Taxman is bagging £808 million of charities' money | 5 December 2006 | read full story
-Ensure your charitable donations are tax efficient- UK charities lost out on more than £808 million last year - £117 million more than the previous year by those giving to good causes not doing so tax efficiently. These numbers are revealed in res...

Four million parents to shell out on kids' new homes reveals unbiased.co.uk | 9 November 2006 | read full story
• 76% of parents who have helped do not expect any money lent to be repaid • 1 in 8 parents have already, or are expecting, to ‘lend’ at least £20,000 • Growing number of parents acting as guarantors • Visit www.unbiased.co.uk to find a mortgage ...

Britons improve IHT planning, but still waste £1.3 billion | 30 October 2006 | read full story
UK adults will waste a massive £1.3 billion through poor inheritance tax planning this year according to annual research* by unbiased.co.uk, the website promoting the benefits of independent financial advice. Although high, this figure represents nea...

Demand for independent financial advice heats up | 26 October 2006 | read full story
• IFAP’s quarterly Advice Drivers report reveals appetite for independent financial advice was 13% higher this summer than last • As demand for independent retirement planning advice reached record heights – totalling 40,008 requests ...

Can Brits hold their financial resolve in 2007? Or will our good intentions go to waste? Again... | 17 October 2006 | read full story
• Over 16 million British adults are set to make a New Year’s resolution next year • But over half (52%) will lose their resolve before June is up • Over a fifth (21%) aim to address their financial situation in 2007 – but is our saving and budgeti...

IFAP highlights reality gap at the foot of the ladder | 11 October 2006 | read full story
49% of non-homeowners say they can’t afford to get onto the property ladder 1 in 3 prospective buyers say that owning a home is a sign of success 1 in 5 say home ownership is out of reach. IFA Promotion can help with mortgage advice and to find...

New Pensions Helpline For The Self-Employed and Small Business Owners | 29 September 2006 | read full story
The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) is launching a dedicated national pensions Helpline - 0845 602 702 1 - for the Self-employed and Small Business Owners on 2 October. The shortfall in pension provision is particularly acute among this group. Sur...

Additional two-months for pension schemes to adjust | 8 September 2006 | read full story
Pension provisions, forming part of the Government’s new age-discrimination legislation, will not now come into force until 1st December 2006. This will give schemes more time to adjust to the new rules. Minister for Pensions Reform James Purnell...

Advice Needed For New National Pensions Savings Scheme | 30 August 2006 | read full story
More than 70% of callers in a recent survey by The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) have said they would need advice as to whether they should opt to stay in or come out of the new system of 'personal accounts' likely to come into effect in 2012. ...

Shake-up of pensions regulation means scheduled changes will not go ahead | 18 August 2006 | read full story
As a result of a new drive to simplify pensions legislation, regulations due to come into force later this year will now not go ahead, Minister for Pensions Reform James Purnell announced today. Draft regulations on disclosure of information were ...

Bridging the pensions gender gap | 10 August 2006 | read full story
We need to change the savings culture to tackle the pensions gender gap, Minister for Pension Reform James Purnell said today. Today’s state pensions are unequal – with 30% of women retiring on a full state pension, compared to 85% of men. The Gov...

72% rise in number of estates paying inheritance tax | 5 August 2006 | read full story
Halifax research, based on recently released data from HM Revenue & Customs, shows the total number of estates paying inheritance tax (IHT) rose by 72% over the five years to 2003/04 to 30,451. The Government's own estimates suggest a further 22% ...

One in five avoid dipping rates by switching ISA | 21 July 2006 | read full story
One in five adult ISA holders have changed providers or intend to do so by the end of the year, according to ICM research commissioned by Intelligent Finance. These figures should keep providers on their toes as it comes at a time when ISAs appear...

Personal accounts will create new retirement saving culture | 17 July 2006 | read full story
Automatic enrolment into a system of personal accounts will tackle the culture of under-saving for retirement and be good news for consumers, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton said today. Mr Hutton and Pensions Reform Minister J...

Scottish Life's FAF increasingly popular with IFAs | 14 July 2006 | read full story
Scottish Life's groundbreaking commission alternative, Financial Adviser's Fee (FAF), is now three years old and has been going from strength to strength. Recent figures show that there has been a significant increase in uptake from around 50% in May...

Endowment victims urgently need free independent financial advice | 11 July 2006 | read full story
Citizens Advice today welcomed the call by the Treasury Committee for urgent action to deliver low cost or free financial advice to consumers. The recommendation, made in the committee’s report on long-term savings, echoes the call of Citizens Adv...

Pension worries grow | 30 June 2006 | read full story
Enquiries to The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) have increased substantially over the last year, reflecting, in TPAS's view, a growing public awareness and concern about pensions and their significance in the face of longer lifespans and time spent...

Keyman Insurance: It pays to be insured! | 21 March 2006 | read full story
“Life insurance isn't meant for people who die. Life insurance is meant for people who live”. Who said this doesn't really matter. What matters is that there is an important lesson to learn from this. The basic tenet of life insurance is to indem...