Budget 2012 Proposals That Affect Financial Planning

The Chancellor's Budget proposals have been well publicised in various forms since he gave his Budget speech.  However, based on past experience we have found that our clients and others have welcomed our summary of the proposals that will have a particular impact on savings and investments and financial planning generally.

Some of these proposals will no doubt change before they are enacted.  However, it is important that financial plans are reviewed in the light of the likely changes detailed here. 

This summary also includes comments where appropriate which we hope you will find helpful.

For a copy of our Guide: Budget 2012 - Proposals that affect financial planning please click on this link.

More Important Than Groupon!

It is likely that many of you will now be familiar with Groupon UK. Their particular online service was launched in 2009 and features one daily deal on the best things to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the UK. Once you receive the information on the deal you usually have up to 24 hours to purchase it as shown by a clock which counts down the time on the page.

The end of each tax year is a bit like that in that if you want to make use of one or more of the tax allowances you have to do so before midnight on 5th April and the days and hours are counting down. However, rather than losing the chance of buying a heavily discounted meal out, which is no great loss as there will be a similar offer a week or two later; with the tax allowances it is a case of use it or lose it.

For a reminder of what you could do please refer to the Arch Blog.

Where Next For The Economy?

Pensions and Divorce

Next to the family home, the single largest asset that needs to be considered when a marriage breaks down is often the pension benefits. The Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 gave the courts of England and Wales the power to take the value of a couple’s pension rights into account when dealing with a divorce settlement.  The Act established the right of the ex-spouse to claim against the member’s pension rights.  However, it was not until the Pensions Act 1995 that it was made compulsory for pension rights to be taken into account.

There are three ways in which pension rights can be taken into account and we look at each in our new Guide.

For a copy of our Guide: Pensions and Divorce please click on this link.

If You Must Fear, Don't Fear the Stock Markets ... Fear Inflation

It has been said that we are each separated from any other person on earth on average by six steps (referred to as ‘six degrees of separation’). 

Dr Angela Merkel (she was awarded a doctorate for her thesis on quantum chemistry) is currently the longest serving leader of a G8 country and arguably the most powerful person in Europe and I was only two degrees of separation from her!

If you want to know more about why long term investors need have no fear of the stock markets please refer to the Arch Blog.