Home aspects

Close to home - planning also includes your home and may extend to the children, trusts, and maybe even financial planning in the event of separation and divorce.

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Buying a house

Buying a house can be a stressful and complicated process, with a number of potential obstacles along the way. With the financial crisis resulting in the reduction in the value of property and the tightening of mortgage lending criteria, the decision to buy a house for the first time or trade up has been made even more difficult, or maybe impossible.

Which mortgage? How much can you borrow?

Taking out a mortgage on a property is a significant financial decision. For many people it represents the largest amount of money they will borrow in their lifetime, so it is particularly important to make an informed decision about which mortgage is best for you.

Insuring your home

The key aim of insurance policies is to provide financial protection for the various eventualities which can happen in life. Knowing you are covered in the event of an accident offers peace of mind and financial security.

Tax aspects of your home

How does taxation impact on your home?

Working from home

Some people work at home; others see the home base as the perfect solution to a noisy office, endless interruptions, or a long and expensive commute. But if you are thinking of leaving the office on a permanent basis, there are a number of questions you must first consider.

Home-working expenses

If you work at home, you will want to claim the extra costs of running a home office on your tax return, or from your employer. There are different rules for different taxpayers and what can be claimed will also depend on your employment status.

Student fees

Recent changes are increasing the likely debt students will have at the conclusion of their education.

Planning for you and your family

No matter what your age, personal or financial status, you will have dreams, and expectations. With the impact of the ongoing flat economy also necessitating further review, we can advise and help you plan how to make your goals a reality.

Separation and divorce

It is an unfortunate fact of modern life that many marriages do not survive. When separation, divorce or dissolution occurs, there will almost inevitably be some tax consequences.

The Universal Credit

Plans for the Universal Credit (UC) were first announced in 2010. UC will replace a raft of existing benefits and commences in October 2013. The new credit system will be administered online and is intended to streamline the benefits system:

Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit

These tax credits replaced Working Families' Tax Credit, Disabled Person's Tax Credit and Children's Tax Credit and the child-related elements of Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance. These operate until 2014 for existing claimants.

Choosing travel insurance

Holidays are a time to relax and enjoy yourself. A travel insurance policy can help you to do that, by offering financial protection and peace of mind in the event of an accident, ill health, or loss of property.

Rights for working parents

Being a parent is not easy, but neither is being an employer of parents. Although the requirement to pay tax credits through the payroll to employees has now ceased, there are several forthcoming changes to employment law which are designed to help working parents, and for which employers need to start planning now.

Why you need a lasting power of attorney

The loss of the bread winner can be devastating to any family. One of the steps you can take to reduce the problems your family will face after your death is to leave a Will, appointing the people you wish to administer your estate and setting out exactly what you wish them to do.

Family trusts

A trust (settlement) arises when a person (the settlor) transfers assets to trustees, who hold the assets for the benefit of one or more persons (the beneficiaries), who will receive income and/or capital from the trust.

Insuring your car

If you drive a car, motorbike or other motorised vehicle, there is a legal requirement under the Road Traffic Act that you take out a motor insurance policy.

Giving to charity

Gift Aid is the main vehicle for tax efficient giving to charities. It applies to any donation whether large or small, regular or one-off.

Keeping the cost of fuel down

These days, it seems, barely a month goes by without some event triggering a fluctuation in the cost of fuel and the combination of decreasing global supplies of oil, increasing instability in strategic areas of the world, and stubborn Government policies points to increasing fuel costs in the future.

Funding your children's education, a £45,000+ debt?

Every parent wants to give their children the best possible start in life - but the prospect of funding a child's education right through to university can be daunting. However, with careful planning and good advice, you can minimise those education headaches.