Category Archivenews
Independent Financial Advisers
Explained: Capital Gains Tax and how you could reduce your liability
The amount HMRC is forecast to collect through Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is set to more than double between 2024/25 and 2030/31, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR, 9 February 2026). The good news is that there might be steps you could take to reduce a potential bill. CGT is a tax you […]
Investment market update: August 2026
After months of volatility, markets were relatively calm in August, though economic data was mixed. Discover what factors may have affected your investment portfolio throughout August 2026. When markets opened on 3 August, it was a good start to the month. Falling oil prices led to the Stoxx Europe 600 index, which provides a broad […]
How financial protection could protect your home and lifestyle
If your income stopped, how would you continue to meet your financial commitments, including your mortgage? Many would struggle, but financial protection could provide a solution. Employers don’t need to provide enhanced sick pay, and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is just £123.25 per week in 2026/27 and paid for up to 28 weeks. If you […]
Why updating your cashflow model is essential for staying on track
A cashflow model isn’t a one-off exercise. If you want to use it to inform your financial decisions, regular updates are essential. A cashflow model is a visual representation of your wealth and how it might change in the future. While the result cannot be guaranteed, it could be a useful tool that helps inform […]
Why spotting a financial scam could be harder than you think
Most people are confident they could spot a scam if they were targeted. However, it could be more difficult than you think, especially as fraudsters are increasingly using sophisticated techniques to mislead victims. According to a survey from Which? (7 April 2025), 9 in 10 people believe they could identify a scam email or text. […]
Investment market update: July 2026
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East and investor concerns that technology companies are overvalued continued to affect market performance. Read on to find out how these factors and others may have impacted your investment portfolio in July 2026. Markets started the month with a sell-off of chip stocks as investors lost enthusiasm for AI. Asian […]
Explained: When Inheritance Tax could apply to gifts
Gifting assets during your lifetime has become a common strategy for reducing a potential Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill. Indeed, according to Paragon Bank (31 July 2025), 1 in 5 savers aged over 65 are passing on cash for this reason. Yet, gifting doesn’t always mean that assets are excluded from your estate when calculating IHT, […]
2 upcoming ISA changes you should be aware of
Key changes are being made to ISAs in April 2027, and they could affect how you use the tax-efficient wrapper. You might have read in the news or heard that the ISA allowance is being cut or that tax will now apply to cash savings. While there is some truth in these statements, without further […]
5 tips that could help you sell your home
Selling your home might be stressful, but there are things you could do that may speed up finding a buyer and make the process smoother. Discover five tips if you want to sell your home. According to Zoopla (13 May 2026), 44% of homes listed in the past three years have failed to sell. In […]
4 practical reasons to regularly contribute to your child’s pension
In a bid to pass more wealth to their loved ones, a growing number of families are opening pensions for their children. Whether your child is still in nursery or already working their way up the career ladder, there could be benefits to making pension contributions on their behalf. According to an article in the […]