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Winter Fuel Payments for the 2025-26 winter period
The Winter Fuel Payment is a familiar part of the support many older people receive each year. It is designed to help with heating costs over the colder months and is paid as a tax-free lump sum. However, the rules have changed in recent years, and the payment is no...
Why it is important to have a Will
Many people put off writing a Will. It is easy to understand why. It feels like planning for something that is hopefully far away, and it can feel uncomfortable to think about what will happen after we are no longer here. Yet having a Will in place is one of the most...
What is a Family Investment Company?
A Family Investment Company (FIC) is a private limited company that is structured and run to hold, manage and grow family wealth in a controlled, tax-efficient way. It has become increasingly popular in the UK as an alternative to using trusts, especially since tax...
Autumn Budget recent speculation: where might the Chancellor look next?
With the Autumn Budget due on 26 November 2025, speculation is mounting about which taxes could rise and where the Chancellor might look for extra revenue. After ruling out increases in the main rates of income tax, National Insurance and VAT, attention is shifting to...
Beat the Budget, what to do before November
The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget is only weeks away, and there is growing speculation that key tax reliefs and allowances could soon be reduced or restricted. Reports suggest that higher-rate pension relief, capital gains tax rates and dividend allowances may all come...
Beware Winter Fuel Payment Scams
With colder days on the horizon, many pensioners will soon receive their Winter Fuel Payment, a vital support when heating bills start to rise. But as that help rolls out, fraudsters are ramping up efforts to exploit it. Recent data shows scam referrals have leapt by...
The basics of double entry bookkeeping
Even the most advanced accounting software is built on a principle that has stood the test of time: double entry bookkeeping. First described more than 500 years ago, it remains the foundation of every set of accounts today. For business owners, understanding the...
Steps to take before working with a new customer
Steps to take before working with a new customer Winning new business is always positive, but before you commit to a new customer it is wise to carry out some checks. A little time spent at the start can save trouble later if the customer is unable, or unwilling, to...
The benefits of effective succession planning
For many business owners and high value individuals, protecting family wealth is as important as creating it. Succession planning, deciding how ownership and control will pass on to the next generation, is no longer just a matter for the future. With possible changes...
Managing debt and making cash work harder
Interest rates have now settled at levels many business owners and investors have not seen for over a decade. Even if the Bank of England begins to trim the base rate later this year, most commentators expect the cost of borrowing to remain well above the ultra-low...