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How true are recent media headlines that fewer than one in ten will enjoy a comfortable retirement? As meteorological summer started with heavy rain, a further dampener was put on proceedings by a storm of media headlines thundering that only 9% of people could look forward to a ‘comfortable’ retirement. As is often the case […]

HMRC has published fresh information on the mechanics of collecting inheritance tax (IHT) on pensions. In the October 2024 Budget, the Chancellor announced that most pension death benefits would become potentially liable for IHT from 6 April 2027. However, it was not until March 2026 that the relevant primary legislation was passed into law. Even […]

Talk of a wealth tax has returned as another difficult Autumn Budget looms. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was much talk of a wealth tax to fill the hole that had been created in the government’s coffers. At the end of 2020, a Wealth Tax Commission, independent of the government, published a […]

One element of the Chancellor’s ‘Great British Summer Saving’ package was an increase in tax-free mileage rates. There is a curious divide in the way in which HMRC deals with cars used by employees for business: Company cars These days, few employers that provide company cars also supply ‘free fuel’ (petrol or diesel) to their […]

The world’s investment markets survived the first half of 2026 better than expected. Consider that you were told at the start of 2026 that by the end of June: The conflict involving Israel, the US and Iran that began at the end of February would still be unresolved. The UK would be on the verge […]

The Treasury has announced a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of unclaimed Child Trust Funds. On 4 July 2026, the US government will officially launch Trump Accounts. While not another White House-linked cryptocurrency ‘investment’, these are new savings plans for children born between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2028 – roughly covering […]