The new tax year will start on 6 April 2026, and many of your important allowances and exemptions will reset. Checking whether you could use these valuable allowances before the end of the 2025/26 tax year on 5 April 2026 might help your money go further.

Before you make any decisions, ensure that you understand which allowances fit into your financial plan and suit your goals. If you have any questions, please contact us.

Read this guide to discover seven allowances and exemptions you may want to make the most of before the end of the current tax year, including:

1. ISA allowance
2. Junior ISA allowance
3. Dividend Allowance
4. Capital Gains Tax Annual Exempt Amount
5. Marriage Allowance
6. Pension Annual Allowance
7. Inheritance Tax annual exemption

Download your copy here: 7 key allowances you might want to use before the end of the 2025/26 tax year

Please get in touch if you’d like to speak to us about your allowances for the 2025/26 tax year and beyond.

Please note: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this guide. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

Thinking about what might happen after you die isn’t easy. It’s hard to imagine the world simply continuing. That’s likely one reason why so many people put off writing a will for “another time” or decide to “sort it later”. But the reality is, none of us know when we’ll die.

Having a will in place means your estate will be dealt with according to your wishes. It will also spare your loved ones from having to deal with working out how to manage your affairs while they’re still navigating their grief. You can cover important issues such as:

• Appointing a guardian for any children or dependants
• Deciding how to leave your property
• Taking steps to protect unmarried partners or stepchildren
• Reducing the amount of Inheritance Tax (IHT) applied to your estate.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is another important consideration in your later-life planning. While we all hope to maintain good physical and mental health, you just don’t know what’s around the corner. An LPA means that you know people you trust will be making decisions about key areas of your life, such as your healthcare and finances.

In this guide, you can find out more about how making a will and setting up an LPA can give you and your loved ones peace of mind about the future.

Download your copy here: 12 practical reasons to write a will and name a Lasting Power of Attorney

Please note: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning, tax planning, Lasting Powers of Attorney, or will writing.

Average life expectancies have increased significantly in recent years, both in the UK and the rest of the world. While people living longer is always good news, it also brings new challenges for your health and, crucially, your finances.

Maintaining your physical and mental wellbeing over a longer life requires more than just good luck. It involves making intentional choices about your diet, exercise, mental health, and lifestyle.

At the same time, increased longevity means your financial resources need to stretch further, and financial planning is an important part of ensuring you can enjoy later life without stress.

As well as practical wellbeing tips that could help you enjoy a longer retirement, this useful guide looks at how you might strengthen your financial security in the future. The guide explores some of the potential challenges that may arise, such as:

• Living longer may mean you want to delay your retirement
• Rising life expectancy could mean it’s more important to plan for care
• Estate planning strategies may need to change if you’re planning for a longer life.

Download your copy here: “Planning for a longer life: Wellbeing tips and financial management strategies” to find out how a longer life could affect your long-term plans.

If you’d like to talk to us about planning for a longer life, please get in touch.

Please note: This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning, cashflow planning, tax planning, trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney, or will writing.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

It’s been 40 years since Back to the Future delighted cinema-goers with its time-travelling adventure. Teenager Marty McFly discovers the power of the “ripple effect”, and it’s something that could be valuable when you’re creating a financial plan as well. 

One of the plot devices in Back to the Future is the ripple effect – the spreading impact of an initial event. Even a seemingly small change to the timeline has the potential to have far-reaching implications. 

The ripple effect can change the course of your life, too. Small decisions or events outside of your control could have a far larger effect on your future than you might expect. 

The good news is financial planning could give you a glimpse into the future too. While cashflow modelling doesn’t involve hopping into a DeLorean with your financial planner and reaching 88mph, it could offer you insights into your future that are just as valuable. This guide explains why.

There are other useful lessons you could pick up from Back to the Future as well, including:

• Balance your short- and long-term goals.
• Prioritise what makes you happy.
• Focus on following your own path.
• Be prepared for the unexpected.
• Recognise when you could benefit from working with a professional.

Download your copy here: “What the Back to the Future ripple effect could teach you about financial planning” to discover more about these lessons hidden in the cult classic.

If you want to talk to us about how cashflow modelling could inform your decisions, or any other aspect of your financial plan, please get in touch. 

Please note: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow planning, tax planning, or estate planning.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.  

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

When a 1920s ad referred to compound interest as “the eighth wonder of the world”, the quote was left unattributed. But that didn’t stop it from becoming synonymous with the celebrated physicist, Albert Einstein.

The link was likely intended to lend credibility to a statement that at first glance seems bold. And yet, compounding could be key to the success of your long-term financial plans.

As Einstein did or didn’t say, “He who understands it, earns it, he who doesn’t, pays it.” Whoever did say this, knew what they were talking about.

The compounding effect – essentially growth on growth that snowballs over time – can have an enormous impact on your finances. It can significantly increase the size of your savings and investments in the long term but, if not carefully managed and understood, it can also work against you.

This handy guide clearly explains how compounding works, and provides examples of how it might boost or harm your financial circumstances.

Download your copy here: “The compounding effect: How it could boost or harm your finances” to find out why compounding may be an essential part of your long-term financial plan.

Please get in touch if you’d like to speak to one of our team about how we could work with you.

Please note: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow planning.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.