Latest articles by Laura Miller
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More retirees are buying inflation-protected annuities. What are they and how do they work?
Sales of annuities where the income on offer increases every year have surged – and more people are also taking up enhanced rates that are higher due to illness
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Inheritance tax raid sees families rush to take out life insurance to pay death bills
Life insurance sales surged last year as families looked for ways to to pay inheritance tax bills, following the Autumn Budget announcement that more assets could be charged
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Families paying up to £5k for fake ‘asset protection’ trusts – warning signs to avoid
Fraudulent schemes are being misused, offer no real protection and can trigger unintended legal and tax consequences, lawyers have warned
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Pensioners cash out at double the recommended rate – are you ignoring the 4% rule?
A dash-to-drawdown is happening since last year’s Budget announcement that pensions will soon be subject to inheritance tax as pensioners ignore so-called ‘safe’ withdrawal limits
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Would you give up takeaways, Netflix and the gym for a £157k bigger pension?
Small extra savings into your pension could boost your final pot by tens of thousands of pounds – but at the cost of giving up some of our favourite pleasures today. Would you do it?
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Fresh warning over high-risk mini-bond investments – what to watch out for
Investors are being enticed by promises of high, often guaranteed, returns but buying investments from unregulated firms offers fewer protections when something goes wrong. Here’s what to look out for with mini-bonds.
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Investment clubs thrown lifeline after account closures – how to invest with friends
Interactive Investors’ decision to stop providing accounts to investment clubs put the novice trading groups at risk, but a new player has swooped in to enter the market and continue kitchen table trading
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Landlord tax investigations net HMRC record £107m – the pitfalls to avoid
Residential landlords had to pay an average of £13,713 each in tax from undisclosed rental income last year, the highest amount since a crackdown began a little over a decade ago
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Half of Baby Boomers don’t know how much is in their pension – here’s how to find out
Putting a figure on how much you have in pension savings now makes it much easier to work out how much you can drawdown each year in retirement without running out of money
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Should you fix your mortgage or opt for a variable rate?
With the Bank of England pausing its rate cutting for now, homeowners remortgaging this year must choose between the stability of a fixed mortgage or the chance to benefit from future rate cuts on a variable rate deal.
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Cash ISA savings surged to £70 billion as savers grabbed higher rates – but could the best deals be disappearing?
Almost 10 million people put money in cash ISAs in 2023/24 as UK interest rates climbed to 5.25% – but a series of cuts could mean inflation is eating away at your savings now
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Families suffer £20,000 lost income growth – are you feeling the pinch?
Average incomes for working age families have increased by just 7% in the past two decades, research suggests
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State pension age rises hurt this group the most – should we be working longer?
The government wants us working longer to boost the economy and reduce the state pension bill – but previous increases in state pension age have not been felt equally
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How to sell a property that floods – ways to avoid a 31% hit to your asking price
Flood risks can knock up to a third off the value of your home when you come to sell but there are ways to soften to blow
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Thousands of savers with £250k pensions take cash over tax-free money and IHT fears
With a record £70 billion withdrawn from pensions in the year to March, experts are concerned savers are making knee-jerk decisions without advice that could affect their long term wealth
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5 ways your boss can help boost your pension
Workplaces have a huge opportunity to make employees more aware of their pension options throughout their career – here’s how your employer can help boost your pot to help give you a more comfortable retirement
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Car finance compensation: FCA warns drivers against using rip off claims firms for share of £18bn
The FCA estimates most eligible motorists will receive around £950 in compensation per agreement – and said they won’t need a claims management company or law firm to access a redress scheme
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Landlords forecast to exit BTL market in droves – has the exodus started?
Smaller landlords are selling up in their tens of thousands, according to brokers, findings echoed by higher capital gains tax receipts on property. Is the era of the amateur landlord over?
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The 2% trick – how tiny pension top ups could add thousands to your retirement
A third of UK adults have increased their monthly pension contributions beyond the minimum, according to new research, putting them in line for a more comfortable retirement
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HMRC toughens checks on pension tax relief claims – could you be missing out on extra money?
The change is going to be a pain for some higher and additional rate taxpayers who are used to claiming already and who will now need to do some extra legwork
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Are you likely to run out of money in retirement?
Working out how much to withdraw from a pension can be tricky given the uncertainty when planning for living costs, investment returns and longevity.
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Which is best – buy-to-let or shares?
Buy-to-let property used to be a great investment, but it’s no longer a sure-fire way to make money.
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Disposable income divide – areas with the most and least cash at the end of the month
Not much left over after you’ve paid all your bills? You could be living in a low financial resilience area. Here’s what to do about it – and the picture across the country.
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How much do solar panels cost in the UK - and are they worth installing?
Solar panels are set to be at the forefront of the government’s plans to make the UK economy greener. But are they cost effective?
