Latest articles by Laura Miller
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How to secure a lasting legacy as you pass your money
For many, transferring wealth is more about values than money. We look at how to create a legacy that sticks.
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Where can I get pension advice?
A popular directory of pension advice professionals has closed, leaving those seeking help with their retirement unsure of where to go. We look at the options
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Zoopla: house price growth stalled in 2025 but forecasts for 1.5% higher next year
Sales soared this year with more than a million deals done but buyers drove hard bargains keeping a lid on prices. A small bounceback in valuations is predicted for 2026, depending on where you live.
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What does an interest rate cut mean for my pension?
Interest rates have been cut from 4% to 3.75%. For pension savers and retirees the effects of the drop will depend on the type of retirement pot they have, but could be significant.
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What are my retirement income options?
We’re all told to save into a pension, but there’s widespread confusion about how to take an income from our savings and investments at retirement, a new study has found. We look at your retirement income options.
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A quarter of a million more pensioners in poverty after state pension age rises – will it go higher?
When the state pension age rose to 66, the percentage of 65-year-olds in income poverty more than doubled, new research suggests
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FCA launches scam checker tool after 800,000 suspected to have lost money to fraudsters
Savers and investors can use the tool to check if a firm is the 'real deal' and is actually authorised to provide the services it is offering
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Making financial gifts to loved ones? Write it down or risk giving an IHT bill too
Giving gifts can be a way to pass on wealth and reduce the inheritance tax bill on your estate but do it wrong and you could leave family and friends more than they bargained for.
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Pension tax relief – why the taxman could owe you money
Millions of pounds in pension tax relief is going unclaimed. If you haven't yet completed your tax return ahead of the 31 January deadline, don't forget to claim any tax relief you’re owed.
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How to boost your pension pot
Retirees are at risk of falling short by 10 years or more. Here’s how you can boost your pension pot to plug the shortfall
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How Avios points work: how to collect and spend them
Avios points offer worthwhile rewards for the savvy traveller but the cost of using them is on the rise. We explain how to collect, keep track of, and make the most of your Avios points
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The new 4% rule – how much should retirees really draw from their pension in 2026?
Brits retiring in 2026 could be withdrawing too much from their pension pots if they stick to an old rule about ‘safe’ limits – with the risk of running out of money in retirement
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Leaving it too late to gift inheritances costs some of Britain’s wealthiest families £3m each
Even average Brits are being landed with huge and unexpected inheritance tax bills because of a little understood rule around gifting, new figures show
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Later life ‘brain fog’ could cost you £30,000 – and your investments may be the reason
Wealthier households are likely to lose more of their money when cognitive decline sets in, a new report finds, with exposure to the stock markets a potential cause
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FCA to lift pause on car finance complaints in May 2026
The FCA will lift the pause on car finance complaints on 31 May 2026. It is important that complaints are now dealt with promptly, the regulator said
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Will taxes rise further in the 2025 Autumn Budget?
Tax hikes in the Autumn Budget are now widely expected as the only way for the chancellor to balance the Treasury’s books but questions remain over what – and who – Rachel Reeves will target
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Low risk ways to cut your inheritance tax bill before a potential Budget crackdown
More tightening of the rules around inheritance tax – especially around gifting – could potentially be coming in the Budget. Making safe, smart use of the gifting allowances as they currently stand may be a good idea.
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More women are money savvy but wealth worried – 5 ways to boost financial confidence
Women have gained financial empowerment since 1975 but wealth and confidence lags behind. There are some simple ways everyone can build a smart money plan.
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Brits overestimate price of life insurance by 184% – how much does it really cost?
Cost is the biggest barrier to people financially protecting their loved ones with life insurance, with some estimating the cover is ‘too expensive’, but it can be much cheaper than often believed
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The financial benefits of getting married – should you say 'I do'?
Marriage may be on your mind as we approach December, the peak proposal period, but fewer couples are getting hitched, and those that are tying the knot are doing so later. There are legal, financial and tax privileges you could be giving up by not saying ‘I do’ – we look at the financial benefits of getting married
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26 million Brits at risk of retirement shortfall if state pension triple lock were to be scrapped
Current projections of pensioner poverty assume the state pension triple lock will be in place for the next 50 years. Critics say this is unlikely and revised figures showing pension undersaving among millions more people give a truer picture of the crisis
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Young pension savers expect to ‘need £100,000 plus a year’ for a good retirement
Some under 40s are aiming high for their pensions, reckoning they will need a pot big enough to generate six figures a year in retirement income, according to new research. Those much closer to taking their pension expect to need far less.
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Lasting power of attorney rejections soar 200% costing families £5 million – how to get it right
Reasons for lasting power of attorney applications being rejected include human error but can also be due to the inconsistent views of those reviewing the application.
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Lloyds refunds customers £2 million using chargeback – here’s how it works
More than 40,000 Lloyds customers got their money back when goods didn’t arrive as described, using the chargeback scheme. We look at how chargeback works and ways to protect yourself when shopping online.
