The Treasury has this week published proposals to cut the annual maximum for pension saving contributions. The current annual allowance of £255,000 will be cut to between £30,000 and £45,000, but with the proviso that the new, lower limit will have full tax relief. Read More
Public sector government pensions will more than double in cost in the next 5 years, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Spending on public sector government pension schemes will increase from £4bn in 2010 to £9bn in 2015, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates. LibDem leader Nick Clegg has called some government pensions ‘unreformed [...]
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The more you earn, the more likely you are to pay attention to good pension planning, either by joining a company pension scheme, or setting up a personal pension scheme. Lower earners and the self-employed are the social groups most likely to neglect pension planning, according to new research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The new tax year, which began on 6th April 2o1o, offers a golden opportunity for tax savings. Make use of your brand new tax allowances to fine-tune your financial planning, and minimise tax. With financial advice you can streamline your savings strategy by getting the best savings rate and fully utilising your ISA cash allowances. You can ensure you take advantage of your allowances for Capital Gains Tax, if you are selling an asset. You can plan to maximise tax reliefs from pensions contributions. You can gain 30% tax relief on investments in Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs). You can take the necessary steps to avoid 40% Inheritance Tax on wealth passing to your children and heirs. If you are an employer, you can plan for the upcoming government NEST scheme, which will require you to have, or set up, a pensions department that offers a pension to all employees.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called the current crisis in public sector UK pension schemes ‘unsustainable’ and said that time is running out for a shift from final salary pension schemes to more affordable pensions alternatives. The police pension scheme is the latest reported casualty.
Private sector workers aged 25, saving into occupational or personal pension schemes, would have to save nearly a quarter of their salary, to achieve the same pension income as their public sector counterparts. Typical total contributions, however, are just 10%.
Pension schemes have come out tops with the majority of workers as being far ahead of other forms of saving. In a new survey, pensions came first with 44% of respondents, far ahead of property (18%) and well ahead of any other form of saving. Over three quarters of workers (77%) said they would regard a workplace or occupational pension as a significant plus point, when looking at any prospective employer.
ISA allowances for the current year will expire on April 5th 2010, leaving savers just weeks to take up ISA savings of up to £7,200. New figures from National Savings & Investments (NS&I) reveal that only 15% of Britons understand the new Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) allowances of £10,200, which apply from April 6th.
Holders of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), who now account for 37% of UK households, have forfeited £13bn to the taxman by under-utilising their ISA allowances in the past 11 years. Now is the chance to use up your ISA allowance of £7,200, before April 5th!
