Cross Border Financial Planning Checklist
A Financial Planning Checklist and Top Considerations for British Expats living in America.
Navigating Retirement
Questions about the longevity of your savings or the kind of lifestyle you aspire to live post-retirement might hover in your mind. Here's our guide to navigate the intricacies of retirement planning.
Protecting Your Family
Insurance is not just about numbers and premiums; it’s about securing peace of mind. By implementing the appropriate insurance policies, you can rest assured knowing that you and your family have a financial safety net to fall back on if the unexpected should occur. This way, you prepare for the worst and ensure your and your family’s future.
The Top Fundamentals for Successful Investing
Investing serves as a mechanism for amplifying your wealth. It can assist you in expediting the repayment of your mortgage, augmenting your retirement savings or safeguarding your child’s financial future. However, before you invest your money, be ready for a long-term engagement.
Pre End Year Tax Planning
As we approach the end of the current tax year on 5 April 2024, it’s an opportune moment to examine both your personal and business finances to ensure they are structured to optimise your tax efficiency.
Guide To UK State Pension and US Social Security
In this guide it aims to summarises both the UK State Pension and US Social Security benefits and, where an individual has sufficient credits in both the UK and US to qualify for both benefits, the impact that the Windfall Elimiation Programme can have on their US Social Security entitlement.
Guide To Traditional and Roth Individual Retirement Accounts
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are forms of retirement plans, or wrappers, in the United States that provide tax advantages for retirement savings. There are multiple different types of these plans and in this guide we have focused on the two most common: Traditional IRA and Roth IRA.
Exploring Your US Retirement Options
The most common employer pensions in the United States are the 401(k) and 403 (b) plans. In this guide we have outlined a summary of your options that arise when leaving a previously funded employer retirement plan from past employment.
Tax Saving Measures
The tax landscape has witnessed considerable changes, making the situation more challenging for taxpayers and investors alike. As we near the end of the 2023/24 tax year on 5 April, every taxpayer should understand the importance of this date and consider their tax position. Don’t leave it to chance and miss the deadline.
Individual Savings
Investing in an Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a tax-efficient, flexible method for future planning. One of the most attractive features of an ISA is its tax benefits – it’s immune to both Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax on any growth within the fund or on income you withdraw.
Financial Planning For The New Year
The start of a new year is an excellent time to take stock of your financial situation and plot a course for your future wealth and security. This guide is designed to help you do just that. For many, the new year brings a list of resolutions aimed at self-improvement. If you haven’t already done so this year, why not change your routine and focus on improving your financial health?
End Of Year Tax Planning
Have you recently evaluated your personal tax situation? Is your tax structure optimised for efficiency? As we approach the end of the tax year on 5 April 2024, it presents an ideal opportunity to assess and leverage the various allowances and reliefs available to enhance your tax profile. Allocating time for this review can provide valuable insight into potential opportunities for you and your family.
Preparing Your Finances For Retirement
The landscape of pension legislation has transformed significantly in recent years, offering more freedom and choice over pension asset utilisation. However, this newfound liberty comes bundled with complexities.
Making a Will
We often avoid thinking about the inevitable, but planning ahead is crucial, especially when it comes to securing your loved ones’ futures. Writing a Will isn’t just a legal formality; it’s a way to ensure your assets are distributed per your wishes and your family is cared for even when you’re not around.
Effective Wealth Creation Strategies
Building wealth is a cherished ambition for many, yet it can often feel daunting. Success in this endeavour requires time, commitment and self-discipline, so be wary of promises of instant wealth and opportunities that seem too good to be true, as they can lead you astray.
Financial Planning In Your 50s
As you sail into your 50s, it becomes pivotal to consider your financial strategy. Life has likely found a steady rhythm by now. Each person's life journey is unique and has different resources and challenges. However, there are shared goals and steps that one can take during this stage.
Guide To Investment Bonds
In this issue, we look at investment bonds and explain how they offer several benefits that some investors may be missing out on (which have become more beneficial due to recent changes in tax regulations).
Guide to Trace A Lost Pension
Tracking down a lost pension pot can be daunting, especially if you’ve switched jobs multiple times. Here are our top tips on how to trace one.
Guide to Saving For The Next Generation
Today’s young generation is anticipated to face a future with considerably higher expenses than their parents and grandparents. Here's how you can provide a safety net for them.
Guide To Investing Essentials
Investing is a powerful tool that can help you reach your financial goals. Whether you want to grow your wealth, generate an income, or combine both, the right investment strategy is crucial. Learn about some key investing principles through our guide.
Combining Pension Drawdown With An Annuity
Choosing the most suitable investment and calculating the amount of money you can realistically afford to withdraw from your pension each year is a complex matter, and it pays to be well-informed. Download our guide to learn more about what you should consider.
Principles Of Growing Money
Investing can be an intimidating and complex topic, but it doesn’t have to be. Understanding the basic truths of investing will help you make better decisions, regardless of how much money you may or may not have.
Planning For Retirement
When it comes to retirement planning, taking into account all factors is crucial. It is important to determine your goals and dreams for the future, as this will influence the amount of money you need to save and invest and the timing of your retirement. Download our guide for our top tips.
Pensions Of Significant Value
2023 brought significant pension law changes that may affect your retirement plans. Download our guide to learn how these changes could impact your retirement plans.
Setting Up A Future For My Grand Children
Investing in the future of your grandchildren is a great way to help them prepare for their financial needs in life. By setting aside money now, you can provide them with added security and increased opportunities in the years to come.
Planning Your Retirement
Retirement planning shouldn’t be something you only consider when you’re older. Act now to ensure that your long-term goals become a reality.
Wealth Succession
Download our guide to learn how to make the right preparations for future generations.
Inheritance Tax Planning and Passing On Wealth
Learn how to best pass on your wealth whilst protecting and preserving your legacy through our inheritance tax planning guide.
Taxing Times
With the current tax year having begun on 6 April 2022, the clock is ticking and it is important to utilise all the tax reliefs and allowances available to you before 5 April 2023 in order to minimise any potential liabilities.
Individual Savings
Time is running out to take advantage of this year’s Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowances. You get one ISA allowance per tax year. Download our guide to learn how to use it or lose it soon, when the tax year ends on 5 April.
Capital Gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a form of taxation imposed on profits earned from the sale of certain types of assets. Here's how to minimise your CGT tax bill.
Financial Planning
Welcome to our ‘Guide to Revisiting your Financial Plan in 2023’. It’s the start of a new year so you might want to set yourself some financial goals. This can be anything from getting on the property ladder to retiring early, but each goal requires a plan.
Don’t Abandon Pension Contributions As Prices Rise
On this guide we look at the impact breaks in pension contributions could mean to savers by missing out on thousands of pounds in future that will mean less income during retirement.
Guide to Leaving A Tax Efficient Legacy
You’ve worked to build up your wealth. But now it’s time to make plans so your loved ones can get the most from the estate you intend to leave behind. If you think you might be affected by Inheritance Tax, it can be tempting to hold off making plans to do anything about it. But the truth is that it’s better to plan earlier for Inheritance Tax.
Guide to Retirement Matters
Today, everything is different. Not only are we living longer, healthier and more active lives, most of us can now decide when, how, and even if, we retire. It's never too early to start thinking about retirement planning. Whether you're just starting your career or you're a few years away from retirement, it's essential to start saving and investing for your future.
Guide to Investing Principles
Everyone has a different idea of what money means to them. Having a financial plan can help you get where you want to be. The reality is that investors who make the effort to plan for the future are more likely to take the steps necessary to achieve their financial goals.
Guide to Wealth Creation
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how to build a plan for financial freedom. Achieving financial independence through wealth creation is a state to which many people aspire. Financial independence means different things to different people.
Guide to Maximising Pension Savings
Many people are feeling the pressure on their finances at the moment due to the backdrop of rising inflation and the cost-of-living soaring. In these circumstances, it can be difficult to think about your long-term finances or even contemplate saving for the future. However, even in the current climate there are ways to maximise the value of any pension savings you do have.
Guide to Putting Life On Hold
Rising living costs have been so significant in recent months that most have noticed a squeeze on their monthly budgets. This might have a knock-on effect on their lifelong goals such as owning a home or retiring comfortably.
Guide to Family Protection
There are various complex risks in life that we all face, such as serious illness, an accident or death. What would happen if something were to happen to you? These are not easy questions to ask but it is important to consider what would happen if an unexpected event or accident took place.
Guide to Show Me The Money
It’s not surprising that the world of investing can seem complex, especially in the current global economic climate. Investors face an endless supply of market news, many investment choices and often-changing market conditions. There are a number of key principles that every investor should follow with the aim of building an effective long-term strategy designed to achieve their financial goals.
Guide to Getting Set For Retirement
There has rarely been a more challenging time to retire, which is why it has never been more important to understand your options. Remember, the choices you make today will have a big impact on the quality of your life later on.
Guide to Making The Most Out Of Your Future
When it comes to retirement planning, there are a lot of things to consider. First and foremost, you need to make sure that you have enough saved up to cover your costs.
Guide to Investing
Investing is one of the most important things you can do to secure your financial future. It allows you to build wealth over time, while taking advantage of compounding returns. And, by understanding some key principles, you’ll have the peace of mind knowing that you’re doing everything you can do to invest with confidence.
Guide To Building A Million Pound Pension
You will need to commit some sizeable savings to become a pension millionaire. But whatever you can afford to pay in, the sooner you start, the more chance you’ll have to reach your goal.
Navigating The Cost Of The Living Crisis
Rising inflation and increases in taxes are set to leave millions worse off in 2022. Households are already grappling with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation but budgets have been further squeezed by a raft of price and tax rises.
Fed Up With Your Nine-To-Five?
The dream of an early retirement is very much alive and kicking, but there are many factors to consider along the way and the current uncertainty about the future does not make this an easy decision. Download our guide to learn more about what you should consider before retiring.
Estate Preservation
Estate preservation is an important part of wealth management, no matter how much wealth you have built up. It’s the process of making a plan for how your assets will be distributed upon your death or incapacitation.
Building Financial Wealth
Read about the six tried and trusted principles to help you reach your investment goals and help you build your financial wealth.
UK Mortgages For Expats and Foreign Nationals
Finding the best UK mortgage deals can be tricky while living and working overseas. We help expats and foreign nationals to find the best mortgage rate for your circumstances. Download our FREE guide which cover the following topics: High Value Mortgages - Bridging Finance - Commercial Finance - Overseas International Mortgages - Residential & Buy-to-let Mortgages.
Moving To The UK
Looking to relocate or repatriate to the UK? Download our guide to learn more about everything you should consider to move your money and assets with ease, manage tax efficiently, and have a smooth return.
QROPS
A QROPS is an overseas pension scheme that (HMRC) recognises as eligible to receive transfers from registered pension schemes in the UK.
Lifetime Allowance
Lifetime allowance is a limit on the total value of pension benefits you can build up without paying a tax charge. Through our guide, learn how to avoid exceeding the limit with the right planning.
Pound Cost Averaging
When it comes to investing your money, making regular investments can offer more benefits than investing a lump sum. It may be that you don’t have a lump sum to invest, but you can afford to commit a regular monthly sum. Pound cost averaging enables you to create a more disciplined investment approach and removes some of the worry about making lump sum investments at the wrong time.
Lasting Power Of Attorney
Do you need help managing the financial affairs or health decisions of a relative? Are you concerned that failing health may leave you incapable of managing your own finances and general wellbeing? Arranging a Lasting Power of Attorney could be used to protect you and your family should the worst happen.
Invest Your Way Out Of Inflation
As higher inflation looks set to persist throughout 2022, download our guide to learn why finding ways to generate a return on investments greater than inflation will be a key investment theme – otherwise your wealth falls in real terms.
Financial Protection
Change is inevitable. It’s just a part of life. Some changes you can predict, while others you simply cannot. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a plan in place to help mitigate the impacts and protect your wealth should something change in your life, like your career, your health or even your family situation.
The State Pension
The State Pension is a vital source of income for millions of retired people across Britain. However, the system can be complex and it’s important that you know how it works. If you’re looking to maximise your income in retirement, a good place to start is with your State Pension.
NEW YEAR INVESTMENT RESOLUTIONS
When it comes to planning for your financial future, it's important that you understand all the options available to you, and that you get the right financial advice.
How Can I Protect My Assets From Inflation
Learn about the negative impact of inflation upon the real value of an investor’s portfolio and how it could be a concern, particularly for the older generation with not enough investments, who may live mostly or entirely off their savings and pensions.
A New Tax Year, A New Start For Your Finances
It’s always a good time to consider financial planning, but even more so at the start of a new tax year, when you have a fresh set of annual allowances to take advantage of. Tax rules and regulations continually change so it’s important to stay up-to-date. Create a roadmap for your future financial success.
SELF-INVESTED PERSONAL PENSION SCHEMES
A Self-Invested Personal Pension could be right for you if you are looking for a wider choice of investment options and have sufficient knowledge and experience of investing to make your own investment decisions.
Your Options at Retirement
Guide to how to turn your pension savings into an income for life. From tracing old pension pots, inflation, to top pension tips if you're about to retire and more.
Investing for Children and Grandchildren
How to set your loved ones for a brighter future. With a bit of careful thought and forward financial planning, there's a lot you can do to make sure the money you give your children and grandchildren goes as far as it can. Download to learn more.
INVESTING
Could your money be working harder so you don't have to? Our guide helps you define your financial objectives, discusses having a goal-based approach, inflation, and how to improve your chances of achieving your investment goals.
BUILD YOUR OWN FINANCIAL PLAN
This guide covers everything from how to build your financial plan, how covid may have impacted your retirement plans, pensions, intergenerational financial planning, inflation and how to create a better financial future.
Inheritance Tax
You want your loved ones to inherit as much of your wealth as possible when you die. Estate planning is about more than just tax. It is about making sure the people left behind are financially supported, that your assets are protected and that the tax your estate pays is fair.
Pension Boost
The unique combination of tax breaks and flexible access available to pensions makes them a compelling choice when saving for retirement. Download our guide to learn how you can boost your pension to get the most from it while building a better future for yourself.
Critical Illness Cover
Everybody wants to feel that, even if they were diagnosed with a critical illness, they’d be able to cope financially. Critical Illness cover can help minimise the financial impact on you and your family if you become critically ill.
Portfolio Diversification
By maintaining proper portfolio diversification and avoiding the pitfalls of market timing, you’ll have the foundation needed to help manage your overall exposure to market volatility. Download our guide to learn more.
The Future of Retirement
Retirement meant different things to different people. If you are approaching retirement age, it’s important to know if your pension is going to finance your plans. But what questions should you be asking about your retirement? Will I be able to retire when I want to? Will I run out of money? How can I guarantee the kind of retirement I want? Should I invest my retirement savings? Download our guide to learn more about these key questions.
Passing Assets Efficiently to the Next Generation
What will your legacy look like? The pandemic has led many people to reflect on their own mortality. No one wants to think about their hard-earned wealth going to waste after they die. Sorting out your finances early will help the people left behind when you die.
Six Principles of Investing
Whatever stage of life you’ve reached and whatever plans you may have for the future, you want your money to earn the best return possible without taking undue risk. That’s why it’s important to invest in a way that’s right for you and that will meet your goals.
Designing Your Own Lifestyle Plan
Successful lifestyle planning should prepare you for every possibility. Once you understand your dreams, ambitions and needs, you can take action to make sure these become a reality.
