Financial complexities of passing on wealth
Passing on wealth is a sensitive subject, not just because of the financial complexities of it all, but also the emotion and family politics involved.
Goldilocks economy
How to prepare your portfolio for inflation
Very low or very high inflation is damaging to the economy. The aim is usually to try and keep CPI at 2% in order to maintain a ‘Goldilocks Economy’ – not too hot, not too cold.
Smart investments
Should I invest into a pension or an ISA?
Investors looking for tax-efficient ways to build a nest egg for retirement often look to both Individual Savings Account (ISAs) and pensions. Tax-efficiency is a key consideration when investing because it can make a considerable difference to your wealth and quality of life.
Lasting Power of Attorney
Making decisions on your behalf during your lifetime
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more people to make decisions on your behalf during your lifetime. The people you appoint to manage your affairs are called the ‘attorneys’. An LPA is a completely separate legal document to your Will, although many people put them in place at the same time as getting their will written, as part of wanting to plan for the future.
Making a Will
Continuing your support long into the future
We spend our lives working to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. You may have a house or flat (in the UK or overseas), shares, savings, and investments, as well as your personal possessions. All of these assets are your ‘estate’. Making a Will ensures that when you die, your estate is shared according to your wishes.
Long-term care insurance
Meeting the cost of residential and nursing care in old age
Long-term care insurance provides the financial support you need if you have to pay for care assistance for yourself or a loved one. It involves a variety of services designed to meet a person’s health or personal care needs during a short or long period of time. These services help people live as independently and safely as possible when they can no longer perform everyday activities on their own.
Private medical insurance
Healthcare when you need it
Nothing is more important to you than your health and the health of your family. If you or your loved ones were to experience worrying symptoms, private medical insurance can offer reassurance and control at a difficult time. Private medical insurance (often also referred to as ‘health insurance’) is an insurance policy that covers the costs of private healthcare, from diagnosis to treatment.
Income protection insurance
Cover for you and your family finances
It’s important to be able to keep your finances healthy as you recover from an illness or injury. Being unable to work can quickly turn your world upside down. No one likes to think that something bad will happen to them, but if you couldn’t work due to a serious illness, how would you manage financially? Could you survive on savings or sick pay from work? If not, you may need some other way to keep paying the bills – and you might want to consider income protection insurance.
Critical illness cover
Minimising the financial impact on you and your loved ones
What would life be like if you were diagnosed with a serious illness? Things could change very suddenly. You’d get your family together and tell them what was going on. Before long, you’d start spending time in hospital for treatment. You may also need to take some time off.
Life insurance
Providing a financial safety net for your loved ones
We would rather not think of the time when we’re no longer around. But it’s important to protect the things that really matter – like our loved ones, home and lifestyle – in case the unexpected happens.
Life insurance (sometimes called ‘life cover’) is all about making sure your dependants have the money they need if you were no longer around. Its most important function is to replace the earnings that would cease at the death of the insured.