Contractors trading via a limited company will typically pay for essential life cover using post-tax salary and dividends via their personal bank account. Thankfully our Contractor specialist IFAs can now provide a far more tax efficient solution. A new Contractor Keyman insurance that we have helped trial last year allows you to fund life insurance …

Most Freelancers have felt the effects of the current global economic crisis in one form or another, whether it means you receive less in terms of daily or hourly rate, pay more tax on what you do earn or maybe the reason that you took the opportunity to go contracting at all is after having …

Buy to let purchases are soaring with investors looking to take advantage of rising rental demand as first time buyers struggle to get a foothold onto the housing market. Our Contractor mortgage department has been inundated with calls in the past month from clients eager to make the most of the upturn.  The press has …

Last year you may well have come across news that the annual pension allowance had been slashed from £255,000, to a more paltry £50,000. Well it looks comparatively paltry, but is it….? As IFAs we are uniquely focused entirely on our Contractor clients and pension investment represents one the very few non-contentious tax breaks still …

According to Halifax, it is now £100 per month or 16% cheaper to have a mortgage than it is to rent. This is calculated from figures based around an average three bedroom home in the UK, and differs vastly from pre-recession statistics of almost a 30% higher monthly payment for renters. This drop has been …

The annual ‘Second Stepper’ report has been released by Lloyds TSB this week. The report is a review of existing homeowners who are looking to take their second step on the property ladder. Although traditionally first time buyers are believed to have the hardest time borrowing and completing their purchase, it has become apparent that …

The recent research conducted by First Direct showed that the number of mortgage holders who save regularly is two times higher than the ones who pay down their credit. The survey directed to 1, 022 mortgage holders in UK showed that there are 42% who regularly saves, which is twice the percentage of those who …

George Osborne has sparked fierce debate amongst mortgage specialists and contractors alike with his recent discussions regarding the Financial Services Bill, proposing loan to value caps within the mortgage industry.  The Chancellor has given his backing to plans that could see the Bank of England and it’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) empowered to place loan …

Inflation skydived to 4.2 % drop in December, which was considered as the lowest falls in the last months. From the noticeable drop in November to the much lower one in December, significant figures of the inflation gaps have been recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The retail price indices (RPI) were noted …

A leading insurance provider is predicting that your lifestyle could begin to have an increasing impact on your protection premiums. Traditionally, protection policies are priced based on a number of health questions, with the emphasis on determining the risk of death from health related factors such as diabetes, heart attack and cancer. However, with the …