Latest articles by Laura Miller
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Family feuds over inheritances surge 61% – how to win the game of will wranglingLater inheritances, health issues and more complicated family dynamics are increasingly coming into play when it comes to fighting over the family’s fortune. Here’s what you need to know
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Twice as many taxpayers targeted in HMRC capital gains tax crackdown – could you be next?A rise in the number of capital gains tax penalties follows significant cuts to tax-free allowances, catching more taxpayers out
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More than a million pensioners set to be hit by tax on savings accountsA combination of higher interest rates and frozen tax thresholds is dragging more people into paying tax on their cash savings
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The worst London boroughs to sell a second home as investors face £16k capital gains tax billProperty investors selling up in London are benefiting from a decade’s worth of house price rises, but for many it’s resulting in higher capital gains tax bills
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4 ways HENRYs can use their pension to keep more of their six-figure incomesA £100,000 salary isn’t what it used to be, after tax and other penalties. But by putting some of your current earnings into a pension you can end up holding onto more of your income in future. Here’s what you need to know if you’re a ‘HENRY’ – High Earners but Not Rich Yet.
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NHS pensioners rush to use retire-and-return scheme – how it worksThe scheme to keep experienced staff from leaving the health service has been a success with a 300% rise in the number of people retiring and then returning to the NHS
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State pension could rise by 4.8% next year – triggering pensioner tax for first timeFrozen income tax thresholds are on a collision course with the state pension increases, dragging more pensioners into paying tax
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DIY pension investors take tax-free cash amid switch to ISAsSelf-invested personal pension (SIPP) investors are rushing to withdraw their tax-free cash and turning to ISAs amid fears of a pension tax raid in the Autumn Budget
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12 ways pensions could be reformed in Budget – including an alternative to charging IHTPension savers could face new rules after the Budget if chancellor Rachel Reeves targets their pots to fill her own fiscal black hole – what potential pension changes could be on the way?
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Charitable giving and inheritance tax: 7 tips to avoid complicationsGiving some of your estate away to charity can save your family thousands in inheritance tax. But common pitfalls could mean your chosen cause loses out and your loved ones are left with a complex nightmare to unravel. We look at how to do donations right.
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Pensioners targeted in fine wine scams – the tactics to watch forWine has emerged as the latest lure in investment fraud, with pensioners being specifically targeted by scammers
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Reeves warned against property tax shake-up – 3 ways it could backfire on first-time buyersRachel Reeves reportedly has her eye on high-end property taxes in the upcoming Budget, but there are concerns a shake-up could unintentionally hamper those trying to get on the housing ladder
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Average Brits want to retire five years before they can – who has the widest retirement gap?Brits are expecting to work for longer than ever but there are big disparities in the number of extra working years predicted. A small tweak could help close the gap
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Boom in under-18s pensions as families battle to beat inheritance tax crackdownThe number of children with pensions has jumped as grandparents and parents increase gifting to save their loved ones from inheritance tax bills
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Millions of state pension records ‘set to be deleted’ – putting thousands at risk of never getting their moneyThousands of families could miss out on money owed to them if the government deletes historic state pension records.
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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 billsLife insurance sales surged last year as families looked for ways 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 avoidFraudulent 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 forInvestors 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 friendsInteractive 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 avoidResidential 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 outPutting 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
