“I’ll invest when the market feels more stable.” That line, or some version of it, has been echoing in conversations all year. And I get it. When you've just watched markets tumble, it’s tempting to wait for a ‘green light’ before stepping back in. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the market doesn’t flash a signal […]
There’s something oddly enduring about the debate between property and pensions, as if, decades later, we’re all still trying to pick a team. For many UK expats, especially those living in places like Thailand or southern Europe, the pull of “bricks and mortar” feels natural. It’s tangible, it’s lifestyle-driven, and it can even double as […]
Stop Hoping, Start Planning Most people don’t deliberately avoid planning for retirement; it just slips further down the to-do list. Life is busy, pensions feel complicated, and there’s always a quiet assumption that the government will step in. The reality is that state support was never designed to provide a full retirement income, and without […]
For years, pensions have been the quiet hero of estate planning: tax-friendly, reliable, and mostly out of the inheritance tax firing line. But from April 2027, that peace of mind takes a knock. Unused pension savings will fall within the UK’s inheritance tax net, and due to the way the tax layers stack, your loved […]
It’s been an eventful first six months of 2025 to say the least. Central bank shifts, surprise inflation data and a couple of geopolitical curveballs in the mix. Having your money spread across countries means you've probably felt the repercussions. The economic headlines ripple right through pension pots, property plans, and everyday spending. Whether you’re […]
The Year to Recalibrate If you've glanced at pension headlines recently, you might have seen a lot of noise – lifetime allowance scrapped here, inflation-adjusted thresholds there. It sounds like chaos. But here’s the upside: 2025 could be one of the best years in recent memory to rebuild your pension strategy around today’s rules, especially […]
When most people think about tax, they focus on the headline rates: 20%, 40% and 45%. What people often overlook is the effective tax rate - the actual rate you end up paying on each extra pound you earn, once all the oddities in the system are taken into account. One of the most surprising […]
Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spring Statement, delivered on 26 March 2025, was less about big announcements and more about setting a tone: steady, serious, and focused on long-term discipline. With sluggish growth, rising borrowing costs, and global uncertainty all weighing on the economy, the message was clear - now is the time to protect public finances […]
The Bank of England has dropped the base rate from 4.75% to 4.5%, but what does the rest of 2025 hold for the UK and global economies? With significant changes on the horizon, interest rates will largely shape the financial landscape for individuals in the UK and beyond. By understanding global interest rate trends, forecasts, […]
As we leave behind the turbulence of 2024, the first quarter of 2025 presents a fresh opportunity to reassess and refine your financial strategies for what’s shaping up to be a year of economic uncertainty. By understanding key economic trends, political developments, and global shifts, you’ll have the insight needed to safeguard and build your […]
