General Insurance

It’s important to ensure you put the right insurance in place to protect your home, its contents and your overall financial security.


Asset-backed Investments

Asset-backed Investments

There are many different asset-backed investments open to the individual investor. Each type has own specific risks, benefits and taxation treatment.

Automatic Enrolment for Employees

Automatic Enrolment for Employees

A workplace pension is a way of saving for retirement arranged by an individual’s employer. It is sometimes called a ‘company pension’, an ‘occupational pension’ or a ‘works pension’. Automatic enrolment into a workplace pension is an easy, hassle-free way for workers to save for their retirement while they are earning.

Automatic Enrolment for Employers

Automatic Enrolment for Employers

The government has introduced a new law designed to help people save more for their retirement. It requires all employers to enrol eligible workers into a workplace pension scheme if they are not already in one.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

Capital Gains Tax (CGT)

This document contains a short explanation of Capital Gains Tax, the allowances available in the 2024/25 tax year, and how you can use it in your year end tax planning.

Civil Partnerships

Civil Partnerships

Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom, granted under the Civil Partnership Act 2004, allow couples to obtain essentially the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. Initially the Act permitted only same-sex couples to form civil partnerships. This was altered to include opposite-sex couples in 2019. Though from March 2014 full same-sex marriage was legalised in England, Scotland and Wales, civil partnership remains available. Designed to be very much equivalent to marriage for same sex couples, a civil partnership carries both rights and responsibilities, in very broad terms, attracting the same legal and tax protections/advantages/disadvantages as a traditional marriage. This article explains further.

Critical Illness Insurance

Critical Illness Insurance

This type of cover can pay out a (tax-free) lump sum on the diagnosis of certain life-threatening or debilitating illnesses, or if you have to undergo certain types of surgery.

Deposit Based Investment

Deposit Based Investment

There are various deposit-based investment vehicles available in the marketplace. Many customers will have money on deposit either with a bank or building society.

Enhanced Annuities

Enhanced Annuities

An Enhanced Annuity pays a higher income in retirement if you have a medical condition that may reduce your life expectancy.

Home and Contents Insurance

Home and Contents Insurance

Making sure you have the right insurance for your home could provide real peace of mind.

How Personal Pensions work

How Personal Pensions work

The fundamental idea of a personal pension plan is simple. You put money into a savings fund and it hopefully grows in value. At retirement, you have several options which are usually designed to replace some (or all) of your employment income.

Income Drawdown

Income Drawdown

Income Drawdown is a more flexible alternative to the traditional annuity route, offering greater choice and control for many people.

Income Protection Insurance

Income Protection Insurance

Income Protection Insurance is designed to pay you a regular tax-free monthly income if you become unable to work due to illness or injury.

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)

Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)

In 2017 the contribution limit for Cash ISAs and Stocks and Shares ISAs was effectively merged, with the overall limit increased to £20,000

Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax

A short explanation of Inheritance Tax and how to plan for it in your tax planning.

Investment Overview

Investment Overview

This at-a-glance guide is intended to give you a quick snapshot of a range of different investment vehicles available.

Key Person Insurance

Key Person Insurance

Also known as ‘key man insurance’, this can compensate a business for financial losses arising from the death, or extended incapacity, of a specified employee or director.

Life Insurance

Life Insurance

Life Insurance (sometimes known as Life Assurance) helps provide financial security for people who depend on you, should you die.

Partnership Protection

Partnership Protection

This can provide a business partnership with the funds to ‘buy out’ or compensate the deceased’s dependants, should a business partner die.

Payment Protection Insurance / Short Term Income Protection Insurance

Payment Protection Insurance / Short Term Income Protection Insurance

Payment Protection Insurance and Short Term Income Protection Insurance can provide a monthly income to help cover your regular outgoings if you can’t work due to an accident, illness or injury.

Pensions & Divorce

Pensions & Divorce

With pensions being most people’s second-largest asset, they can become a major consideration in any divorce settlement.

Platforms

Platforms

A platform brings together your investments and pensions online, allowing you to view them in one place – a bit like online banking.

Relevant Life Plan

Relevant Life Plan

A Relevant Life Plan is a death-in-service benefit taken out by a company on behalf of an employee.

Shareholder Protection

Shareholder Protection

In the interests of financial security, business stability and continuity, it is essential to provide a safety net following the loss of a shareholder.

The value of Protection

The value of Protection

Far from being a luxury, Protection Insurance should be considered essential, especially if you have a family or people that rely on your income.

The Value of Retirement Planning

The Value of Retirement Planning

We all know it’s important to plan for retirement, but many of us are still not planning well, or early enough.

What is a Personal Pension?

What is a Personal Pension?

Personal pensions may be suitable if you are self-employed, if you are not working but can afford to put aside money for retirement, or even in addition to a company pension.

Your Retirement options

Your Retirement options

On 6 April 2015 new pension rules came into force, giving you much greater flexibility over how you use your pension savings and the options you have in retirement.

Buying a home

Buying a home

Before you choose a specific deal, you need to decide what type of mortgage is the most appropriate for your needs.

First Time Buyers

First Time Buyers

People buying their first home often have specific needs when it comes to finding a mortgage. A range of mortgages exists specifically for this market sector.

Remortgages

Remortgages

Remortgaging means switching your mortgage to another deal with another lender without moving property.

Buy to Let Mortgages

Buy to Let Mortgages

These types of mortgages are designed for property investors and private landlords, who do not intend to live in the purchased property but will let property to tenants.

Equity Release

Equity Release

Equity release can help people release cash (equity) in their homes for a particular purpose, like supplementing retirement income.

Flexible Mortgages

Flexible Mortgages

With options for overpayment and payment ‘holidays’, a flexible mortgage can make the traditional 25-year British mortgage look rather old-fashioned.

New mortgage rules (MMR)

New mortgage rules (MMR)

The financial services industry regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has set out a new set of rules for mortgage advisers, and lenders, to improve the process of getting a mortgage.

Offset Mortgages

Offset Mortgages

An offset mortgage enables you to use your savings to reduce your mortgage balance and the interest you pay on it.

Help to Buy and other government-backed schemes

Help to Buy and other government-backed schemes

The government has put in place a number of schemes to support house purchasers, such as Help to Buy.

Self Build Mortgages

Self Build Mortgages

These are mortgages suited to people building a new home. With a self build mortgage, money is released in stages as the build progresses.

Second Charge Loans

Second Charge Loans

Second charge loans can be secured against residential or Buy to Let properties.

Bridging Finance

Bridging Finance

A bridging loan is taken out to ‘bridge’ the gap between the purchase of a new property and the sale of an existing one.

UK News

Trump won the election on a platform of steep import taxes, including tariffs as high as 60% on China.
The US central bank cuts interest rates, as its chairman vows to stay on the job.
Interest rates were cut to 4.75% but the Bank expects inflation to creep higher after last week's Budget.
A number of major firms have warned over the impact of higher National Insurance costs.
Despite the increase, the lender warns mortgage costs could remain "higher for longer" following the Budget.