Latest articles by Laura Miller
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Beware inheritance tax gifting rules – 220 families left with shock bills after error
Families can give away assets during their lifetime to reduce inheritance tax liabilities, but failing to meet gifting rules could trigger unexpected inheritance tax bills
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Fresh inheritance tax blow for business owners and farmers – could you need a new will?
Draft legislation has revealed a hoped for loophole in business and agricultural property reliefs has been closed tight
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Should you defer your state pension and stay in work?
You could boost your state pension by hundreds or thousands of pounds by deferring it if you don’t need the income right now. We look at how it works, and the pros and cons
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Inheritance tax take rises again as loved ones pay £134 million more
With asset prices at or near all-time highs and tax thresholds frozen, more families are being pulled into paying inheritance tax
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Reeves’s capital gains tax changes ‘backfire’ as Treasury receipts fall sharply
Capital gains tax rates were increased in the 2024 Budget but fresh data suggests the policy is failing to boost government coffers. Could it put chancellor Rachel Reeves off a wealth tax?
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House prices rising fastest in areas with highest crime rates – where does your area rank?
Property prices are higher in safer areas but growing more slowly than in places benefiting from gentrification and buy-to-lets
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HMRC suspects the wealthy underpaid £343m in inheritance tax – how to avoid falling foul of the rules
‘Missing’ inheritance tax is expected to soar as the government aims to raise extra £2 billion through rule changes
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What is a trust – and should you use it to avoid inheritance tax?
Trusts are surging in popularity as a way to avoid inheritance tax, according to financial advisers on the frontline of estate planning. We look at what trusts are and if they are right for you.
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Millions of homeowners to see mortgage payments rise
Mortgage holders with deals expiring soon can expect to pay more, according to Bank of England calculations, though the increase is less than previously forecast
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FTSE 100 dividends: where to find the best yields for UK equities
FTSE 100 dividend forecasts have sagged but investors can still find good yields in UK equities with payments expected to reach more than £80 billion in 2025
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The tax thresholds frozen since the 80s – this is what they should be by now
Allowances could be four times higher if they had kept pace with inflation, according to analysis
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Expecting an inheritance? Don’t – only a fifth of Boomers plan to part with their cash
Higher priorities are travel and spending time with loved ones, with even those on the highest household incomes shunning inheritances
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Top 10% of earners pay more than half of all tax – here’s a dozen ways to pay less
Frozen tax thresholds are dragging millions more people into higher and additional rate tax brackets. Will you pay more?
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Are you in line for a £29k pension boost? Government plans could leave millions better off
Reforms to retirement savings will see savers’ small pots brought together and the creation of pensions ‘megafunds’
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Carers retire with an average pension of just £6,750
A growing pensions gap shows carers retire with significantly less private pension income than the national average
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Little-known way inheritance tax pension raid could put thousands of businesses at risk – ‘issue is flying under the radar’
Changes to inheritance tax rules could wipe out 15,000 businesses where owners put their premises in their pension, experts have warned
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Retired banker who gave wife £80m to avoid inheritance tax won’t face equal split in divorce
Family lawyers say the Supreme Court ruling will have significant impact on high net worth divorce cases
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Problems with your water supply? You could get up to £2,000 compensation
Water companies have been forced to increase the amount of compensation they pay customers for failures. We explain who is eligible
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State pension age with back pain or arthritis? You could get a £6k a year boost
Thousands of people are claiming Attendance Allowance for back pain and arthritis and it doesn’t matter how much you have in savings. We explain the eligibility rules
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Reinvesting dividends: why it could leave you thousands better off
Dividend paying companies in your portfolio can provide a reliable income but potentially millions of investors are missing out on thousands of pounds by not reinvesting dividends
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Top 3 reasons families fight over inheritance – and how to avoid disputes
Delays in the probate process mean more cases are hitting the courts, with family tensions fizzing over as they wait for a resolution to inheritances
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Government launches full review of parental leave and pay – what could it mean for you?
The government wants parental leave to be fairer - will its shake-up fix the widespread problem for families?
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Portfolio landlords could save £8,500 by remortgaging – or risk costs soaring by £23,000
Buy-to-let landlords with multiple properties could save thousands by taking advantage of this year’s lower mortgage rates, but failing to refinance could see them hit with a £23,000 bill.
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‘Inheritance tax insurance’ enquiries are soaring – but is it worth it?
Premiums for whole of life insurance can run to £5,000 a month to cover a £300,000 inheritance tax bill, with policies costing more the older you take them out.
