Creating a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a crucial step in planning for the future, providing peace of mind and ensuring your affairs are managed according to your wishes. Here are ten reasons why making an LPA is important:

  1. Empowers Decision Making: An LPA allows you to choose someone you trust to make important decisions on your behalf if you become unable to make them yourself due to mental or physical incapacity.
  2. Avoids Court Intervention: Without an LPA, if you lose mental capacity, your loved ones may need to apply to the court for deputyship, which can be costly, time-consuming, and emotionally draining.
  3. Maintains Control: By creating an LPA, you maintain control over who will make decisions for you, ensuring that your preferences and values are respected.
  4. Financial Management: With a Property and Financial Affairs LPA, your chosen attorney can manage your finances, pay bills, and make financial decisions on your behalf, ensuring your financial affairs are handled responsibly.
  5. Healthcare Decisions: With a Health and Welfare LPA, your attorney can make decisions about your medical treatment, care arrangements, and daily living requirements if you are unable to do so yourself, ensuring your healthcare needs are met according to your wishes.
  6. Reduces Family Conflict: Designating an attorney through an LPA can help prevent disputes among family members about who should make decisions on your behalf, reducing potential conflicts during already stressful times.
  7. Ensures Continuity: By appointing an attorney through an LPA, you ensure that there is someone authorized to manage your affairs immediately if you become incapacitated, avoiding delays in important decision-making.
  8. Protects Vulnerable Individuals: LPAs are particularly important for vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly or those with disabilities, as they provide a legal framework for their care and financial management.
  9. Flexible Arrangements: LPAs can be tailored to your specific needs and preferences, allowing you to specify instructions and limitations for your attorney, ensuring that your wishes are followed.
  10. Peace of Mind: Ultimately, creating an LPA provides peace of mind for both you and your loved ones, knowing that there is a plan in place for the management of your affairs if you are unable to do so yourself.

In summary, creating a Lasting Power of Attorney is an essential part of estate planning, ensuring that your affairs are managed according to your wishes and providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

In the United Kingdom, creating a will isn’t just a legal formality – it’s about making sure your loved ones are taken care of just the way you’d want, even when you’re no longer around. Despite its importance, many people put off making a will, thinking it’s too complicated or they’re not wealthy enough to need one. But trust me, taking the time to make a will is one of the best things you can do for your family and your peace of mind.

First off, having a will means you get to decide who gets what when you’re gone. Without one, the government decides, and it might not match up with your wishes. Whether you have a big estate or just a few belongings, having a will ensures everything goes where you want it to.

Another perk? You get to pick someone you trust to carry out your wishes as the executor. This person will handle all the details, like gathering your assets and making sure your debts are paid off. Choosing the right executor is key to making sure everything goes smoothly.

Plus, if you have kids, a will lets you name a guardian for them. That way, you get to decide who’ll take care of them if something happens to you. It’s a big relief knowing your little ones will be in good hands.

And let’s not forget about taxes. With some smart planning in your will, you can actually reduce the amount of inheritance tax your loved ones will have to pay. That means more of your hard-earned money stays in the family.

So, bottom line? Making a will isn’t just for the rich and famous – it’s for anyone who cares about their family’s future. It’s a simple way to provide clarity, security, and peace of mind for those you love most. So why wait? Take the first step today and start crafting your will. Your family will thank you for it.

Here is our usual monthly list of the top 10 read articles on shrewdcookie.com in September – there are some surprising entries!

1. Change in ISA allowances in Budget 2009

The changes announced in the Budget in respect of increases in the ISA allowances come into effect on 6th October for those over age 50 before the end of the current tax year – can invest up to £10,200 into a Stocks and Shares ISA. Woo hoo!!!

2. New Tax Year – New ISA Allowance

More detail on the changing ISA allowances.

3. Download a Free 2010 Yearplanner

I have put together a great little yearplanner for 2010 – it can be downloaded in A4 (landscape) or larger A3 (printed on 2 sheets of A4 for those without an A3 sized printer!). Feel free to send copies to friends, family and colleagues at work.

4. 19 Essential Money Tips for Students

With the start of the University/College/School term upon us here is a great article which might help a few students who are struggling through on their limited finances.

5.  Pay Yourself First

One of the first principles spoken of in the great book “The Richest Man in Babylon” is the need to pay yourself first – the principle here is to take a fixed percentage off your take-home pay and keep that money for yourself forever – then your lifestyle will change itself to allow you to live on the remainder. Get a copy of this book – a truly great read. It could be the most valuable £4.99 you ever invest!

6. Cashflow Forecasting – Planning Income and Expenditure

Here is a really helpful little spreadsheet which will allow you to plan your income and expenditure on a monthly basis – you will be able to see exactly where your money goes to each month – allowing you to make changes in your expenditure – a great tool for “what if” scenarios – what if I stopped eating out, what if I increased income by £200 per month etc.

7. Personal Pension Minimum retirement age increasing to 55 from 6th April 2010

Those people who will be over 50 before 5th April 2010 and were planning to retire in the next 5 years may have to take some urgent action between now and then – in the worst case scenario you may have to continue working for another 5 years!

8. Wear a uniform to work – here’s some free money!

If you have to wash your own work uniform you could be entitled to some money from the taxman – read the article for more information.

9. Get Money for your Old Mobile Phone

Did you know you can sell old mobile phones – I recently sold my old Sony Ericsson K800i and got £28 for it – worth checking out what yours might get you – see the article.

10. 10 Great Reasons for Writing a Will

Everyone needs and should have a Will – it saves so many problems in the event of your death – and let’s face it the only two certainties in life are death and taxes! Read the article now – you might be surprised.

And finally……

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The following is a list of the top ten articles visited in June 2009.

1. Pay Yourself First – the first step in wealth creation

Those who save first then spend invariably end up better off than those who spend first and save what is left.

2. New Tax Year – New ISA Allowance

Increase in ISA allowance following the start of the new 2009/2010 tax year on 6th April 2009.

3. Changes in ISA Allowance – Budget 2009

How the ISA allowance will increase to £10,200 for those aged over 50 on 6th October 2009 and for the rest of the population on 6th April 2010.

4. Cashflow Forecasting – Planning Income and Expenditure

A budget and cashflow planning article with a useful Excel spreadsheet to download and share with friends and family.

5. Investment Bonds – An Introduction

The various ways in which this life assurance based investment vehicle can help with your financial planning.

6. Non-taxpayers – earn interest without income tax deducted

How completing a simple form can stop non-taxpayers paying unnecessary tax on their bank and building society interest to the taxman!

7. Critical illness cover v income protection

How these two different types of protection product can be used to compliment each other.

8. Will writing – an introduction

What is a will and why are they important?

9. 10 Great Reasons for Writing a Will

A must-read article for all those serious about financial planning and protecting their families and loved ones.

And, finally…………..

10. The Rule of 72 – The Time Value of Money

A great little rule for making quick calculations

What is an investment bond?

An investment bond is, from a technical point of view, a “single premium, non-qualifying, whole of life assurance policy” for which the main principle is one of investment.

They are offered by life insurance companies as a place to invest money over the medium to long term with a view to either providing capital growth, “income” or both.

Non-qualifying relates to the tax treatment of the investment bond – the contract is essentially a life insurance policy which has been designed to be used as an investment vehicle.

Investment Options

The life company offering the investment bond will have a portfolio of funds, possibly both internal and externally managed funds, into which money can be invested. These will cover such asset classes as stocks and shares, commercial property, corporate bonds, fixed interest securities, gilts and government bonds, as well as cash.

Money can normally be invested in more than one fund at a time – typically 10 or more funds at one time is not uncommon.

Taxation of Investment Bonds

Taxation of investment bonds is a little beyond the scope of this article – we strongly recommend that you seek guidance from an accountant or financial adviser before making any amendments to any existing investment bond you may hold.

The investment bond is deemed to have paid basic rate income tax within the fund, however, many funds actually suffer a lower tax charge internally than basic rate income tax as a byproduct of the way the internal returns are broken down between capital appreciation, income in the form of interest and dividends received.

From the public’s point of view, basic rate income tax is deemed to have been paid and the term “non-qualifying” relates to the way any additional taxation may result on taking money out of the plan. A non-taxpayer cannot reclaim any tax paid by the life company within the investment bond.

In what circumstances may a policyholder have to pay additional tax?

The liability to additional taxation comes into play in the event of a “chargeable event”. A chargeable event generally occurs if any, but not limited to, the following happen:

  • Withdrawals in excess of 5% per year – up to 5% of the original amount invested can be withdrawn each year with no immediate additional tax liability – ideal for providing an “income stream” – possibly in retirement.
  • Death of a life assured – if they are the last life assured remaining on the investment bond
  • Partial or full surrender of the bond
  • Assignment of the bond – for money or money’s worth

The calculation of liability to tax is beyond the scope of this article but in brief any additional tax liability is calculated with reference to the individuals own income tax position in the tax year in which the policy year in which surrender takes place ends – phew!!! Ask an accountant or IFA for guidance in this area.

Top Slicing

“Top slicing” of gains on investment bonds generally allows the gain to be divided by the number of complete policy years, after which this “slice” is added to the individuals income for the tax year in question.

If this slice, when added to other income, takes the policyholder into the higher rate tax bracket then some or all of the gain may carry a liability to additional taxation (20% in the current tax year).

Again, seek professional advice before surrendering any investment bond.

Who can benefit from investing in investment bonds?

The ability to take an effective 5% annual withdrawal without any immediate additional higher rate tax liability may be attractive to higher rate taxpayers who may become basic rate taxpayers later in life.

People who have fully utilised their ISA allowances and are actively managing other investments which fully utilise their annual capital gains tax (CGT) allowance.

5% withdrawals are not classed as “income” – this is attractive to individuals over the age of 65 who benefit from higher annual allowances against income tax than under 65’s. For example, in the 2009/2010 tax year, a 66 year old can earn upto £9,490 before paying any income tax. Any income, such as interest or pension annuity, over a set level each year reduces this additional personal allowance,

An additional benefit to retired people is that investment bonds are not normally included in assessing a persons personal finances by a Local Authority in respect of funding long-term care. Care should be taken when considering retirement home planning and investment bonds – any action to move money into investment bonds in the period near to having to go into a retirement home could be deemed “deprivation of assets” by the local authority. More information can be found in the CRAG report.

Investment Bonds are classed as “NIPA’s” – Non-Income Producing Assets which makes them ideal for holding as part of a Discounted Gift Trust (DGT) or Gift and Loan Trust, which are both inheritance tax planning arrangements. Many life offices have their own DGT and Loan Trust packaged schemes with the core investment held in an investment bond due to the favourable tax treatment of investment bonds within a trust arrangement.

Conclusion

Investment Bonds can be viewed as more than just an investment – invariably they are a retirement and estate planning tool and care should be taken in taking any action in regard of investment bonds.

In this new feature we will answer some of the many questions we have been receiving from visitors to shrewdcookie.com. It is often said that if you ask a question chances are that many other people also want to ask that very same question.

Although we receive a large number of personal questions we have to remind you that we do not give financial advice on this website – we encourage you to visit an independent financial adviser, solicitor or accountant if you wish to discuss any particular course of action which may be prompted by an article you read on our site.

1. What are the new ISA allowances announced in the recent Budget?

The ISA limit is increasing from £7,200 to £10,200. The change comes into effect for the over 50’s from 6th October 2009 and from 6th April 2010 for the rest of the population. Of the new £10,200 limit, upto £5,100 will be allowed for Cash ISA investment, with any surplus between the amount you place in a Cash ISA up to £10,200 being available to invest in a stocks and shares ISA.

2. Inheritance Tax – who pays?

The liability for paying inheritance tax lies in the hands of the executors/administrators of the deceased’s estate. Inheritance tax is payable within 6 months after the end of the month in which the person passed away. It is possible to pay Inheritance Tax in instalments over up to 10 years – this is the case in circumstances where say the estate includes a house. There is an interest charge if you pursue this method of paying Inheritance Tax – http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ for more details.

3. I am married to someone who was not born in this country – how does this affect our Inheritance Tax position.

Where a spouse is deemed to be non-Uk domciled then the Interspousal transfer is limited to £55,000, there in no limit to the Interspousal transfer where both partners are UK domiciled – no liability to inheritance tax on first death if you leave all your assets to your marital partner. Consult a solicitor or accountant about your own particular situation.

4. How do I get a State Pension Forecast?

To obtain a forecast of your state pension entitlement, based on your national insurance record you need to fill out and submit a form BR19 – this article – “How Much State Pension will YOU get” gives more details.

5. If I invest a lump sum now how can I easily calculate how it will grow between now and retirement?

Using the Rule of 72 – by assuming an interest rate and dividing this into 72 will tell you how long that money will take to double in value. For example, at 6% your money will double in value every (72/6) 12 years. If you had say 36 years to retirement, at 6% growth your money would effectively double 3 times. See this article for more details.

6. Can I back-date my ISA investment to use last years allowance?

No – your money needs to be invested by midnight between 5th and 6th April each year to use the ISA allowance for that tax year – there is no way to backdate an ISA investment. A case of “use it or lose it”!

7. I am a female born in 1954 – when do I get my State pension?

State retirement age for men and women is being equalised to 65 for both sexes. See this article . There is also a State Pension Age calculator provided by The Pension Service – enter some basic details and it will tell you exactly when you qualify for your State Pension.

8. Can I hold Cash in a Stocks and Shares ISA? What is the tax liability?

Yes – many providers offer a “cash park” facility whereby you can invest temporarily in cash and then switch into stocks/funds over the short term. There is the facility to receive interest on this cash held but the interest is subject to tax and a non-taxpayer cannot reclaim this tax either. See this article for more details.

9. What is the minimum deposit on a mortgage for first-time buyers?

There is no legal minimum deposit, the minimum is set by market forces – we are currently suffering from the “credit crunch” whereby lenders are being cautious about lending to people particularly with the housing market currently falling. Therefore, more and more people are being expected to make a deposit when buying their first homes – typically 10% or more is required to obtain a good interest rate product – see “5 tips for first-time buyers” for more details.

10. What is the “deferred period” on my income protection plan for?

The deferred period is the time between notifying the claim to the life office and the benefit being paid out. The plan is designed to provider a replacement income in the event of long-term absense due to illness or accident. The longer the deferred period, the lower the risk to the insurance company of having to meet a claim which therefore means a lower premium. See these article on “income protection” for more information – “Income Protection – an introduction” and “Critical Illness Cover versus Income Protection”.

These are just some of the areas we have received enquiries on in the past month. Although we cannot reply directly please ask a question and we will try to feature it in the next FAQ article next month. Add a comment below or complete this short form to contact us.

Simon

The following is a list of the Top 10 articles visited in April 2009: –

1. New Tax Year – New ISA Allowance

The start of the new tax year on 6th April 2009 marked the opportunity for another tranche of money to be invested in a tax-efficient manner in an ISA.

2. Change in ISA Allowance – Budget 2009

In his recent Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer increased the ISA allowance to £10,200 per tax year – read the above article – the devil is in the detail!

3. Budget 2009 – Key Changes

A summary of the main changes and issues covered in Budget 2009 which may affect you and your wealth.

4. Tax Allowances and Rates – 2009

The start of the new tax year on 6th April heralded a number of changes in rates of taxation and allowances – read the article above to see just how much more money you will pay in tax this year.

5. It’s not how much you save, it’s how long

A great article introducing the time value of money as well as the principle of compoun growth and interest.

6. 10 Great Reasons to Write a Will

What I feel is one of the most powerful and beneficial articles of the last month – if you do nothing else this year, please read this article and make a Will.

7. An Introduction to Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax is a tax paid by those who distrust their children more than they distrust the Government. Plan early to avoid the simplest of taxes to avoid.

8. Cashflow Forecasting – plan your cashflow for the next 12 months

Short article on the principle of cashflows – how controlling your cash is an excellent habit to form – handy Excel cashflow spreadsheet available to download as well!

9. “Parking Cash” in an ISA

Great facility allowing you to place full amount into an ISA without the need to commit to investing the full amount from day one if you are concerned about stock markets and other asset classes falling further.

10. State Pension – how much will you get?

An introduction to the State pension with valuable information on changes in state pension age as well as how to obtain your own State pension forecast free of charge!

The above list details the Top 10 articles published on shrewdcookie.com in the last month based on visitor data.

Please subscribe to the Shrewdcookie.com RSS feed to receive all our articles as soon as they are published – click here.

In our previous article we considered the basics of will writing, setting out the key people involved in the writing and execution of a Will.

In this article we will consider the REAL benefits to be enjoyed from ensuring you have a properly written Will.

10 Great Reasons Why You Should Write a Will

1. To allocate assets between different people.

You may wish to leave jewellery to a niece, or promised a grandson your war medals. A Will can formalise all these gifts and help prevent family arguments – remember this – family and money rarely mixes!

2. If you’re not married then you need to make Wills.

There is no automatic transfer of assets between couples who are cohabiting. Other than jointly owned asset which would pass to the surviving owner on first death, in law, all other assets could pass back to the deceased’s family under intestacy rules. In practicality though it is unrealistic to expect your deceased partners family to come asking for his/her DVD collection but a Will formally arranges your affairs after death and avoids problems later.

3. Leave assets to an ex-partner.

It could be that you have now remarried or are living with someone else. A Will could be used to leave assets to an ex-partner, for example, they may have made a large gift to you during your relationship which you would like to return to them in the event of your death.

4. Reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax you pay.

In the current tax year we can each leave an estate of up to £325,000 (2009/2010 tax year) with immediate liability to inheritance tax. Anything we own, over and above this £325,000 Nil Rate Band is chargeable to Inheritance Tax at a rate of 40%. A Will could be written to leave up to £325,000 to be split equally between children or held in Trust for their benefit. Under a normal “British” Will it is usual for all assets to pass between husband and wife. It might be prudent to still include a will trust to hold £325,000 for the benefit of your children – leaving all your assets to your spouse could see that money all eaten up in care home fees – it is vitally important that you take legal advice in this respect.

5. A Will can be used to make assets skip a generation.

It may be that your own children are financially successful in their own right. Passing assets to them on your death may be of no benefit and could simply compound their own Inheritance Tax problems later by artificially expanding their Estates. If this is the situation then why not leave your Estate to benefit your grandchildre, or even great-grandchildren if that is the case.

6. A Will can be used to set up a Trust.

If you are fortunate to have a very large Estate you may choose to set up a Trust to benefit a local charity or support group in terms of providing them with a regular income. Seek legal advice if you are considering this course of action.

7. To avoid Intestacy.

If you don’t make a Will then the Government have already made one for you. These are known as the rules of Intestacy – you are said to have died “intestate” if there is no valid will at the time of your death. For example, if you are married and die with a spouse and children then your spouse doesn’t automatically get eveything – if your Estate is less than £250,000 everything goes to the surviving spouse. If the estate is over £250,000 the surviving spouse gets £250,000 and all personal possessions.

Half of the remaining estate is split equally between the children with the spouse retaining a “life interest” e.g an income from the remaining 50% with this 50% ultimately being split between the children on second death.

As you can see – assets being allocated in this manner can and does cause problems after death.

More information on intestacy rules can be found here – HMRC – Intestacy Rules

8. You need to appoint Guardians for your children – this is vitally important.

In the absense of a Will it would be the Courts/Social Services who decide where your children are best placed – and it might not be with the people you thought would look after and raise your children. By making a Will with Guardians named for your children you can avoid this uncertainty. You should also consider putting in place life insurance to provide for your children in the event of your death – consider this – it could be very difficult if one day two children turned up on your doorstep expecting to be looked after until they are 18 and there is no money there to fund them!

9. If you are separated but not yet divorced.

You should write a will with the will written in view of the divorde going ahead as there is a possibility in law that, in the event of your death, your asset could pass back to your ex-partner. Although you are separated, in the eyes of the law your ex-partner might be entitled to your Estate after your death!

10. If you have been married previously or you don’t trust/like your spouses family.

You might care to write your Will so that in the event of you both dying together your assets don’t end up passing to your spouse’s family. For example, if you were killed in a car crash, in the eyes of the law, the eldest person is deemed to have died first. It is possible that their Wills leave all their assets to their families – you could see your assets momentarily pass to your spouse before passing straight to her family. Is this what you want to happen?!

We hope this article was of some benefit in sparking an interest in writing your own will.

Why you need a Will

There are many reasons why it is prudent from a personal, as well family perspective, to ensure you have a suitably worded Will in place – and Will Planning is not just for old people either!

What is a Will?

A Will is your written instruction which formalises what is to happen with your estate, and your children, after death. It can be a shrewd tax and estate planning instrument when used correctly and there are also a number of reasons why you should write a will sooner rather than later. We will cover these further in our next article in this series. This article is an introduction to Will Writing.

There are several ways in which a Will can be written – you could use the services of a Solicitor, a Will Practitioner/Specialist, a financial adviser or even a “DIY” Will purchased from a stationers.

In order to make a Will you need to be of sound mind and over the age of 18.

What is contained in a Will?

A Will sets out the administration of your estate in the event of your death. In it you can state your funeral preferences together with details of any gifts to charity or the National Trust.

Individual items can also be named, for example, leaving jewellery to a daughter or military medals to a grandson.

The Will for the most part will deal with the distribution of your estate – these are all your worldly goods and possessions. It is common for married couples to leave everything to each other and then shared equally between children on second death – this is generally known as the “Great British” Will – and may or may not be the most efficient and effective way of administering your Estate.

Who is involved in the Writing of a Will?

As the person making the Will you are known as the Testator (Testatrix if female) and the Will will be witnessed by two individuals who are not to benefit under the terms of the will – these are the Witnesses.

In the Will you nominate a person or people to administer your Estate after your death – these people are known as the Executors and it is their legal obligation to ensure that your wishes are carried out to the best of their ability.

I have an existing Will – does it need changing?

It is important to ensure you review your Will on a regular basis as people’s circumstances do change and the Will previously written may no longer match your wishes.

In addition to this, on several occasions, during my time as a financial adviser, I came across situations where people simply do NOT have a valid Will – in one case for example, the person had received their copy of the Will back from the Solicitors office and had simply filed it away without signing and witnessing the Will – remember – you need to ensure you sign your Will and that this signature is witnessed by two independent witnesses for it to be valid.

Is it feasible to make my own Will?

Although it is possible to write your own Will it is always advisable to have your Will written by an expert, such as a Solicitor or STEP practitioner.

A word of caution – in many cases the person writing the Will may wish to add themselves to the Will as an executor – I would always err on the side of caution at this suggestion. This person would be acting in a professional capacity and therefore the level of charges which might be incurred could be an unknown. You could in effect be writing a “blank cheque” on your estate by including a professional to act as an Executor on your Will. Remember – the other people acting as Executors (e.g. family) can always bring in professionals to act, at an hourly rate or agreed cost basis, should the need arise.

Next article – 10 GREAT reasons for Writing a Will

The start of the new tax year yesterday signalled changes in some of the main tax rates, reliefs and allowances and summarised below are the main rates, reliefs and allowances based on our own research: –

tax-rates-2009-2010-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Gains Tax

No change to personal allowance for Capital Gains Tax – remains at £9,600 for the 2009/2010 tax year

Note:

Tax allowances, rates and reliefs are subject to change. These figures are for guidance only and are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date of publication. Please check the HMRC website for current rates before making tax planning decisions.