Newsletter & Downloads

Child Trust Funds: £394 million unclaimed A recent report has highlighted the high number and value of Child Trust Funds (CTFs) left untouched by their now adult owners.  The National Audit Office (NAO) recently issued the results of an investigation into CTFs. They were a subject well suited to the NAO, which is charged with…

A trio of Budget measures for childcare The Budget announced three important changes to childcare provisions in England, but one trap remains. The cost of childcare has become a hot topic in recent years. Despite increasing demand, in March 2022 the number of childcare places available had little change since August 2015.  The government has…

Automatic enrolment and pension contribution reforms A new government bill indicates that a change to the automatic enrolment minimum age, and increases to workplace pension contributions, could be on the horizon.   Private members’ bills rarely get far in the parliamentary process. They all too easily fall by the wayside, as second and any subsequent readings…

Bereavement benefits extended to unmarried couples The eligibility for some bereavement payments has now been extended to unmarried couples, but there are two major caveats. In 2021, just over one in five couples living together were cohabiting but not married or in a civil partnership. Despite the growth in cohabitation, the UK tax and benefit…

Minding the gap: NICs top-up deadline extended The rush to meet the voluntary national insurance contributions (NICs) top-up deadline of 5 April has forced HMRC to grant an extension to 31 July.  The last major reform to state pensions took effect on 6 April 2016. From that date the second state pension and basic state pension were…

The Budget surprise: changes to the pension tax rules New measures affecting pension allowances announced in the March Budget could mean your retirement planning strategy needs to be reviewed. If Jeremy Hunt did produce a ‘rabbit-out-the-hat’ in his Spring Budget, it was the announcement of the effective abolition of the pensions lifetime allowance (LTA) from…

Global dividends back on trend New research shows that global dividends have shaken off the impacts of Covid-19 and reverted to their pre-pandemic days, but the UK’s performance isn’t so promising.   Source: Janus Henderson. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it had contrasting impacts on the values of shares and the dividends they…

Looking forward to a Happy New Tax Year? The new tax year starts on 6 April, heralding a raft of changes that will make an early tax review of the year ahead a wise move. There is always plenty of attention given to planning for the end of the tax year, making use of allowances…

How much income do you actually need in retirement? New research shows an increase that might surprise you.   In 2019, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) published research examining how much three different levels of retirement living standards would cost for couples and those living on their own. The three standards were summarised as:…

The 2022/23 tax year is coming to an end and you may be left wondering if you have made the most of your tax-free exemptions and allowances.  If you or your partner receive Child Benefit but earn over £50,000 a year, you are liable to pay the High-Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). The HICBC is…