Early end to the tax year? Get your skates on to fulfil your allowances
The tax year ends on 5 April, but thanks to the Easter holiday, many won’t be around to process that last minute deposit this year. Therefore, now is the time to be planning this so you don’t miss the deadline.
The last day of the tax year is always 5 April, with the tax year 2021/22 starting on 6 April. But a quirk in the annual public holidays this year means that 5 April is the Easter Monday bank holiday.
On top of that, the Friday before, 2 April, is also a bank holiday. This means realistically if there is anything you need to get sorted; it should be arranged before the last working day – 1 April.
With that in mind, there are several allowances and limits you need to look at to be ready for the unusually early tax year end.
Pension - Make sure you’ve contributed as much as you can to a pension. The annual limit is £40,000 per person. If you’ve maxed yours and have spare cash, consider adding to a spouse’s annual allowance if they have spare.
ISA - Make sure you’ve topped up your ISAs to their maximum potential of £20,000.
JISA - If you have kids under 18, make sure they’ve had their full allowance contribution. The allowance was more than doubled last year from £4,368 to £9,000 – if you’ve missed that it would be easy to not realise you could add more.
CGT – Make sure if you have any investments or assets that are due for disposal that you do it ahead of the new tax year to maximise your £12,300 allowance. This is especially important in light of possible CGT changes from the government
State pension – Less well-known but still important is if you’ve missed any National Insurance contributions in the last five years and would like to make up the difference. You can do so by paying for extra State Pension entitlement. It’s important to note that this has a limit of six years for the end of the tax year for which the contributions are paid.
Marriage allowance – If your spouse earns under the annual allowance of £12,500 you can transfer up to £1,250 to them each year to spread the load. Marriage tax allowance can be claimed back up to five years assuming you qualified in each of those years.
IHT – Every year you have an allowance of £3,000 for cash gifts. If you miss a year you can carry it forward, but only for 12 months. You can also gift £5,000 to a child getting married, or £2,500 to a grandchild.
If you think you need to fulfil any of these allowances before 1 April, get in touch with your adviser right away to discuss your options.
Too late to beat the stamp duty deadline?
If you’re buying a home, time is ticking if you want to take advantage of the Government’s stamp duty holiday and save yourself up to £15,000. The tax break means that anyone buying a home worth up to £500,000 doesn’t have to pay property taxes. However, after 31 March, the threshold reverts back to £125,000, meaning you will have to pay potentially thousands more in taxes.
While anecdotal, there are some indications that the property market is cooling as the deadline looms and people abandon hope of making it across the line. Halifax Bank for instance published its latest house price figures showing asking prices suffered their biggest fall in January since April 2020. There is also a question hanging over the market as to whether Rishi Sunak will extend the holiday. At the time of writing, a chorus of voices is assembling calling on the Chancellor to extend the holiday and avoid a cliff edge.
Ways to beat the deadline
Unfortunately, we won’t know until 3 March what the Chancellor decides (read our full piece on 'what’s in store for the Budget'). With that in mind, and less than two months to go until the deadline, have you missed the boat? And what can you do to ensure that your purchase completes on time? If you haven’t already started the purchase process, then in all honesty the likelihood that you’ll beat the deadline now is slim, unless you’re buying with cash and are not part of a chain. However, if you are part way through the process, here is what you can do to speed things up.
Find a solicitor with capacity - Many property lawyers, or conveyancers, are reporting that they are swamped at the moment because of the wave of buyers looking to beat the deadline. If you don’t have a conveyancer lined up, then call around until you find a reputable one that has the capacity to complete all of the necessary paperwork by the deadline.
Book your survey as soon as possible - A survey is a vital part of the homebuying process and can’t be skipped. Like conveyancers, surveyors are likely to be very busy right now. Take the initiative and line one up as soon as you possibly can.
Stay in regular contact with your estate agent - As time is not on your side, your estate agent will be one of your best friends over the next few weeks. If you’re relying on the stamp duty savings, and are in a chain, tell your estate agent to stress to the others in that chain that it’s vitally important to work as quickly as possible. That’s a little bit out of your control, but it may inspire a bit of urgency to others in the chain.
Get expert mortgage advice - A good mortgage broker will not only find you a good interest rate, but they will also be able to tell you which lenders are suffering delays and which ones can give you an offer quickly. Ask you adviser what documents you need at the very beginning so you can save time further down the road.
Be organised and pushy - Your broker, solicitor, lender and surveyor all have a vital role to play in making sure you beat the deadline, but so do you. It’s your job to make sure that you act quickly and provide the necessary documents as quickly as possible when asked for them. And if things are delayed, don’t be afraid to apply pressure on whichever part is holding things up.
If you’re ultimately unsure at whether it is worth it to try and beat the rush or perhaps wait and see if the Chancellor gives you extra time, get in touch to discuss your options.
Spring Budget 2021: what to expect in Rishi Sunak’s financial address
Rishi Sunak delivers his second Budget on 3 March against the backdrop of record government spending and escalating national debt. There is much speculation that the Chancellor will use the Budget to balance the books and introduce tax hikes. Increases to income tax and VAT seem to be off the table, as it could hinder much-needed economic growth. However, there are a number of other lesser-known rates that he could target that would produce significant windfalls for HM Treasury – so called stealth taxes.
Capital Gains Tax
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) – the levy you have to pay when you make a profit on an asset sale –is one tax thought to be in Sunak’s sights. CGT is currently charged at 10% for basic rate taxpayers and 20% for higher rate payers. This rises to 18% or 28% respectively if you’re selling a second property. It is thought the Treasury is toying with the idea of reforming the tax, bringing it in line with income tax. That would mean raising the rates to 20% for basic rate taxpayers and 40% for higher rate taxpayers. According to a review by the Office for Tax Simplification this could net an extra £14 billion for the Treasury, and bring to an end what it calls various ‘distortions’ caused by differing rates between CGT and income tax.
Pensions tax relief
Pensions tax relief reform is something that has been discussed in political circles for some time. The relief is designed to incentivise people to save for their retirement by diverting some of the money you would have paid in tax into your pension instead. At present, higher rate taxpayers have a better deal, gaining 40% relief on their pension contributions, compared to 20% for basic rate taxpayers. It has been suggested the Treasury could introduce a flat 20% rate of relief, saving it more than £20bn a year.
Property wealth tax
HM Treasury is said to be looking at the idea of an annual property ‘levy’ or wealth tax. This would replace council tax and stamp duty completely and be revenue neutral – meaning that the treasury would not bring in extra cash from the changes. It would, however, hit hardest those people living in areas where house prices are higher, such as London and the South East. A 0.48% annual levy has been proposed. A homeowner in London with a property worth £516,000 – the average for the area – could expect to pay £2477 a year under the new system. Someone with a property worth £140,000 in North East of England would pay just £672.
One-off wealth tax
Another idea recently touted was that of a one-off wealth tax – amounting to 5% of an individual’s wealth, paid in 1% increments over five years. The plans, suggested by the Wealth Tax Commission, would see anyone with wealth over £500,000 impacted. This idea is however less likely to gain traction than others, considering the Conservative Party’s generally reticent attitude to creating new taxes, particularly on older, wealthier voters.
While these ideas have all been either leaked or touted in the press in one way or another, none are guaranteed as of yet. If you would like to discuss the potential implications of any of these changes with your adviser, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Upcoming Webinar on Mental Health
We're holding a webinar on the subject of 'Investing in our Mental Health - helping you to manage mental security for the future' on Thursday, 11th March 2021 at 2pm.
Topics to be covered in the webinar
- What is mental health - the basic principles
- When, how and why does our mental health change?
- How can we tune in to the challenges others are experiencing
- Widening our understanding of self-care
What you will take away from the webinar
- A better understanding of what mental health looks like today
- How to identify with behaviours of loved ones around you that don't even know they are displaying signs
- A more practical understanding of how you can support yourself and others
Speaker: Matt Holman, Simpila
About Matt:
In 2016 following a personal mental health challenge Matt changed his career and committed to helping others who are struggling with the demands of the world. His company, Simpila is dedicated to making a difference in the world and enhancing the awareness, education and support for mental health across companies and society.
In 2017 working with friends in their company Happiful, Matt was the publisher of Happiful Magazine, the first magazine devoted to promoting positive mental health. The magazine now has in excess of 100,000 subscribers.
In 2020, Matt was recognised by Buying Business Travel Magazine Hotlist 2020 as a Global Influencer, alongside major travel suppliers and Greta Thunberg, focusing his energy to support the impact business travel can have on mental wellbeing. Matt is also the co-founder of the Global Business Travel Wellbeing Community.
Webinar Joining Instructions
To join the webinar all you will need is a web browser and Internet access.
To join the webinar, simply click on the link below:
You’ll then be taken to the registration page where you will need to enter your name and email address and then click the ‘Enter’ button.
You will then be in the webinar waiting room, ready for the meeting to begin. When the meeting begins, you’ll see the presenter on your screen.
Joining by mobile phone
Please note that if you intend to join the webinar by mobile phone, you will need to download the ClickMeeting Webinars app in advance. The phone access pin for the webinar is: 222642844#
PLEASE NOTE:
The webinar system does not support Internet Explorer. For a flawless webinar experience please use the latest versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera or Edge browser.
Also, where possible please use a fast and strong Internet connection and turn off any unneeded browser tabs and apps during the webinar.
There's also a video with full instructions of how to join via your laptop, desktop or mobile phone.
What does the Brexit deal mean for your finances?
After more than four years since the 2016 referendum, the UK and the European Union have agreed a Brexit trade deal. But while a compromise has been found, the divorce may still have far-reaching consequences for the money in your pocket. So now a deal is in place, it’s a good time to take stock of your finances and ensure they are in a solid position now the UK has left the bloc.
Time to look again at the FTSE 100?
The FTSE 100, the UK’s index of blue-chip companies, has lagged behind large international rivals since the referendum vote, particularly last year. The combination of Brexit uncertainty and coronavirus caused the UK’s leading index to plunge 14.3% in 2020 – its worst year since 2008. By comparison, China’s CSI 300 rocketed 27% last year, while the US’s S&P 500 and Japan’s Nikkei indices ended the year up roughly 16%. But what happens now the UK has a deal in place with the EU? Could we see a FTSE 100 resurgence? As ever, it depends on who you ask.
Some experts believe investor sentiment towards unloved UK firms could improve now a deal is in place, which could lead to higher share prices. However, others believe the FTSE’s lack of fast-growing technology companies will continue to hold it back, while COVID-19 may act as a drag in the short term. A resurgent pound on the back of the Brexit deal could also dent the profits of the many firms listed on the FTSE 100 that earn the bulk of their revenues in dollars or euros. As for smaller companies (i.e.: those listed on the FTSE 250 and AIM indices), a deal provides more certainty, which may help share prices.
Will I get more on my savings?
Now England is back in a national lockdown, it’s likely the Bank of England will keep rates at 0.1% to support the economy. Unfortunately, if you have a savings account, it means you will probably continue to get a poor rate on your cash for some time yet. That said, most experts recommend keeping between three and six months’ worth of outgoings in an easy-access cash savings account to cover emergencies.
Is my pension still safe?
There are roughly 1.3 million Brits living on the continent, many of them with private pensions with UK providers, according to the United Nations. While the Brexit trade deal does not cover pension products directly, the UK and EU are about to begin talks about how they will co-operate on financial services products in the future. The Brexit deal on goods gives hope that they will come to an agreement that doesn’t hurt those with financial assets such as pensions or property on either side of the English Channel.
But for now, the best advice is: sit tight and don’t panic. However, if you are after peace of mind, then it’s worth speaking to your financial adviser about any of the themes mentioned and options for your money as we move on from life in the EU.
Multi-year lows, record highs, and a pandemic – 2020 by the numbers
2020 was a year like no other. A global pandemic the likes of which has not been witnessed in our lifetimes changed the way the world works, and had a huge impact on global markets.
A huge decline in the first few months for most equity markets, and a rush to buy protection in the form of bonds and gold, was followed by record stimulus across the world from central banks as governments shelled out to companies to furlough staff.
Equities rebounded, with major markets including the US jumping to record highs. Bonds, meanwhile, move into negative territory, with many bonds now charging investors interest to hold them (rather than paying them an income).
Let’s not forget alternatives either. Gold, regarded as the ultimate safe haven, soared to a record peak above $2,000, and remains near there today. Meanwhile crypto currencies like Bitcoin saw unprecedented buying, more than quadrupling from lows in some cases, particularly as institutional investors started entering the market.
The numbers themselves are stark, and here are some of the highlights.
Equity markets break new records
US equity markets endured a bleak start to 2020, only to surge back in the second half as its huge weighting to technology stocks won out in the switch to working from home. In total, the S&P 500 rose 18.4% last year, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq index gained more than 40%. China, where the coronavirus pandemic began, also saw impressive gains in 2020, with the MSCI China index up almost 25%.
There were losers though, even as US markets smashed through record highs. The UK, blighted by both the pandemic and Brexit, struggled to make headway, with the FTSE 100 index shedding 15%, despite rallying off lows as the country reopened after the first lockdown.
A quarter of the world’s investment grade bonds now have a negative yield
As equities rallied, demand for safe haven bonds remained very much a priority for many investors (bolstered by central bank buying). By mid-December some $18.4trn of bonds were trading with a negative yield according to Bloomberg, with only US government bonds managing to still trade with positive yields across all time-horizons.
Gold
Having already risen substantially in 2019, gold’s meteoric rise continued in 2020, spurred by central banks buying up bonds by issuing more debt, and thus weakening their own financial positions. The precious metal jumped by more than 20% over the course of the year to leave the gold price just shy of $1,900 (a level it is not trading above). In truth, it could have been even better for gold, with the price actually rising above the $2,000 mark at one stage last year, before retreating late on.
Even with a year like 2020 behind us there are still many permutations of the coronavirus crisis left, meaning there is no doubt the next 12 months in markets are set to be as eventful as the last. If you would like to discuss any of the themes and ideas in this article don’t hesitate to get in touch with your adviser.
Could the government tax over 40s to fund social care? Here’s how to prepare for later life costs
Former Health Secretary, now Chair of the Health and Social care parliamentary committee, Jeremy Hunt, has called on the government to introduce a social care tax on the over 40s. But you shouldn’t wait for the government to act, instead planning for the future and maximising your retirement pot now.
Reform of how social care is paid for and managed has been fermenting in the agenda of the government for some time. From Theresa May’s ill-fated plans in 2017, to the social care green paper stuck unpublished while the government fights more immediate fires, there are still more questions than answers. In July last year The Guardian reported that Health Secretary Matt Hancock was in favour of a social care tax plan for the over 40s being looked at by government departments. But events have overtaken long-term issues and plans have been on backburners since.
Government ideas
One possibility is raising an age-specific levy or ‘hypothecated’ tax on anyone over the age of 40. This would take a specific amount in tax and the money would be ringfenced to cover the cost of social care, which is currently absorbed by general taxation, but is ballooning in size as our population ages. The government is said to be looking at the experiences of Japan and Germany in funding social care costs. In Germany for example, all workers over the age of 40 pay 1.5% of their annual salary into a ringfenced social care fund. Funds can then be accessed later in life to pay for services such as in-home care or even care home costs.
Another more controversial proposal though is compulsory social care insurance. This would compel those over the age of 40 to take out some form of protection product that would effectively insure themselves against any potential future cost of care. Such a proposal would be inherently more controversial because it would rely on insurance market dynamics and consumer choice to pick policies and decide how much to pay into an individual fund.
Personal choices
In the meantime, it makes sense to ensure you’re doing all you can to prepare financially for any outcome in later life. Research routinely finds that people underestimate, vastly, the cost of later-life care and the possibility that they might need it. A 2019 Which? survey found that people on average underestimated the cost of later life care by around £17,000. Government plans are still at an embryonic stage, and while it will likely come back into focus once the worst of the pandemic is past, for now the most important act individuals can take is to maximise their long-term savings into pensions and ISA as much as possible and making money work harder to leave them with larger pots on retirement.
Pensions and ISAs in particular are an important insurance policy when in retirement as these are much more likely to be easy to liquidate when you need money later in life. If you have any questions around the cost of care in later life or how to prepare your portfolio and would like to discuss these themes further, get in touch with your adviser.
Three top tips for getting your portfolio primed for 2021
It’s the time of year again when we’re thinking about New Year’s resolutions, whether it be getting more exercise, spending more time with our children or taking up a new hobby. But the start of the year is also a great opportunity to take a look at your portfolio, to ensure it is doing what it should be but also to ensure it is setup correctly to weather the current environment.
Below are three things you should be considering right now to ensure your portfolio is in tip-top shape for 2021.
Time to rebalance
While many sectors have struggled through coronavirus, Big Tech – or specifically US tech – has boomed, earning investors a small fortune in the process. That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean that your portfolio now may be a little tech-heavy because of the profits you have made over the past year. Therefore, it’s worth taking a close look at your holdings and deciding whether it’s best to cash in some of your profits on your US tech stocks and using it to rebalance your portfolio a little. For example, you may decide you want to take some of that money and invest in emerging market equities, unloved UK stocks or classic defensive stocks that tend to perform well in volatile markets.
Reassess your goals
It’s always a good idea to reassess your investment goals from time to time, so why not at the start of a new year? The chances are your life has changed considerably since you first opened your stocks and shares ISA or your general investing account. You may have got married, had children, started a new career or bought a new house. If that’s the case, you may need to reassess your long-term savings goals and work out if your portfolio is geared up to achieve them.
Protect yourself against inflation
As well as being devastating for health and the economy, coronavirus – and multiple lockdowns that have accompanied it – has had a huge impact on our spending habits. Those of us lucky enough to keep our jobs and were able to work from home have found that we have saved a considerable sum over the past year. In fact, UK households have reportedly squirreled away more than £100bn since the start of the pandemic.
However, sooner or later things will get back to normal, and it is likely that households will open up the purse strings again. If that does happen, it means one thing: inflation. A tried and trusted way to combat inflation is to invest in gold, which is seen as a store of value and therefore a good hedge against rising prices. That said, it’s not wise to overexpose yourself to gold, a small allocation as part of a diversified portfolio will suffice.
Your financial adviser will be able to advise you on an appropriate investment in the precious yellow metal.
Revealed: The Wellbeing And Emotional Impact Of Financial Advice
It should come as no surprise that we believe financial advice adds real value to the lives of our clients. While the financial benefits of advice are often discussed, the value it can add in terms of wellbeing is sometimes overlooked but is just as valuable.
The improvements to wellbeing that financial advice can offer can be difficult to assess. After all, every client will have differing goals, priorities and challenges. New research from Royal London has measured how professional financial advice can support emotional wellbeing.
Financial advice helps people feel in control and confident
The research found that the vast majority of the 17 million people who seek financial advice in the UK benefit from a positive experience. Overall, it helps people to feel confident, in control of their finances and gain peace of mind. Clients rated three key areas that highlight the positive impact of a relationship with a financial adviser:
- Quality of advice and expertise (82%)
- Communication style (81%)
- Trustworthiness (81%)
One of the important ways the report found advice is adding value through understanding financial matters.
When searching for financial products or information, you’re often confronted with jargon and complex terms. Even when you have a good handle on your financial situation this can be daunting, making it difficult to know what’s right for you. Besides, products, legislation and regulation frequently change and keeping up to date can be challenging if it’s not part of your day-to-day role.
Those receiving advice feel up to three times more confident in their understanding of products and their finances than those who haven’t worked with an adviser. Some 23% of non-advised individuals said they would not know where to start when asked about life insurance, compared to just 7% of those taking financial advice.
The financial decisions you make have a long-lasting impact and it’s important to understand products and your options. We’re here to explain to clients how different products work, as well as outlining the pros and cons with their situation in mind. It means clients can have confidence in not only their plans but also their financial knowledge.
The benefits of preparing for the unexpected
When people first approach a financial adviser it’s often to seek advice on something they know is going to happen or would like to happen. For example, planning for retirement or setting up an investment portfolio to create an income.
However, an important part of creating a financial plan is to look beyond this to plan for the long-term, including the unexpected. As a result, financial planning can improve financial resilience and ensure you’re better prepared for an unexpected shock, such as redundancy or illness.
It’s a step that boosts emotional wellbeing. Some 63% of clients said they felt secure and stable, as opposed to 48% who did not receive advice. The report highlighted how it can have an impact on emotions too. Four in ten (41%) of those that do not take financial advice said they feel anxious about their household finances, compared to three in ten (32%) who receive advice.
Protection products in particular improved financial and emotional wellbeing. These insurance products pay out under certain circumstances and should align with your priorities and concerns. For instance, life insurance can provide peace of mind that your family will be financially secure should you pass away, while income protection can provide an income if you’re unable to work due to illness. Clients who received advice on protection said it helped them feel more prepared and less worried about the future.
Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced how planning for the unexpected can be valuable. With millions of employees seeing their income fall and facing redundancy, 35% said they felt anxious about their financial situation. This has led to 65% saying they’ve come to appreciate the value of being more prepared for life-shocks that may be outside of their control.
On average, financial advice clients are £47,000 better off
While the emotional benefits of advice are important, the financial benefits are too. After all, financial freedom can help you to achieve goals and feel more confident about your future.
The report also covers previous research conducted by the International Longevity Centre UK. It found that customers who took financial advice were on average £47,000 better off. Those who fostered a long-term relationship with their adviser were up to 50% better off than those who received one-off financial advice.
Tom Dunbar, Intermediary Distributions Director at Royal London, said: “We have long suspected that the benefits of advice go far beyond financial gains alone and our research confirms that individuals who have received advice are more likely to feel confident about the future, and less likely to feel anxious or worried.
“It’s easy to see why clients turned to financial advisers when the pandemic struck. But advice is most powerful – and most rewarding – when it goes beyond a one-off meeting. An ongoing relationship with an adviser amplifies the emotional, as well as the financial, benefits.”
Please contact us if you’d like to arrange a meeting to discuss how financial advice can help you and improve your wellbeing.
Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.
The World In A Week - A Tiered Wall Of Worry
COVID-19 weighed on sentiment, with cases globally increasing throughout the week. In Europe, figures jumped by more than 625,000, which meant new restrictions were implemented in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. A worrying trend was also observed in Germany and Italy, who had previously managed to avoid a second wave of contaminations, saw an acceleration in such cases. The US also did not go unscathed, figures spiked to their highest level since July, with a recording of 350,000 in weekly cases.
As a result of a jump in cases, we expect fourth quarter growth will be subdued. Despite this, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its global growth forecasts higher for 2020, noting a better-than-expected rebound in post-lockdown activity. However, while growth has been revised upwards for 2020, the IMF has cut their outlook for 2021 citing the impact of persistent and reinforced social distancing measures.
Brexit negotiations continue to show little sign of progress, as neither the UK nor the EU is prepared to compromise. Planned discussions for the week ahead have been downgraded to a phone call, as No. 10 felt there was ‘no point’ in continuing if the EU is not prepared to discuss detailed legal text of a partnership. Fishing rights and state help for businesses is the latest bone of contention and has caused negotiations to falter. Moody’s has downgraded the UK’s credit status on the back of falling economic strength, as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic and uncertainty over Brexit. We expect Brexit negotiations to feature heavily in the week ahead.