Personal finance news, guides & articles.
Thoughtful personal finance articles that explore topical issues and answer the questions people want properly explained, helping readers build understanding and make more confident decisions.
What is the life expectancy in the UK and what does it mean?
Without being too morbid, life expectancy affects all of our plans. From how much we need to retire, when we can retire to annuity rates and care funding, we all need to understand the arc of life and make plans accordingly. The question is though, what is the life expectancy for men and women in the UK?
What is the FCA doing about climate change?
In recent years, the FCA has turned their attention to the role financial services plays in combatting climate change. The FCA wants to help market participants manage the risks of moving to a low carbon economy while capturing opportunities to benefit consumers.
What financial lessons can we learn from 2020?
After several government lockdowns, state-mandated closure of entire sectors, plummeting financial markets, whole swathes of the population working remotely, on/off-trade deals, closed borders and a whole lexicon of new terminology, 2020 will go down in memory as one of the most volatile and unexpected in living history. The question is, what financial lessons can we learn from the past 12 months?
The proposed changes to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) explained.
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a potential target for reform to start to recoup the significant costs of the pandemic. The recommendations put forward by the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) in its review of CGT, which were published on 11th November, have created quite a stir.
Protect against phishing, vishing & other inbound scams.
We’ve all noticed the number of scam emails and phone calls increase over the past few years. But with their increasing level of sophistication, what steps can we take to protect ourselves online?
What is Pension Tax Relief?
Pension tax relief is a ‘bonus’ paid by the government on money someone pays into their pension. At present, how much tax relief you receive is dependent on what you earn and what your highest rate of income tax is.
Critical illness cover: Louise’s cancer story.
In 2015, one of our advisers, Louise Baughan, was diagnosed with colon cancer. This is Louise’s personal story of how critical illness insurance changed her life, aided her recovery and now allows her to spend quality time with her family.
What is Bitcoin and how does it work?
We are seeing an increased number of queries from clients concerning Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and, as they are such a new concept, we thought it would be useful to provide a short primer and answer what bitcoin is and how it works?
What is a pension?
A pension is a type of investment that aims to provide an income when an individual retires. In the UK, individuals can have a private pension, employers can provide a pension and the government may also provide a pension, as long as certain criteria are met.
What is protection insurance and do I need it?
Protection insurance is an umbrella term typically used to describe insurances which provide cover for you and your loved ones in the event of your death or illness, such as life insurance, income protection and critical illness insurance.
Safe Browsing: Keeping your data private online.
With many of us working from home and spending increasing periods of time on the internet, how can we make sure our data is safe online?
AV Trinity is proud to be a signatory to The Principles for Responsible Investment.
The six Principles for Responsible Investment are a voluntary and aspirational set of investment principles that offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues into investment practice.
Women entitled to higher State Pension on divorce.
A divorced woman may be able to substitute her ex-husband’s National Insurance record for her own up to the date of their divorce when working out her Basic State Pension, thereby increasing her own entitlement.
What is a green mortgage? What are they and how to get one?
Homebuyers could benefit from better borrowing rates on mortgages in return for purchasing more energy efficient homes or committing to implement energy saving work within existing properties.
What is Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG)?
Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria refer to three main factors investors consider with regard to a firm’s ethical impact and sustainable practices.
Financing a new car in the UK | Cash vs Leasing.
For most people, buying a new car is the second biggest purchase you are likely to make (your home being the most expensive). With so many financing options out there, how do know the best way to pay for it? This article compares car leasing and cash purchase.
How small businesses can support the fight against climate change.
Our planet is facing serious challenges. Climate change is a real and ongoing threat. There is no legal requirement for small companies in the UK to publish their climate change efforts.
What’s better: Active or Passive Investing?
When you’re looking to invest in shares or bonds, you may think about putting your money into one or more funds. You can find funds which invest in a wide variety of markets and sectors. But wherever you invest, your fund managers will take one of two basic approaches to managing your money: active or passive investing.
A Legacy Folder is something we all need to organise today.
They say that two things are certain in life; death and taxes. A Legacy Folder can make calculating your final estate taxes and understanding your wishes as easy as possible for your family when the time comes.
What is sustainable investing and is it the same as responsible investing?
The terms ‘responsible investing’ and ‘sustainable investing’ are often used as a catch-all to describe investments made with social, environmental, or other responsible or sustainability criteria in mind.