Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Banking When we meet new clients and agree to work together, the number one aim we have for them is that they achieve their monetary and non-monetary goals in life.
Since Alistair Darling's Pre-Budget Speech on October 9 2007, there have been a number of reports in the press stating that will planning using the nil-rate band of the first of a married couple to die will no longer be necessary as you can now transfer the nil-rate band between spouses and civil partners. (The Nil-rate Band is currently 300,000 pounds, and upon death a tax rate of 0 per cent applies to the estate value up to this amount).
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Finance Recent research by Citywire, a leading fund research firm, has revealed that the average fund will only retain its fund management team for two-and-a-half-years. The analysis, which concentrates on UK funds, is the most comprehensive conducted yet and includes 5 years of data. The survey examined 1,741 funds and found that over the 5 years to the end of August there were 3,440 manager moves.
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Investing If you have a "with profits" pension, or are being advised to invest in one - read on urgently. A survey by Money Management, an established personal finance magazine, has once again highlighted the sinking payouts to many investors from well known investment brands.
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Legal If you've not heard yet, you only have a few days left to organise your Enduring Power of Attorney. Officially, you have until September 30th to get it in place, at which time EPAs will be replaced by Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Recent falls in the value of the stockmarket has caused concern among investors. Should they run? Should they hang on? Warnings about the potential fallout from defaulting American mortgage borrowers have been around now for quite awhile, but when would these pigeons come home to roost and what size effect would they have?
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Investing When we deal with new clients, we encounter Premium Bonds frequently, but it's not very often that we see the many other products offered by National Savings and Investments (NS&I). Some NS&I returns are currently looking quite attractive, and so it is worth perhaps looking at two such investments, Premium Bonds and Savings Certificates.
When you buy a critical illness policy it's usually because you want to protect you or the family should the worst happen and you are diagnosed with a life threatening disease. But have you ever thought what the impact may be if one of your children was severely ill? Would it make a difference if you had extra funds to deal with the news? Well, if you have critical illness cover the good news is that you may be covered already.
Are you adequately covered for personal life protection, including life assurance and critical illness cover? Do you know what the actual claims experience of the leading insurance companies is? Let's take a look at some revealing statistics...
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Home Information Packs will be introduced in the UK from 1 June 2007. You may have read about them, but what exactly will they mean for property purchasers and sellers? Let's take a look at the implications...
It can be hard to imagine that you may not be able to look after yourself at some point in the future. As most of us are only too aware though, the chances of this situation arising is likely. But who will look after your financial affairs? And how will it all work, especially if your situation deteriorates quickly? Let's look at the options available to you.
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Insurance Do you have a unitised with profits endowment plan? Is it on track to repay your mortgage loan? Are there alternatives available to you? There may well be, and it's not what the insurance company wants you to know...
Is it possible to boost your UK State Pension? What steps can you take to increase your income in retirement? By paying Class 3 National Insurance contributions all this is possible...
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Insurance This is the second of a three part mini-series on protecting your family from the effects of death and illness. A morbid subject perhaps, but a crucial one that you shouldn't ignore.
Will your children be able to afford to go to University or onto Higher Education? With the costs increasing every year will the government be able to reach their goal of more students going to university? Let's look at the costs involved and the steps you can take to ensure you've saved enough for their futures.
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: If you're looking to invest in commercial property (shops, offices etc - not 'buy to let' residential) you currently have a couple of main options (apart from buying the whole property itself).
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Insurance For the next three articles we'll look at the issue of how to protect yourself and your family from the financial effects of death and illness. These consist of:
- The importance of the quality of your protection policies
- How to get the right level of protection
- A look at the actual claims experience of companies
Many clients we speak to have at some time posed the question - should we buy a property for our child(ren) going to University? It is a fair question as it seems a waste to pay rent when you can get something back. Also, as a caring parent you presumably would like your child to live somewhere decent and habitable.
We've all read the headlines professing that fortunes are being made in the property market. Whether you're just considering adding this asset class to your portfolio or are a more seasoned property professional, you need to know the essential steps involved to ensure you avoid the many pitfalls and increase your chances of making a reasonable profit (and reduce the headaches!).
Expert Author: Ray Prince | Category: Investing Many investors are unaware (or don't care) how much they are actually paying in charges to their fund manager(s). The advertised 'Annual Management Charge' is only part of the costs incurred by investors on their funds. This article explores what the other charges are and is essential reading for all investors.
