the foreseeable future, it is essential that you make the most of every available tax relief. Using the tax breaks available to you also makes good financial sense. Continue reading “Tax attack”
Investor outlook
Tentative signs of economic growth
Tentative signs of economic growth, receding risks, plentiful nearly free liquidity and financial markets on fire – what was not to like about the investment landscape at the end of 2013? It is tempting to believe that what happened ‘yesterday’ will happen again ‘tomorrow’ (especially if momentum has been paying off, as it did in 2013). So what is the potential outlook for investors this year? Continue reading “Investor outlook”
Long-term worries for the UK
Preparing for your financial future
Britons spend more time planning their next holiday, haircut and shopping excursions than they do making preparations for their financial future, according to new research. Continue reading “Long-term worries for the UK”