Government Reversal
The Government has reversed plans to impose inheritance tax (IHT) on farms worth in excess of £1 million. The level of the Agricultural and Business Property Relief threshold will now be set at £2.5 million for individuals or up £5 million for married couples when it becomes law in April this year. Above this threshold, 50% relief (effective IHT rate of 20%) will still apply to qualifying assets. The Government asserts…
Potential Fraud
The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO), which is an independent pensions complaints arbitration service, has spoken out over potential fraudulent letters. The service has warned that it is aware people have received fake letters purporting to be from the TPO about a “failed investment”. The TPO’s site states: “These letters are not genuine, and the telephone number is not TPO’s. TPO is a free service and would never ask for your bank details or…
Unexpected Inflation
UK inflation increased to 3.4% in the 12 months to December 2025, based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase in price changes was unexpected, and the first rise in five months, as price rises slowed in the second half of 2025. Among the chief drivers of the surprise uptick were alcohol and tobacco duty increases, rising airfares and food cost increases.…
Organising your Finances for 2026 – Part 2 – Savings
Having savings gives you financial security, acting as safety net for unexpected emergencies. Whether these crop up in the form of a broken boiler, a mechanical issue with your car, or emergency new trainers for your child that lost theirs, having a pot of money you have saved up to meet these costs means you can breathe more easily. Alternatively, savings can be used to achieve long-term goals such…
Organising your Finances for 2026 – Part 1 – Budgeting
The start of a new year is a great time to take a look at your finances and create a plan for you to have a strong financial year. We recommend starting this process by setting yourself a budget. Then you can truly see where your money goes and what changes you could make that will put yourself in the best position. The first step to doing this is…
Main Points from the Autumn Budget
Yesterday, Rachel Reeves announced some new changes to the UK’s fiscal landscape. We will go through the headline changes below: Mansion Tax Any home above the value of £2 million will have an additional council tax (dubbed a ‘mansion tax’) of at least £2,500 a year. If the value of the home is above £5 million then the yearly charge will be upwards of £7,500. It will hit approximately…
Is it time to End the Triple Lock?
Whether the triple lock is a “good thing” is debated, as it benefits pensioners by increasing their State Pension to keep up with inflation and earnings, but it creates significant uncertainty for government finances and can increase inequality with working-age people. Pensioners benefit from higher payments, but critics argue the rising cost to taxpayers is not sustainable and that it may widen the gap between pensioners and the working-age population.…
Mothers Fall Behind
New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) make stark reading for families planning for their long-term finances. On average, five years after having a first child, a mothers’ monthly earnings are 42% lower than the year before the birth — a reduction of about £1,051 per month. This represents a cumulative earnings shortfall of around £65,618 over that five-year period. The ONS also estimates that the arrival…
Child Benefit
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has launched a new system to calculate and collect the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC). The update affects families where one or both parents earn between £60,000 and £80,000 a year each and claim child benefit payments. For every extra £100 a parent earns above £60,000, they lose 1% of the payments they’re entitled to per child. At £80,000 of earnings, the full benefit…
UK has Highest Inflation of G7
The UK is on course to have the highest inflation rate among the G7 nations this year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Paris-based body’s latest forecasts show that prices in Britain are set to rise faster than in other major advanced economies, adding fresh pressure on the government ahead of November’s Budget. The OECD expects UK inflation to remain stubbornly high compared with…
