I was a bit disappointed that Gary Lineker didn't feature at all in today's Budget, but his name did make an appearance in Prime Minister's Questions which preceded it, so that will have to do. We were expecting (hoping) for a "boring Budget" (Jeremy Hunt's words, not ours). And in many ways it was. However, there were some big, unexpected changes to pension rules, so much...
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The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has recently introduced a new Pension Transfer Gold Standard, to help ensure the highest-quality advice for clients considering whether to transfer out of a final salary pension scheme. Given our similar commitment to excellence, Kennedy Black Wealth Management is very proud to be able to comply with this new standard. Final salary pension transfers have become increasingly popular in recent years, as...
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Following his announcement in the last Autumn Statement, Philip Hammond today gave his first Spring Budget, but also his last Spring Budget. He will announce his first Autumn Budget later in the year, followed by a new Spring Statement, which will apparently be nothing like the old Autumn Statements. In the context of Brexit and the upcoming triggering of Article 50, this was always likely to...
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of the Kennedy Black Quarterly Private Client Newsletter. First off, we are delighted to be able to say that Kennedy Black Wealth Management recently won not one but two prestigious awards: Boutique Wealth Management Firm of the Year and Financial Planning Product of the Year (for our INTELLIGENT WEALTH MAP planning tool). As well as that announcement, we also cover a few interesting...
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As we approach the end of the tax year, Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) and “Seed EIS” (SEIS) will be high up the agenda for a number of our clients. These are high-risk investment vehicles that attract significant tax benefits because they invest in small businesses. The government has repeatedly asserted its commitment to EIS in recent years. While tax avoidance has become a sensitive issue lately,...
Read MoreGeorge Osborne announced his half-yearly Budget yesterday. This is, in fact, his third visit to the despatch box this year after the Budget in April and the Summer Budget in July. The build-up was very much focused on the continuation of Mr Osborne’s austerity measures. There was plenty of that, as well as a few items that our clients are likely to find interesting. However, given the...
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of the Kennedy Black Quarterly Private Client Newsletter. We summarise yesterday's Autumn Statement, we talk about Enterprise Investment Schemes (EIS) and when they seem to make most sense. Plus we look at a couple of insurance-based topics, including why you need to be careful about relying on employer-based protection cover. November 2015 KBWM Private Client Newsletter Don't hesitate to get in touch if you...
Read MoreAs the first Budget from a majority Conservative government since 1996, this was always likely to be an interesting exercise. Buy-to-Let properties: For a lot of our clients, the biggest bombshell relates to the tax relief on Buy-to-Let mortgage interest payments. This will be restricted to basic-rate income tax, phased in over a period of four years starting in April 2017. This continues what we perceive...
Read MoreWelcome to the latest edition of the Kennedy Black Quarterly Private Client Newsletter. In this edition we are delighted to be able to announce the launch of our brand new in-house will-writing service. After endless meetings with clients trying to drill home the importance of having a Will, we have decided to take matters into our own hands. And we wouldn’t want to starve your thirst for pension...
Read MoreThe election took most people by surprise, not least Baroness Ros Altmann who was swiftly invited to the post of Pensions Minister. Baroness Altmann is a well-known figure in the pension community and the industry broadly applauded the appointment. It is good to see someone with direct pensions experience given responsibility for our ever- more-complex pensions system. It is also encouraging to note that Baroness Altmann agrees with our...
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