The Blincoe Blog
Offshore Investment Bonds: How to Defer Tax and Optimise Withdrawals
Using investment bonds to defer taxation on underlying investment profits from a period as a higher/additional rate taxpayer to one as a basic/non
Labour Tax Plans: How ISAs, CGT and Inheritance Could Change in 2025
Rachel Reeves has warned of tough choices to come - which taxes could be in her crosshairs?
Life insurance in estate planning
Using whole-of-life insurance to provide for an inheritance tax charge
"'It's insurance Jim, but not as we know it!'"
Junior ISAs vs Junior SIPPs: The Best Way to Invest for Your Child’s Future
Junior ISAs and Junior Pensions offer scope to build sizeable ‘nest eggs’ in your children or grandchildren’s names, and in a highly tax efficient manner.
"Balancing tax efficiency with accessibility"
Premium Bonds vs Cash Savings: Which Is Better for You?
A decent option for the 'rainy day' fund
The Power of Compounding: Why Starting Early Beats Saving More
“Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn’t, pays it” [Albert Einstein].
Emotional Biases in Investing: How to Avoid the Most Costly Mistakes
Overcoming emotional bias in investing...
Will a Labour Government Change Pension Rules? What to Know Before the Election
Pensions and a Labour government: what we know so far and what might happen
The 60% inheritance tax trap
Certain estates are subject to a marginal 60% inheritance tax once their value exceeds £2m
"...and how to achieve an immediate 20% tax saving”
Five ways to save inheritance tax
A record £7.5bn in IHT was paid in the 2023/24 tax years - here are five options to mitigate a potential charge
VCTs & the 5-year flip
Long-term VCT investors can supercharge returns by ‘recycling’ positions into new VCTs every 5 years.
How much does a 'good' retirement cost?
When planning for retirement, the key question is 'how much do you plan to spend in retirement'? But this can be hard to answer.
Climbing the wall of worry
It's natural to feel cautious about investing. But history has shown that companies and stock markets are highly adaptable, rewarding long-term investors.
"Bears sound clever, but bulls make money"
Politics and investing
Does a change in government signal a change in prospects for the UK Stock Market?
Tax year-end planning
A summary of the main personal tax changes for 2024/25 plus planning opportunities into tax year-end
"8 more sleeps until tax year-end"
Portfolio rebalancing
Why we endorse 'tolerance-based' rather than calendar rebalancing
"Eat. Sleep. Rebalance. Repeat."
Spring Budget preview
The Chancellor is due to unveil his latest Spring Budget on 6th March 2024
The £100k childcare cliff-edge (and how to achieve >100% tax relief)
For parents, crossing the £100k earnings threshold can actually leave you worse-off due to the impact on childcare costs. But this can be offset via pension contribution.
Home bias in investing
Most investors have a home bias when investing, but this can add risk and reduce expected returns
"The average UK investor holds around 80% their portfolios in UK stocks [Interactive Investor]"