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Category: Wealth

Economic Review May 2024

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
UK growth rate at a two-year high

Last month’s release of first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) statistics confirmed that the UK economy has exited the shallow recession it entered during the latter half of last year. Survey evidence suggests private sector output has expanded over the past two months.

The latest GDP data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the UK economy grew by 0.6% from January to March. This figure was above all forecasts submitted to a Reuters poll of economists, with the consensus prediction pointing to a 0.4% first-quarter expansion. It represents the fastest quarterly growth rate since the final three months of 2021.

ONS said that growth was driven by broad-based strength across the services sector, with retail, public transport and haulage, and health all performing well; car manufacturers also enjoyed a particularly good quarter, although construction activity remained weak. In addition, the statistics agency noted that the first-quarter data was likely to have been boosted by Easter falling in March this year compared to April last year.

Data from the closely-watched S&P Global/CIPS UK Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) suggests the recovery continued in the second quarter. While May’s monthly release did reveal that the preliminary composite headline Index fell to 52.8 from 54.1 in April, this latest reading was still above the 50 threshold that denotes growth in private sector activity.

Commenting on the findings, S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Chief Business Economist Chris Williamson said, “The flash PMI survey data for May signalled a further expansion of UK business activity, suggesting the economy continues to recover from the mild recession seen late last year. The survey data are consistent with GDP rising by around 0.3% in the second quarter, with an encouraging revival of manufacturing accompanied by sustained, but slower, service sector growth.” 

Inflation data dampens early rate cut hopes

Chances of the Bank of England (BoE) sanctioning a June interest rate cut have declined significantly following last month’s smaller-than-expected drop in the rate of inflation.

Following its latest meeting, which concluded on 8 May, the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted by a seven-to-two majority to leave the Bank Rate unchanged at 5.25%. The two dissenting voices, however, both preferred a quarter-point reduction, and comments made by policymakers after the meeting did appear to suggest a first rate cut since 2020 was edging ever closer.

Speaking just after announcing the MPC’s decision, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey made it clear that the Bank needs to see “more evidence” of slowing price rises before cutting rates. But he once again struck a relatively upbeat note on future reductions, adding he was “optimistic” things were moving in the right direction.

Comments subsequently made by BoE Deputy Governor Ben Broadbent also seemed to be potentially paving the way for rates to be cut soon. Speaking at a central banking conference, Mr Broadbent suggested that if things continued to evolve in line with the Bank’s forecasts, it was “possible” rates could be cut “sometime over the summer.”

Last month’s release of inflation data though appears to have dashed hopes of an imminent cut. Although the headline annual CPI rate did fall sharply – down from 3.2% in March to 2.3% in April, primarily due to a large drop in household energy tariffs – the decline was less than had been expected, with both the BoE and economists polled by Reuters predicting a drop to 2.1%.

The next two MPC announcements are scheduled for 20 June and 1 August. While an August rate cut still appears to be a distinct possibility, most analysts now agree that a June reduction looks increasingly unlikely.

Markets (Data compiled by TOMD)

At the end of May, equities were in mixed territory as new inflation data from the eurozone and the US was digested by investors. Inflation stateside came in as expected, while eurozone data was higher than anticipated, fuelling speculation over the pace of rate cuts in both regions.

In the UK, the FTSE 100 index closed May on 8,275.38, a gain of 1.61% during the month, while the FTSE 250 closed the month 3.83% higher on 20,730.12. The FTSE AIM closed on 805.79, a gain of 5.92% in the month. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed the month on 4,983.67, up 1.27%. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 closed May on 38,487.90, a small monthly gain of 0.21%. At the end of the month, the index traded higher as reports circulated about plans for major investments by government-backed pension funds and other large institutional investors.

Across the pond, at the end of May, newly released government data showed that during Q1, the US economy grew slower than initially estimated, and higher-than-expected jobless claims also weighed on sentiment. The Dow closed May up 2.30% on 38,686.32, meanwhile the NASDAQ closed the month up 6.88% on 16,735.02.

On the foreign exchanges, the euro closed the month at €1.17 against sterling. The US dollar closed at $1.27 against sterling and at $1.08 against the euro.

Brent crude closed May trading at $81.38 a barrel, a loss during the month of 5.69%. The price dipped in May primarily due to concerns over future demand. Gold closed the month trading around $2,348 a troy ounce, a monthly gain of 1.79%.

Index

Value (31/05/2024)

Movement Since 30/04/2024
FTSE 100 8,275.38 +1.61%
FTSE 250 20,730.12 +3.83%
FTSE AIM 805.79 +5.92%
Euro Stoxx 50 4,983.67 +1.27%
NASDAQ Composite 16,735.02 +6.68%
Dow Jones 38,686.32 +2.30%
Nikkei 225 38,487.90 +0.21%

Consumer sentiment continues to rise

Although official retail sales statistics for April did reveal a larger-than-expected decline in sales volumes, more recent survey data does point to an improving consumer outlook as households become more optimistic about their finances.

According to ONS data published last month, total retail sales volumes fell by 2.3% in April, following a 0.2% decline in March. ONS said sales fell across most sectors as poor weather reduced footfall but added that it was confident its seasonally adjusted figures had accounted for the timing of the Easter holidays.

Recently released survey data, though, does point to growing optimism for future retail prospects. For instance, May’s CBI Distributive Trades Survey reported a balance of +8 in its year-on-year sales volumes, measuring after April’s slump to -44. The CBI said May’s rise added to “the swathe of data pointing to an improvement in activity over the near-term” and suggested that falling inflation and continuing real wage growth will contribute to a “healthier consumer outlook.”

Data from the latest GfK consumer confidence index also revealed another rise in consumer sentiment. Indeed, May’s headline figure reached its highest level for nearly two-and-a-half years, as households took an increasingly positive view of their personal finances.

Wage growth remains resilient

Earnings statistics published last month showed that wage growth remains strong despite the recent slowing jobs market, although analysts expect pay growth to moderate over the coming months.

The latest ONS figures show that average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, rose at an annual rate of 6.0% in the first three months of 2024. This figure was the same as recorded in the previous three-month period, defying analysts’ expectations of a slight dip to 5.9%. After adjusting for CPI inflation, regular pay increased by 2.4% on the year, the largest rise in real earnings for over two years.

A survey released last month by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation suggests earnings growth remained high in April, with pay rates for temporary staff rising at their fastest rate in nearly a year. One factor driving this increase was April’s 9.8% minimum wage rise.

Research recently published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also found that employer expectations for private sector wage rises remain at the same level as reported three months ago. The CIPD did, though, say they expect employers to adjust their pay plans in the coming months as inflation falls and the labour market continues to slow.

All details are correct at the time of writing (3 June 2024)

It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this document is based on our current understanding and can be subject to change without notice, and the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. It does not provide individually tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. Some rules may vary in different parts of the UK. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Levels and bases of relief from taxation are currently applied or proposed and are subject to change; their value depends on the investor’s individual circumstances. No part of this document may be reproduced without prior permission.

This material is intended for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited, regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and registered number 211314.

Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales and registered number 4342506.

Spring budget 2024 – key points

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
On 6 March, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt delivered his Spring Budget to the House of Commons declaring it was “a Budget for long-term growth.” The fiscal update included a number of new policy measures, such as a widely-anticipated reduction in National Insurance, abolition of the non-dom tax status and new savings products designed to encourage more people to invest in UK assets. The Chancellor said his policies would help build a “high wage, high skill economy” and deliver “more investment, more jobs, better public services and lower taxes.”

OBR forecasts

During his speech, the Chancellor declared that the economy had “turned the corner on inflation” and “will soon turn the corner on growth” as he unveiled the latest economic projections produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). He started by saying that they showed the rate of inflation falling below the Bank of England’s 2% target level in “a few months’ time.” He noted that this was nearly a year earlier than the OBR had forecast in the autumn and said this had not happened “by accident” but was due to “sound money” policies.

The Chancellor also noted that the OBR forecast shows the government is on track to meet both its self-imposed fiscal rules which state that underlying debt must be falling as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) by the fifth year of the forecast and that public sector borrowing must be below 3% of GDP over the same time period. Indeed, in relation to the second rule, Mr Hunt pointed out that borrowing looks set to fall below 3% of GDP by 2025/26 and that by the end of the forecast period it represents the lowest level of annual borrowing since 2001.

In terms of growth, Mr Hunt revealed that the updated OBR projections suggest the UK economy will expand by 0.8% this year, marginally higher than the fiscal watchdog’s autumn forecast. Next year’s growth rate was also revised upwards to 1.9% compared to the 1.4% figure previously predicted.

Cost-of-living measures

The Chancellor also announced a series of measures designed to help families deal with cost-of-living pressures. These included: an extension to the Household Support Fund at current levels for a further six months; maintaining the ‘temporary’ 5p cut on fuel duty and freezing it for another 12 months; an extension of the freeze in alcohol duty until February 2025; an extension in the repayment period for new budgeting advance loans from 12 months to 24 months, and abolition of the £90 charge for a debt relief order.

Personal taxation, savings and pensions

Following previous changes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from January 2024, the government announced further changes to take effect this April:

  • The main rate of employee NICs will be cut by 2p in the pound from 10% to 8%, which, when combined with the 2p cut that took effect in January, is estimated to save the average salaried worker around £900 a year
  • There will be a further 2p cut from the main rate of self-employed NICs on top of the 1p cut announced at the Autumn Statement
  • This means that from 6 April 2024, the main rate of Class 4 NICs for the self-employed will reduce from 9% to 6%. Combined with the abolition of the requirement to pay Class 2 NICs, this will save an average self-employed person around £650 a year.

To remove unfairness in the system, changes to Child Benefit were announced:

  • The Child Benefit system will be based on household rather than individual incomes by April 2026
  • From April 2024 the threshold for the High Income Child Benefit Charge will be raised to £60,000 from £50,000, taking 170,000 families out of paying this charge
  • The rate of the charge will also be halved, so that Child Benefit is not lost in full until an individual earns £80,000 per annum
  • The government estimates that nearly half a million families will gain an average of £1,260 in 2024/25 as a result.

The government announced two savings products to encourage UK savings – a new UK Individual Savings Account (ISA) and British Savings Bonds:

  • The new ISA will have a £5,000 annual allowance in addition to the existing ISA allowance and will be a new tax-free product for people to invest in UK-focused assets
  • British Savings Bonds will be delivered through National Savings & Investments (NS&I) in April 2024, offering a guaranteed interest rate, fixed for three years.

Expressing concern that, across the pensions industry, investment into UK equities is only around 6%, the Chancellor announced plans to bring forward requirements for Defined Contribution pension funds to publicly disclose the breakdown of their asset allocations, including UK equities, working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to achieve this.

The non-dom tax regime, available to some UK residents with permanent domicile overseas, is to be abolished. From April 2025, new arrivals to the UK will not have to pay tax on foreign income and gains for the first four years of their UK residency. After that, they will pay the same tax as other UK residents. Transition arrangements will be allowed for current non-doms.

 In addition:

  • As previously announced in the Autumn Statement, the government is working to bring forward legislation by the end of the summer to allow people to invest in a diverse range of investment types through their ISAs
  • The existing ISA allowance remains at £20,000 and the JISA (Junior ISA) allowance and Child Trust Fund annual subscription limits remain at £9,000
  • The Dividend Allowance reduces to £500 from April 2024
  • The annual Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption reduces to £3,000 from April 2024
  • The standard nil rate Stamp Duty Land Tax threshold for England and Northern Ireland is £250,000 and £425,000 for first-time buyers, remaining in place until 31 March 2025
  • The Income Tax Personal Allowance and higher rate threshold remain at £12,570 and £50,270 respectively until April 2028 (rates and thresholds may differ for taxpayers in parts of the UK where Income Tax is devolved)
  • There will be a consultation on moving to a residence-based regime for Inheritance Tax (IHT). No changes to IHT will take effect before 6 April 2025 – £325,000 nil-rate band, £175,000 main residence nil-rate band, with taper starting at £2m estate value
  • From 1 April 2024, personal representatives of estates will no longer need to take out commercial loans to pay IHT before applying to obtain a grant on credit from HMRC
  • The State Pension, as previously announced, will go up by 8.5% in April, which means £221.20 a week for the full, new flat-rate State Pension (for those who reached State Pension age after April 2016) and £169.50 a week for the full, old basic State Pension (for those who reached State Pension age before April 2016)
  • ·        The removal of the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) from pensions tax legislation from April
  • As previously announced, the National Living Wage for over-23s – paid by employers – will rise from £10.42 an hour to £11.44 an hour in April.

Business measures

Various business measures announced included the raising of the threshold at which small businesses must register to pay VAT from £85,000 to £90,000 from April 2024. In addition, the Recovery Loan Scheme for small businesses will be extended until March 2026.

Property taxation

The Chancellor also announced the government’s plans to make the property tax system fairer, by:

  • Abolishing the Furnished Holiday Lettings tax regime
  • Abolishing Stamp Duty Land Tax Multiple Dwellings Relief from 1 June 2024
  • Reducing the higher rate of CGT on residential properties from 28% to 24%.

Public services

“Good public services need a strong economy to pay for them, but a strong economy also needs good public services.” This is how the Chancellor introduced the government’s “landmark” Public Sector Productivity Plan which, it says, will restart public sector reform and change the Treasury’s traditional approach to public spending.

Our National Health Service is, said Mr Hunt, “rightly the biggest reason most of us are proud to be British.” He announced £3.4bn to modernise NHS IT systems, which is forecast to unlock £35bn of savings by 2030 and boost NHS productivity by almost 2% per year between 2025/26 and 2029/30.

This includes:

  • Modernising NHS IT systems
  • Improvements to the NHS app to allow patients to confirm and modify appointments
  • Piloting the use of AI to automate back-office functions
  • Moving all NHS Trusts to electronic patient records
  • Over 100 upgraded AI-fitted MRI scanners to speed up results for potentially 130,000 patients per year.

The Chancellor announced a £2.5bn funding boost for the NHS in 2024/25, allowing the service to continue its focus on reducing waiting times for patients.

Mr Hunt also announced £800m of additional investment to boost productivity across other public services, including:

  • £230m for drones and new technology to free up police officers’ time for frontline work
  • £75m to roll out the Violence Reduction Unit model across England and Wales
  • £170m for the justice system, including £55m for family courts, £100m for prisons and £15m to reduce administrative burdens in the courts
  • £165m to fund additional children’s social care placements
  • An initial commitment of £105m to build new special free schools.

Other key points

  • New duty on vaping products to be introduced from October 2026
  • Tobacco duty will be increased from October 2026
  • Air Passenger Duty adjustments to non-economy class rates from 2025/26
  • Energy Profits Levy one year extension from 1 April 2028 to 2029
  • Boosting local growth through a continuation of the Investment Zones programme
  • £1bn in additional tax relief over the next five years for creative industries
  • Housing investment including £124m at Barking Riverside and £118m to accelerate delivery of the Canary Wharf scheme (including up to 750 homes)
  • £120m for the Green Industries Growth Accelerator (GIGA)
  • £7.4m upskilling fund pilot to help SMEs develop AI skills of the future
  • Extension to Freeport tax reliefs to September 2031
  • Extension to and deepening of devolution in England, including the North East Trailblazer Devolution Deal
  • HMRC to establish an advisory panel to support the administration of the R&D tax reliefs.

Closing comments

Jeremy Hunt signed off his Budget saying he was delivering, “A plan to grow the economy, a plan for better public services, a plan to make work pay… Growth up, jobs up and taxes down. I commend this Statement to the House.”

It is important to take professional advice before making any decision relating to your personal finances. Information within this document is based on our current understanding of the Budget taxation and HMRC rules and can be subject to change in future. It does not provide individual tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. Some rules may vary in different parts of the UK; please ask for details. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Levels and bases of, and reliefs from taxation are those currently applying or proposed and are subject to change; their value depends on the individual circumstances of the investor.

All details are believed to be correct at the time of writing (6 March 2024)

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314.

Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Tees new Senior Wealth Planner now settled and seeing clients

Posted on by Sarah O'Sullivan
Tees Financial Ltd has recently welcomed Senior Wealth Planner David Blackman, a role with a key focus on working with the farming community – a first for the firm.

Tees has a long history of working with farming families, going back 100 years, but before now, we’ve not had a senior financial adviser on board who specialises in this area.

With over 32 years of experience in financial services, David is passionate about helping all clients through life events, with a real interest in planning tax efficiency for agricultural businesses and owners. Tees’ financial advisers work with clients to help them pass on their farm and land assets to the next generation in a well-planned and tax-efficient way. This includes taking advantage of Inheritance Tax reliefs (IHT), Business Property Relief (BPR) and Agricultural Property Relief (APR).

Part of David’s role is to help farming businesses make any necessary adjustments in investment activities and to encourage the use of Trusts and other ownership structures to ensure assets can be passed on tax-efficiently.

David is looking forward to advising more clients and said “It’s important that farming families think about putting appropriate plans in place. It can all be confusing with so many options out there, so I’m here to make sense of it all for our clients and advise on the best ways to protect assets and plan for the future. This includes help on pension and retirements too.”

David has a breadth of experience in providing finance advice to the rural community and has joined Tees after previously working for NFU Mutual – a Farmers’ Union insurance composite, so he fully understands the needs and complexities involved in agricultural land ownership and business. As a Chartered Financial Planner and a Chartered Associate of the London Institute of Banking and Finance, David is also able to advise on protecting family wealth and ensuring financial stability in the future.

“I am passionate about helping clients to achieve their goals and it’s so important to me to grow relationships with my clients by regularly reviewing financial plans, instead of just being very transactional. That’s what I love about the job.”

Our specialist financial advisers are based in several sites including Essex, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, but can help anyone in the UK.

If you would like to find out more about our services or speak to David directly, call our team on 080o 015 1165.

How can I start investing ethically?

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Know your values

Take time to think about which ethical approaches matter most to you. There are so many different ethical and sustainability issues that it may be hard to find one option that fits everything. Being clear what matters most to you, will help you navigate your way through complexities such as a fossil fuel company that also has a renewable energy project.

Work out where you are already investing

Your current investments, including your pension, may have ethical elements already. You need to know what you’re happy with and what you want to change. You can also consider whether you want all your investments to be based on ethical investing, or just a proportion.

To make changes, you may need to just change the fund, or possibly for a more comprehensive approach, look to a new investment management provider.

How is ESG performance worked out?

The information used to define whether a business is strong on ESG is often subjective. There are multiple frameworks that people use, with different methods of calculation, so it’s impossible to get totally accurate answers – so you should aim for an approximation.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), states that ESG assertions made by companies must be ‘reasonable and substantiated’. The investment research firm, Morgan Stanley Capital International provides a grading system ranking businesses from AAA to CCC. They collate information from published corporate documents, plus academic, government and a range of other databases.

How to choose an ethical investment fund

As well as the usual things to consider when choosing a fund, for example, levels of risk, costs etc, when you want to invest ethically there are a few additional factors to consider. It’s important to ensure that investment companies are genuinely upholding ethical standards. If you look at the fund manager’s website you will often find the answers you need. You need to research the following points and if you can’t find the answers you want, don’t hesitate to ask the investment companies directly. If they are responsive and open that can say a lot about their ethical approach and their attitude to investors generally.

Find out about the following

  • Ethical Investment Policies: Carefully examine the investment company’s ethical investment policies. Look for clear guidelines that outline the specific environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors they consider when selecting stocks. A well-defined, transparent policy should cover areas such as: carbon emissions, working standards, diversity, animal welfare and corporate governance.
  • Their philosophy and screening process: the corporate reporting (such as website, prospectus, annual report) should demonstrate how comprehensively the fund managers are embracing socially responsible investing principles. Look out for impact assessments which can be an indication that the fund is genuinely committed and it is a key element. Be wary of funds that seem to present ESG as a sort of ‘nice box to tick’. Another good sign is if they have robust selection criteria for the stocks they include in their portfolios.
  • Research and data: ideally, you’d want a fund that has its ESG research conducted in-house as that is an indication of its level of commitment to ethical investing. Relying on third-party ESG research gives less reason to be impressed. Ratings, such as those from MSCI, can be a useful guide, however there are a lot of different views as to how these should be assessed and so they may not be that significant in reality.
  • Compare the investment company’s ethical policies and practices with their peers. Look for benchmarking reports that evaluate different investment companies’ ethical performance and compare them across the industry. This analysis can help identify companies that excel in ethical investing and have a proven track record.
  • Voting behaviour and engagement: fund managers should vote at the annual meetings held by the companies they invest in. Proxy voting allows shareholders to exercise their rights and influence corporate decision-making. If they have voted against management at any time, this shows they are willing to engage and have a proactive commitment to ethical investing. You should be able to find this information from their website where they will record how they have engaged with investee companies.
  • Accreditation and Certifications: Are they signatories to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and the UK Stewardship Code 2020 which is a code that establishes a benchmark for sustainable investment? Additionally, consider certifications specific to industries, such as Fair Trade certifications for companies involved in agriculture or manufacturing.
  • Transparency: Look for investment companies that provide regular and comprehensive reports on their portfolio holdings and their performance against ethical criteria. Check to see whether you can see the whole of a fund’s portfolio and that listings are not limited, for example, to the top 10 holdings. You need to be able to see and check all the underlying companies to be knowledgeable about how socially responsible the investments are.

How can I match my values to the right investment?

To effectively align investments with your values, you need to ethical investment companies that offer the following:

  • robust screening and selection process: they should have a rigorous screening process to identify stocks that meet specific ethical criteria. This process involves assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and excluding companies involved in industries or practices that conflict with the investor’s values. Clear guidelines should be in place to ensure transparency and consistency in stock selection.
  • customisation and flexibility: they should offer customisation options to accommodate individual investors’ values. This may include providing different investment themes or portfolios aligned with specific causes, such as climate change, gender equality, or human rights.
  •  regular portfolio reviews: they should conduct regular reviews of their portfolios to ensure ongoing alignment with investors’ values. This involves monitoring the ESG performance of companies held in the portfolio and making adjustments as needed. If a company’s practices no longer align with ethical standards, the investment company should consider divesting from that stock and finding alternatives that better meet the investor’s values.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing has become an increasingly important focus for many of our clients.

There has been a substantial rise in the popularity of sustainable and ethical investments in recent years, driven by an increasing desire for investors to know where and how their money is being invested.

However, while these products have now become an established part of the mainstream investment landscape, many people remain confused about the terminology associated with this type of investing and are often unsure as to how to get started.

What is ESG investing?

ESG investing involves considering environmental, social and governance factors alongside financial considerations when assessing investment opportunities. When investment managers are deciding which companies to invest in, they may seek out and include companies based on their ESG characteristics.

Environmental factors refer to how companies are performing in their stewardship of the environment, for example:

  • Carbon footprint
  • Energy consumption
  • Greenhouse gas emissions

Social factors consider how companies manage relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the areas where they operate, for example:

  • Human rights and social justice
  • Working conditions and employee relations
  • Health and safety standards

Governance factors focus on company leadership, for example:

  • Board diversity, structure and pay
  • Avoidance of bribery and corruption
  • Management & culture

ESG investing offers the potential to invest in ways that reflect the values that are important to you through using investment solutions that aim to take related ESG characteristics into account.

However, with investment managers and funds using varying terms such as Ethical, Sustainable, Socially Responsible, Impact Investing or simply Green, it can be difficult for clients to really understand what these labels truly mean and how they translate into an investment strategy that matches their personal views and reflects the values that are most important to them.

Ethical investing

One of the most well-known terms is Ethical Investing. This involves actively avoiding those types of firms or industry sectors which are considered to have a negative impact on the environment or society. This approach is also known as ‘negative screening’ as it involves filtering out specific types of investment based on a series of ethical or moral judgements.

For instance, negative screening may exclude all gas and oil companies regardless of whether a firm operating in the sector generates any form of green energy. Other types of excluded ‘sin stocks’ typically include the likes of alcohol companies, tobacco producers, weapons manufacturers, the gambling industry and firms involved in animal testing.

Sustainable Investing

Sustainable Investing uses ESG principles to actively select those companies that have a positive impact on the world, often in line with the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This approach is therefore less restrictive than ethical investing as it allows for the fact that organisations are typically not either all good or all bad.

For example, under a sustainable investment strategy, a fund manager would be allowed to invest in an oil company that was developing clean, renewable energy sources.

Socially Responsible Investing (SRI)

SRI is one of the oldest ethical investment strategies, which involves focusing on a range of socially conscious themes such as employment rights, awareness of LGBTQ factors, social justice and corporate ethics.

Impact Investing

This involves using an investment strategy which targets those companies that have a positive social and/or environmental impact whilst demonstrating high levels of accountability and governance.

Green Investing 

Green Investing involves a strategy of selecting companies considered to be positive for the environment, such as those offering alternative sources of energy or those with a proven track record in reducing their environmental impact.

Are ESG funds higher risk?

There was often a perception in the early days of ESG investing that investors were putting principles before profit, with ethical or green investments generally considered to be significantly riskier than their traditional counterparts. Nowadays, however, with more and more companies adopting ESG principles within their corporate and social governance policies, there is a much wider choice of stocks available to ethical and sustainable investors, and so this style of investing can provide a compelling investment opportunity capable of generating long-term stable and sustainable returns.

Our bespoke planning process

Building a strategy around your personal core beliefs aimed at delivering financial success is central to our planning process.

One of the challenges with ESG investing is that it’s highly subjective; whilst you may want to prioritise the social impact companies can have, others may be more concerned about the environmental effects. It’s worth spending some time thinking about what is most important to you.

At Tees, as your independent financial adviser, we will work with you and take the time to truly understand your values including any ‘red lines’ you may have and where you may be willing to compromise. We take account of your financial aspirations and plan for how these can be delivered via an ESG investment strategy, that is tailored to you, so that you can feel comfortable with the investment decisions you are making.

We will also seek to understand the balance between your views and overall financial performance, as well as what impact you want your investment to have – i.e: to ‘do no harm’, or to ‘do good’.

‘Do no harm’ or ‘do good’

Seeking to invest in companies that promote ESG values that are important to you is referred to as positive screening, as you look to ‘do good’.  This may mean actively looking for opportunities in certain sectors or even dedicating a portion of your portfolio to this area.

Let’s say climate change and fossil fuel use are something you want to reflect in your investments. A negative, or ‘do no harm’ screening process may mean cutting out firms that are involved in the fossil fuel industry. In contrast, a positive ‘do good’ screening method could mean diverting a portion of your portfolio towards companies that are focused on renewable energy.

When looking to build an ESG investment strategy, it’s important to bear in mind that there often needs to be compromise, rather than trying to find a portfolio which exactly matches a particular set of ethical values. There is no such thing as 100% good or bad.

Ongoing monitoring of investment managers and performance

We continually monitor the investment managers that we recommend and hold them to account to ensure that their investment strategies remain in line with the policies and beliefs for which their investments were selected on your behalf.

Monitoring and engaging with investment managers encourages good behaviour and is the best way to ensure they are practising what they are preaching.

We will also look to benchmark an investment manager’s performance comparative to their peers as well as assess performance against mainstream funds. There may be times when an ESG portfolio underperforms compared to traditional investments, as certain stocks (and indeed, whole sectors) can move in and out of favour during periods of economic and political stability.

We will look to focus on your overarching investment goals to ensure that we maximise your investment returns whilst continuing to invest in companies that work hard to manage their legacy and impact on the world.

There’s a great deal to consider when assessing ESG investment opportunities. Our clients tell us that taking professional independent financial advice from Tees, helps them to invest their money more in line with their core values and beliefs.

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314.

Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Release equity from house: Increase your income

Posted on by Sarah O'Sullivan
As we’ll explain in this article, equity release is just one of several options that are now available to over 55s who wish to increase their income. Here at Tees our Equity Release Council member and SOLLA accredited experts are on hand to help and advise you every step of the way.

We’re all living longer and often, retiring later.

Changes to the state pension age, along with anticipated shortfalls in many private pensions, mean that we’re likely to need to look to alternative solutions as to how to fund our lifestyles in or approaching retirement – or risk relying on debt in later life.

In the past five years, the total value of debt held by the over-55s is estimated to have increased by 47 per cent and in another five years, this total value is forecast to increase by 35 per cent, rising to £397bn by 2024.

The good news is that the options to increase your income in later life are growing, becoming much more attractive – and can offer you peace of mind.

Since the government introduced pension reforms in 2015, the financial services industry as a whole – including the mortgage market – has begun to catch up with the challenges and opportunities of social change and consequently, lending criteria relating to age and retirement status have become a good deal more flexible.

Only a few years ago, there might have been a small handful of building societies prepared to lend to people of older age, however today, the options are many and varied and the previously niche equity release market has seen rapid growth and development into an industry that is now more commonly referred to as the later life lending market.

It is estimated that the UK’s over-55s currently own £1trillion in housing wealth.

What is later life lending?

Put simply, it is a mortgage offered to the over 55s that is designed to let you make use of the money that’s built up in your home and help you live better in your retirement.

What are the different types of later life lending?

Lifetime Mortgage

This is a form of equity release that lets you unlock the value in your home as a tax free lump sum of money.

How does equity release work?

Equity release is essentially like a long term loan. However, you don’t have to make monthly payments, unless you choose to, and the loan is usually repaid when the last borrower moves into long term care or dies, and you keep full ownership of the property. The maximum loan amount depends on your age and how much your property is worth.

Equity release may not be right for everyone. It may affect your entitlement to state benefits and will reduce the value of your estate.

Retirement Interest Only (RIO) Mortgage

A retirement interest only mortgage is very similar to a standard interest only mortgage, but with some differences.

The main part of the loan (capital) is usually only paid off when the last borrower moves into long term care or dies and you only have to prove you can afford the monthly interest payments.

Retirement Capital & Interest (RCI) Mortgage

Much like a standard repayment mortgage you pay back both interest and capital on a monthly basis.

The main difference is that you can borrow up to a higher age than on a standard mortgage but the product is still designed to repay your mortgage in full by the end of your term.

You’ll need to be able to afford the repayments on a monthly basis.

Home Reversion Plan

A Home Reversion Plan allows you to access all or part of the value of your property while retaining the right to remain in your property, rent free, for the rest of your life.

The plan provider will purchase all or part of your house taking into account your age and your health and will provide you with a tax free cash lump sum (or regular payments) and a lifetime lease, guaranteeing you the right to stay in your property rent-free for the rest of your life.

Is borrowing in later life right for me?

It’s often a good idea to speak with family members or trusted friends before taking on further borrowing in later life, they can often offer support and suggest other ways you could raise money. Borrowing in later life can have an impact on inheritance amounts you leave and any state benefits or local authority grants you get.

Is it wise with increasing interest rates for parents to release equity to assist in paying off or reducing their children’s mortgages?

This is a complex decision and will depend on various factors, here are some considerations:

  • Helping your children may be beneficial if you have excess funds and you are in a financially stable situation. It’s important to ensure that you have enough savings for your own needs and emergencies before considering assisting your children with their mortgages.
  • Releasing equity from your home may affect your retirement plans. It’s crucial to evaluate how using this equity will impact your future financial security, as you may be reducing the value of your estate or limiting your access to funds in the long term.
  • Before considering equity release, explore other possibilities for helping your children with their mortgages. For instance, you could recommend they seek financial advice or explore other forms of financial support that may not have long-term consequences for your own financial situation.
  • While helping your children reduce their mortgage loan can be beneficial, it’s essential to involve them in the decision-making process. Make sure they understand the implications and responsibilities associated with receiving financial assistance.
  • Releasing equity from your home may have tax implications, such as potential inheritance tax considerations.
  • Releasing equity may reduce your financial flexibility. Consider whether you may need access to the equity in the future for other purposes, such as long-term care costs or other unforeseen circumstances.

Ultimately, the decision to release equity to assist your children with their mortgages depends on your financial circumstances, risk tolerance, and long-term goals. It’s advisable to seek advice from a qualified financial adviser who specialises in this area of advice or a mortgage specialist who can provide personalised help and guidance on your specific situation.

Can I apply for a later life mortgage?

Many lenders will consider applications from people aged 55 up until their 85th birthday, with some lenders offering existing customers a mortgage up to their 95th birthday.

What can the money be used for?

The money released can be used for lots of different things. Some common uses include home improvements, family gifts,  funding the purchase of a further property, buying a car, travelling abroad, or funding care. 

Example

Mrs Hurst needed to carry out improvements on her home and gift her daughter money to aid her in buying a house. At the time, she held a lifetime mortgage previously arranged with another lender at an uncompetitive rate of 7.19%.

In order to achieve her goals, Mrs Hurst required an urgent loan of £226,160 and a more competitive rate of interest than her existing lifetime mortgage.

Tees’ Solution

Utilising a ‘whole of market’ approach, a new Lifetime Mortgage product was secured for Mrs Hurst, offering a significantly lower rate of interest of 3.92%.

As well as releasing an initial loan, Mrs Hurst released an additional £32,665 in order to fund the necessary £25,000 for home improvements and £10,000 to aid her daughter’s home purchase.

Even though the transaction involved releasing additional equity from her home, the lower rate of interest that was secured for Mrs Hurst on her new Lifetime Mortgage arrangement has resulted in a total saving of £256,049 of mortgage interest payments over a 15 year period, compared with if she had remained with her previous lender.

Outcome

The savings we secured for Mrs Hurst means she is now more able to enjoy a more comfortable retirement.

Our clients come to us for many different reasons. One of these is we offer lenders from the whole market and are able to access low rates. This ensures our clients can enjoy their retirement to the fullest and get the most out of the value of their home.

The Tees difference: a bespoke service that’s focussed on delivering what you really need

Toni Chalmers-Smith is a later life lending specialist at Tees who has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years. While fully qualified in all forms of life, health, mortgage and pension business, Toni is expert in advising clients who require later years advice, which includes investments, inheritance tax and estate planning, equity release and care fees planning. Toni works closely with Tees’ legal advisers in providing specialist advice on all areas of later life lending and also offers older clients a financial review and support service, especially if an individual or family member is unable to cope with day to day financial decisions.

Catherine Banks is an experienced solicitor in Tees’ residential conveyancing team, and specialises in later life lending conveyancing. Together Toni, Catherine and the rest of the Tees team work seamlessly together to ensure that the solutions they provide truly fulfil your needs, and are fully tailored to your individual circumstances.

Toni and Catherine pride themselves on offering a friendly, personal service which is designed to put you at ease and support you in these important financial decisions. Their approach is highly ethical; when dealing with older clients where there may be a vulnerability concern Toni can offer an advisory service and where necessary, work with a Power of Attorney and/or make an application to the Court of Protection on your behalf.

Expert financial and legal advice all under one roof

There are many advantages of having your financial advice and legal conveyancing services all under one roof:

  •  A fast, efficient, joined-up service that is second to none. 
  • Transparency in terms of our fees and any associated costs. 
  • A fully comprehensive service that is highly cost-effective.

We at Tees strongly believe that financial and legal advice should take you to the stage where you can make clear and informed decisions, happy in the knowledge that you have received all the information and choices needed to reach those decisions.

Toni is a SOLLA Accredited Adviser and operates under its strict code of conduct. Both Toni and Catherine are members of the Equity Release Council: https://www.equityreleasecouncil.com/

Only specialist advisers can offer equity release advice.

Release equity from your house: Increase your income

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
As we’ll explain in this article, equity release is just one of several options that are now available to over 55s who wish to increase their income. Here at Tees our Equity Release Council member and SOLLA accredited experts are on hand to help and advise you every step of the way.

We’re all living longer and often, retiring later.

Changes to the state pension age, along with anticipated shortfalls in many private pensions, mean that we’re likely to need to look to alternative solutions as to how to fund our lifestyles in or approaching retirement – or risk relying on debt in later life.

In the past five years, the total value of debt held by the over-55s is estimated to have increased by 47 per cent and in another five years, this total value is forecast to increase by 35 per cent, rising to £397bn by 2024.

The good news is that the options to increase your income in later life are growing, becoming much more attractive – and can offer you peace of mind.

Since the government introduced pension reforms in 2015, the financial services industry as a whole – including the mortgage market – has begun to catch up with the challenges and opportunities of social change and consequently, lending criteria relating to age and retirement status have become a good deal more flexible.

Only a few years ago, there might have been a small handful of building societies prepared to lend to people of older age, however today, the options are many and varied and the previously niche equity release market has seen rapid growth and development into an industry that is now more commonly referred to as the later life lending market.

It is estimated that the UK’s over-55s currently own £1trillion in housing wealth.

What is later life lending?

Put simply, it is a mortgage offered to the over 55s that is designed to let you make use of the money that’s built up in your home and help you live better in your retirement.

What are the different types of later life lending?

Lifetime Mortgage

This is a form of equity release that lets you unlock the value in your home as a tax free lump sum of money.

How does equity release work?

Equity release is essentially like a long term loan. However, you don’t have to make monthly payments, unless you choose to, and the loan is usually repaid when the last borrower moves into long term care or dies, and you keep full ownership of the property. The maximum loan amount depends on your age and how much your property is worth.

Equity release may not be right for everyone. It may affect your entitlement to state benefits and will reduce the value of your estate.

Retirement Interest Only (RIO) Mortgage

A retirement interest only mortgage is very similar to a standard interest only mortgage, but with some differences.

The main part of the loan (capital) is usually only paid off when the last borrower moves into long term care or dies and you only have to prove you can afford the monthly interest payments.

Retirement Capital & Interest (RCI) Mortgage

Much like a standard repayment mortgage you pay back both interest and capital on a monthly basis.

The main difference is that you can borrow up to a higher age than on a standard mortgage but the product is still designed to repay your mortgage in full by the end of your term.

You’ll need to be able to afford the repayments on a monthly basis.

Home Reversion Plan

A Home Reversion Plan allows you to access all or part of the value of your property while retaining the right to remain in your property, rent free, for the rest of your life.

The plan provider will purchase all or part of your house taking into account your age and your health and will provide you with a tax free cash lump sum (or regular payments) and a lifetime lease, guaranteeing you the right to stay in your property rent-free for the rest of your life.

Is borrowing in later life right for me?

It’s often a good idea to speak with family members or trusted friends before taking on further borrowing in later life, they can often offer support and suggest other ways you could raise money. Borrowing in later life can have an impact on inheritance amounts you leave and any state benefits or local authority grants you get.

Is it wise with increasing interest rates for parents to release equity to assist in paying off or reducing their children’s mortgages?

This is a complex decision and will depend on various factors, here are some considerations:

  • Helping your children may be beneficial if you have excess funds and you are in a financially stable situation. It’s important to ensure that you have enough savings for your own needs and emergencies before considering assisting your children with their mortgages.
  • Releasing equity from your home may affect your retirement plans. It’s crucial to evaluate how using this equity will impact your future financial security, as you may be reducing the value of your estate or limiting your access to funds in the long term.
  • Before considering equity release, explore other possibilities for helping your children with their mortgages. For instance, you could recommend they seek financial advice or explore other forms of financial support that may not have long-term consequences for your own financial situation.
  • While helping your children reduce their mortgage loan can be beneficial, it’s essential to involve them in the decision-making process. Make sure they understand the implications and responsibilities associated with receiving financial assistance.
  • Releasing equity from your home may have tax implications, such as potential inheritance tax considerations.
  • Releasing equity may reduce your financial flexibility. Consider whether you may need access to the equity in the future for other purposes, such as long-term care costs or other unforeseen circumstances.

Ultimately, the decision to release equity to assist your children with their mortgages depends on your financial circumstances, risk tolerance, and long-term goals. It’s advisable to seek advice from a qualified financial adviser who specialises in this area of advice or a mortgage specialist who can provide personalised help and guidance on your specific situation.

Can I apply for a later life mortgage?

Many lenders will consider applications from people aged 55 up until their 85th birthday, with some lenders offering existing customers a mortgage up to their 95th birthday.

What can the money be used for?

The money released can be used for lots of different things. Some common uses include home improvements, family gifts,  funding the purchase of a further property, buying a car, travelling abroad, or funding care. 

Example

Mrs Hurst needed to carry out improvements on her home and gift her daughter money to aid her in buying a house. At the time, she held a lifetime mortgage previously arranged with another lender at an uncompetitive rate of 7.19%.

In order to achieve her goals, Mrs Hurst required an urgent loan of £226,160 and a more competitive rate of interest than her existing lifetime mortgage.

Tees’ Solution

Utilising a ‘whole of market’ approach, a new Lifetime Mortgage product was secured for Mrs Hurst, offering a significantly lower rate of interest of 3.92%.

As well as releasing an initial loan, Mrs Hurst released an additional £32,665 in order to fund the necessary £25,000 for home improvements and £10,000 to aid her daughter’s home purchase.

Even though the transaction involved releasing additional equity from her home, the lower rate of interest that was secured for Mrs Hurst on her new Lifetime Mortgage arrangement has resulted in a total saving of £256,049 of mortgage interest payments over a 15 year period, compared with if she had remained with her previous lender.

Outcome

The savings we secured for Mrs Hurst means she is now more able to enjoy a more comfortable retirement.

Our clients come to us for many different reasons. One of these is we offer lenders from the whole market and are able to access low rates. This ensures our clients can enjoy their retirement to the fullest and get the most out of the value of their home.

The Tees difference: a bespoke service that’s focused on delivering what you really need

Toni Chalmers-Smith is a later life lending specialist at Tees who has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years. While fully qualified in all forms of life, health, mortgage and pension business, Toni is expert in advising clients who require later years advice, which includes investments, inheritance tax and estate planning, equity release and care fees planning. Toni works closely with Tees’ legal advisers in providing specialist advice on all areas of later life lending and also offers older clients a financial review and support service, especially if an individual or family member is unable to cope with day to day financial decisions.

Catherine Banks is an experienced solicitor in Tees’ residential conveyancing team, and specialises in later life lending conveyancing. Together Toni, Catherine and the rest of the Tees team work seamlessly together to ensure that the solutions they provide truly fulfil your needs, and are fully tailored to your individual circumstances.

Toni and Catherine pride themselves on offering a friendly, personal service which is designed to put you at ease and support you in these important financial decisions. Their approach is highly ethical; when dealing with older clients where there may be a vulnerability concern Toni can offer an advisory service and where necessary, work with a Power of Attorney and/or make an application to the Court of Protection on your behalf.

Expert financial and legal advice all under one roof

There are many advantages of having your financial advice and legal conveyancing services all under one roof:

  • a fast, efficient, joined-up service that is second to none
  • transparency in terms of our fees and any associated costs
  • a fully comprehensive service that is highly cost-effective

We at Tees strongly believe that financial and legal advice should take you to the stage where you can make clear and informed decisions, happy in the knowledge that you have received all the information and choices needed to reach those decisions.

Toni is a SOLLA Accredited Adviser and operates under its strict code of conduct. Both Toni and Catherine are members of the Equity Release Council: https://www.equityreleasecouncil.com/

Only specialist advisers can offer equity release advice.

Estate planning: Equity release and inheritance tax

Posted on by Sarah O'Sullivan
Paul and Margaret Evans are a retired couple in their late 70s. They own a valuable property worth £1.2 million and have savings and investments worth £800,000. They have two children and wish to minimise the impact of inheritance tax on their estate, while ensuring they have sufficient funds for their retirement.

Client objectives: Paul and Margaret Evans wish to reduce their potential inheritance tax liability and maximise the amount they can pass on to their children. They also want to maintain their current standard of living and have the flexibility to access additional funds if needed.

Strategy: To achieve their objectives, Paul and Margaret decide to explore the option of equity release as a part of their inheritance tax planning. Equity release allows them to release a portion of the value tied up in their property while continuing to live in it.

Recommendation and Implementation:

Initial Meeting: Paul and Margaret discuss with Toni Chalmers-Smith, their financial adviser at Tees Wealth, inheritance tax planning and equity release. Toni assesses their financial situation, including their property value, savings and investments, and determines the potential inheritance tax liability.

Equity Release Option: After reviewing Paul and Margaret’s financial situation, Toni recommends a lifetime mortgage as the most suitable equity release option. A lifetime mortgage allows them to borrow against the value of their property, either as a lump sum or in smaller amounts over time.

Loan Amount and Interest Rates: Toni calculates the loan amount Paul and Margaret can release based on their age, property value, and health conditions. They also discuss the interest rates, repayment options, and implications for their estate.

Estate Protection: To ensure that the inheritance for their children is maximised, Paul and Margaret decide to opt for an interest roll-up plan. This means they won’t make regular interest payments, and the interest will be added to the loan balance. The loan, including the accumulated interest, will be repaid upon their death or if they move into long-term care.

Inheritance Tax Planning: By releasing a portion of their property’s value, Paul and Margaret can use the funds to make gifts to their children, reducing the overall value of their estate. They consult with a solicitor at Tees to ensure the gifts are structured appropriately within the inheritance tax rules and exemptions.

Ongoing Review: Paul and Margaret maintain regular contact with Toni and their solicitor to review their estate planning strategy and make adjustments as needed. They understand that changes in legislation or their personal circumstances may require modifications to their inheritance tax planning approach.

Outcome

By utilising equity release for inheritance tax planning, Paul and Margaret achieve several objectives:

Inheritance Tax Savings: By gifting a portion of the released equity to their children, Paul and Margaret effectively reduce the value of their estate, potentially resulting in significant inheritance tax savings.

Retained Standard of Living: Paul and Margaret can access the released funds to maintain their current lifestyle, cover healthcare expenses, or enjoy travel and leisure activities during their retirement.

Flexibility: With an interest roll-up plan, Paul and Margaret have the flexibility to choose how and when they access the funds, whether as a lump sum or in smaller amounts over time with a drawdown facility. This provides them with financial security and peace of mind.

Legacy for Children: By reducing their inheritance tax liability and making gifts during their lifetime, Paul and Margaret can pass on a larger portion of their estate to their children, ensuring a more substantial financial legacy.

Important Considerations:

If you are releasing equity to gift money to another person, this will be exempt from IHT if you live for 7 years thereafter, and do not derive any direct or indirect benefit back.  However, if you die within 7 years of making the gift, it will be brought back into account with the rest of your estate when calculating the tax.

It’s crucial to note that equity release, including lifetime mortgages, is a complex financial product. Mr and Mrs Evans sought professional advice from a qualified financial adviser and solicitor to ensure they understood the risks, costs, and implications of their chosen strategy. Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and it’s important to consult with a specialist within this area of advice.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Ltd, which is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Registered in England, and Wales number 4342506.

Tees is a trading name of Stanley Tee LLP regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Registered in England in England, and Wales number OC327874.

Saving for school or university fees

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
It’s often said that the value of a good education is priceless, but in today’s money that means on average, for a university student, you’ll be looking at around £20,340 a year, including tuition fees.

When it comes to school fees, according to School Fees Checker, fees increased by 5.1% in September 2022, with an average annual cost of an independent day school likely to be £20,480 per annum and £34,790 per annum for boarders. So, if you’re a parent or grandparent looking to build up the cash needed for school or university fees, it certainly pays to start saving as soon as you can.

Ways to save for school or university fees

An Individual Savings Account (ISA) is a simple way to save or invest. The advantage of these types of accounts is that you don’t pay tax on the interest you earn, or the increase in value of your investments, so you don’t need to declare income and capital gains from ISA savings or investments on your tax return. They are flexible too; you can save or invest a lump sum or make regular monthly contributions.

Junior ISAs are a great way to build up savings tax-efficiently for a child aged under 18. Your child can have a Junior cash ISA, a Junior stocks and shares ISA or a mixture of both, and save up to a total of £9,000 pa for the tax year 2023/2024. When your child reaches 18, they can access the funds, making them a good way of saving for a university education. The great advantage of a Junior ISA is that once it’s been opened by the parent or guardian, anyone can make contributions, including grandparents, friends and family. For families looking to save for school fees, parents and grandparents can also put away up to £20,000 tax-free into their own ISAs during the 2023/2024 tax year.

You could also consider investing a lump sum into an investment bond. When the time comes, you can make withdrawals from the bond to pay the fees. You can also assign the bond to the child. As the beneficiary, the child would be liable to pay tax on any income and gains, however as most children don’t receive enough income or gains to exceed their annual allowances, this could be an attractive option, especially for parents who are higher or additional rate taxpayers.

Here to help

If you could do with some help and advice on saving for a child’s education, then do get it touch. We can help you put a plan in place to meet future education costs, helping you give your child the best possible start in life.

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314.

Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

 

ISAs 101: your guide to Individual Savings Accounts

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
ISA stands for individual savings account and is an investment vehicle that has great tax breaks. It allows you to earn interest on cash savings or dividends from investments without paying income tax or capital gains tax.

To ensure this tax break is not exploited, there is a restriction placed on how much you can pay into them each tax year.

How do they work?

Each tax year, which runs from 6 April to 5 April the following year, you have an ISA allowance. Currently the ISA allowance is £20,000 for this tax year. This means you have until 5 April to use your ISA allowance for this tax year.

Use it or lose it. If you miss the tax yearend deadline, you cannot back pay to catch up missed contributions. Any money you pay into an ISA will count towards your ISA allowance for the following year. This regularly catches people out with busy lives each year.

To be eligible to open an ISA, you need to:

  • Be 16 or older for a cash ISA
  • Be 18 for stocks and shares ISA
  • Be the parent or guardian of a child under 18 to open a Junior ISA
  • Be 18 to 39 to open a lifetime ISA
  • Be a resident in the UK (or a Crown employee if abroad)

An ISA can only be held in one person’s name. It’s not possible to have an ISA in joint names. Hence the title individual Savings Account.

There are two main types of ISA: cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs. There are also some specialist ISAs to choose from.

Cash ISAs

These are similar to regular bank / building society savings accounts with the advantage of a tax efficient wrapper. They should be used as short-term investments ie up to 5 years for maximum effect.  Beyond this time scale inflation has the potential to reduce the value of the funds. There are two basic types of cash ISA:

  • Instant access:  Allows you to withdraw and deposit funds in line with the provider’s terms.
  • Fixed term: Your money is wrapped up for set period of time during which you receive a fixed rate of interest but have no access.  As the interest rates rise there are some very good rates on offer.

Stocks and Shares ISAs

These are stocks and shares investment accounts that use your ISA allowance as a wrapper to make them tax efficient. There are a huge variety on offer covering several investment styles and client attitudes to risk. This can make it very hard to compare apples with apples. Care should be taken also to ensure that any charging is made clear from the start.

As with most investment-based products your money is at risk as the value of stocks and shares can fluctuate. However over the longer term (5 years plus) you have the potential to receive better returns than say with Cash ISAs. These tend to form the basis of most investors portfolios as the starting point due to their tax efficiency.

Specialist ISAs

  • Junior ISAs: for under 18s only, limited up to £9,000 per annum currently. Can be Cash or Stocks and Shares based.
  • Lifetime ISA: for adults under 40 saving for retirement or to buy their first home.   At a very high level they let you earn a 25% bonus on savings up to £4,000 a year. Care and advice should be taken because although you can access the funds whenever you like. You only get the bonus if you use the cash to either buy your first home or take it out after you turn 60. If you withdraw the money for any other reason, you will lose 25% of it as the government takes its money back plus a little extra.
  • Innovative finance ISA: Peer-to-peer investments which earn interest by lending money to individuals, businesses and property developers. These usually require financial advice to be taken to ensure suitability. 
  • Business Property Relief (BPR) based ISAs: ISAs are not totally tax free; they are liable to Inheritance Tax upon death.  Using an ISA that can take advantage of BPR can help ringfence funds from inheritance tax.  These tend to be higher risk options and should be discussed with an IFA before proceeding.

You can open a Cash ISA either in a bank/building society branch, online, by post or over the phone, depending on the type of account and provider you choose.

Investment ISAs are similar but best taken out via an Independent Financial Adviser who can source the right plan for your circumstances.  They should also ensure that the scheme is covered by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. They will also explain the risk level and ensure that you do not over commit too much of your hard-earned funds in one go. For some Cash ISAs you can start with as little as £1. For investment ISAs this tends to be higher for lump sum investments. A regular premium amount typically start around £50 pm. There is no right amount to start with.  It will depend on your own situation.  Always ensure that you have enough hands on cash available to cover emergencies. As a guide this is typically 3 – 6 months of expenditure. You will also need to supply your National Insurance number. Always read the small print before signing to ensure that you understand what you are investing into.

How many ISAs can you have?

You can build up several ISAs over the years. You can consolidate your past ISAs by transferring them to your current ISAs if they offer better terms.

You can only pay into one cash ISA, one stocks and shares ISA, one lifetime ISA and one innovative finance ISA in each tax year, and the total you invest across the types of account must not exceed your ISA allowance – currently £20,000.

You can transfer to a new ISA within a tax year – but only if you take all the money you’ve already saved into the old ISA to your new one.

If you have opened a junior ISA for a child, this is not included in your £20,000 allowance (it’s the child’s allowance, which is £9,000 a year currently).

Can you withdraw money from your ISA and put the money back later?

This depends on the terms and conditions of your ISA, so ensure you find out before opening a new ISA whether:

Your ISA is flexible

  • You can withdraw money and pay it back in during the same tax year without it affecting your ISA allowance (eg if you deposit £10,000 then withdraw the same amount, you can still pay in a total of £20,000 this tax year)
  • You can also withdraw any ISA money you have from previous tax years, and have until the end of the tax year to pay it back into the same ISA.

Always, check the small print before doing anything as some ISAs may limit the number of transactions you can make in a year. Not all providers allow transfers either, you should also check the T&Cs before making a withdrawal.

Your ISA is not flexible

  • Any money you pay in then withdraw, still counts towards your remaining ISA allowance (eg if you pay in then withdraw £5,000, you can only deposit up to £15,000 for the rest of this tax year).
  • Deposits that exceed the allowance will be rejected

Once taken out of an ISA your money will lose its tax-free status if you pay it into a normal savings account.

Can you transfer an ISA to another ISA?

You may want to move holdings in a previous year’s ISA to a new one if the rate of return or fees are more competitive.

This is allowed under the rules; just don’t attempt a transfer until you’ve checked whether your new ISA allows transfers in.

To retain your tax advantages, you need to transfer your ISA directly from one provider to another.

However, if you try to move your ISA by withdrawing the funds, you will lose its ISA status, as it’s no longer within the tax-free wrapper.  You may find that a lifetime of tax efficient savings is lost by making this common mistake.

What happens to your ISA upon the death of the plan holder?

Upon death an ISA becomes part of your estate and loses its tax-free status, meaning it’s liable to income tax.

The exception is if you leave behind a spouse or civil partner. Then they would see an amount equivalent to your ISA added to their current year’s allowance, tax-free.

E.g. you pass on leaving £20,000, your spouse or civil partner would receive a one-off addition to their own ISA annual allowance of this sum, giving them a total allowance of £40,000 to invest.

Even if you leave your ISA to somebody else in your will, your spouse or civil partner will still gain the £20,000 additional ISA allowance.

What protection does your ISA have?

The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) protects the first £85,000 of any cash or investments held in ISAs with each separately registered institution.

To qualify, your ISAs must be in a financial company, such as a bank or investment house, that’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

CARE, if you have more than £85,000 in savings with one institution, or two separate companies within the same group, you could end up out of pocket should the group go under as the FSCS only guarantees a payout of £85,000.

The above should be viewed as impartial guidance as to ISA options and what they might mean. The final decision to invest would be yours but as with any investment, if it’s not an area you are completely familiar with you should seek Independent Financial Advice.

 

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns and all investments involve risks. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources we consider to be reliable.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Why Choose SIPPs? The Advantages of Personal Pensions

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
If you want a flexible and straightforward way to save for your retirement that puts you in the driving seat, a self-invested personal pension, or SIPP, might be appropriate. Here, we explain how a SIPP works so that you can consider whether it could be the right pension plan for you.

What is a SIPP?

A SIPP (Self Invested Personal Pension) is a type of personal pension that gives you the freedom to choose and manage your own investments, allowing you to make decisions that determine how your pension pot performs. A SIPP acts as a wrapper that can hold a number of different investments and is invested until you want to make withdrawals when you retire.

You can also choose to transfer in existing pensions, but it’s important to check whether you will be charged transfer fees for doing so. If the fees are high, it’s generally best to leave your existing pensions where they are.

What are the tax benefits?

SIPPs work in a similar way to other types of pension in that you can pay into them whenever you want and they enjoy the same generous tax perks. This means that for every contribution you make, the government will give you 20% tax relief. So, if you paid in £100, this would effectively be topped up to £125. This basic-rate tax relief is added to your pension automatically as your provider will claim it for you from the government.

Higher-rate taxpayers (40%) can claim up to a further 20% in tax relief through their tax return, while additional-rate taxpayers (45%) can claim up to a further 25%.

Are there any limits on SIPP contributions?

You can pay as much as you like into your pension, but there is a limit on the amount of tax relief you can claim. Most people get tax relief on pension contributions up to 100% of their salary each tax year, capped at the Annual Allowance of £60,000 (for the 2023/24 tax year). This limit includes the total value of all contributions, including those from your employer and the addition of basic-rate tax relief.

If you do not earn enough to pay Income Tax, you can pay a maximum of £2,880 a year into your pension and still benefit from basic-rate tax relief, which boosts your total contribution to £3,600 per tax year.

Once you have used up the current year’s Annual Allowance, you may be able to carry over unused allowances from the past three years, providing you were a pension scheme member during those years and your total contribution does not exceed 100% of your current year’s earnings.

A Tapered Annual Allowance was introduced in 2016-17 which currently applies for individuals with a ‘threshold income’ of over £200,000 and ‘adjusted income’ of over £260,000.

Why should I choose a SIPP over other pension arrangements?

The biggest benefit of a SIPP is that, unlike other pension plans, you can choose from a much wider range of investments, which could have significant growth potential. You can also have complete flexibility and control over your investment portfolio.

In addition, SIPPs are portable, so if you change your job or stop working you can continue to contribute to your pension. If you have a new employer, they can decide to make contributions too.

However, with this flexibility comes responsibility so it’s important to research your options carefully and make sure you are comfortable making your own retirement decisions. The value of your investments can go down as well as up which means you could get back less than you put in.

What types of investment can I have?

With a SIPP, you can invest in a wide range of assets, such as:

  • Stocks and shares
  • Unit trusts
  • Open ended investment companies (OEICs)
  • UK government bonds
  • Gilts and bonds
  • Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
  • Offshore funds
  • Commercial property
  • Cash

SIPPs allow you to pick your own individual investments or choose a ready-made portfolio based on your investment goals and attitude to risk. By picking your own investments, it’s important to ensure you spread risk by choosing a variety of investments across a range of assets, regions and sectors.

How can I take money out of my SIPP?

You can usually start to take money from your pension from the age of 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). You can take up to 25% of your pension pot tax-free and you’ll be taxed on the remainder as if it were income. You can choose to receive your tax-free cash as a single lump sum or in stages.

You can take money from a SIPP in three main ways and you can choose just one option or a combination:

  • An annuity: This pays a guaranteed income for life and you can choose whether your income remains the same throughout your retirement, increases by a fixed percentage each year or increases with inflation.
  • Drawdown: This enables you to take your tax-free cash and leave the rest of your pension invested. You can make further withdrawals as and when you need to.
  • Lump sum: Known as Uncrystallised Funds Pension Lumps Sums (UFPLS), this allows you to take money directly from your SIPP without choosing drawdown. Every time you do so, 25% is usually tax-free and the rest is taxed as income.

How we can help

SIPPs give you much greater flexibility than other types of pension, but they won’t be suitable for everyone. If you’re not sure whether a SIPP is right for you, our expert pension advisers are on hand to discuss your options and help you make the right investment choices.

They will assess important factors such as your attitude to risk, investment perspective and tax position to help you make the best retirement decisions for you. Why not get in touch today?


This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns and all investments involve risks including the risk of possible loss of capital. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources we consider to be reliable.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Spotlight on EIS vs VCT and AIM investing

Posted on by Sophie Soraf
If you’re an investor looking to diversify your portfolio and maximise tax efficiency, you could consider more complex investments such as an Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS), Venture Capital Trust (VCT) or shares in Alternative Investment Market (AIM) listed companies, providing you are comfortable holding high-risk investments.

EIS vs VCTs explained

Enterprise Investment Schemes and Venture Capital Trusts are investments made into small, unquoted trading companies which are trying to raise capital in their early stages of development.

The rationale behind both EIS and VCT schemes is that they benefit the economy by promoting innovation amongst the small higher-risk business community which in turn drives productivity, creates jobs and boosts economic growth.

EIS and VCT schemes are appealing to investors who are typically seeking greater diversity across their portfolio as the investments held have a low correlation to more mainstream holdings in pensions and Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs).

What tax benefits do these schemes offer?

Since their launch in the 1990s, EIS and VCT schemes have become increasingly popular, in large part due to the tax benefits they enjoy. Schemes such as these have been particularly important to investors who may be struggling to find ways to invest tax-efficiently, for example those who are close to breaching pension allowances, but who still want to save for retirement in a tax-efficient way.

There are a number of generous tax breaks. For example, when you invest in an EIS or a VCT, you get income tax relief of 30%: invest £100,000 and you could get up to £30,000 back. In order to qualify for these benefits an EIS investment must be held for at least three years and a VCT for five years, but investors would normally expect to hold the investments for longer.

For EIS schemes there is also ‘deferral relief’ which effectively allows you to defer capital gains tax payable on profit earned from an investment by reinvesting it in an EIS. So you only have to pay the CGT due on your initial investment once you exit from your EIS, but you could carry on deferring the tax bill by reinvesting your gain indefinitely.

There are also ways of using an EIS to minimise your inheritance tax bill. After two years from when you buy the EIS-qualifying shares, as long as you still hold the shares on death, your investment should be free of inheritance tax liability. There is no inheritance tax advantage with VCTs however, as when you invest you acquire shares in the trust, rather than in the underlying companies.

How do EIS and VCT schemes differ?

In the case of an EIS, investors typically purchase shares directly in firms, while VCTs are listed companies and follow a similar approach to that of investment trusts, allowing investors to spread the investment risk over a number of companies by subscribing for shares in the VCT itself.

For the 2023-24 tax year, the following limits apply:

In the case of an EIS, investors typically purchase shares directly in firms, while VCTs are listed companies and follow a similar approach to that of investment trusts, allowing investors to spread the investment risk over a number of companies by subscribing for shares in the VCT itself.

For the 2023-24 tax year the following limits apply:

For an EIS, the maximum annual investment you can claim tax relief on is £1m. This is increased to £2m, as long as at least £1m of this is invested in ‘knowledge-intensive’ companies.

Investments in an EIS can be carried back to the previous tax year.

For a VCT, the maximum annual investment you can claim tax relief on is £200,000. New investments in VCTs cannot be carried back to previous tax years.

VCTs may pay out tax free dividends to investors, although early-stage companies may not be able to afford this, without affecting growth, so investors certainly shouldn’t rely on receiving dividends. Dividends payable from EIS are taxable.

What are the risks of EIS and VCT schemes?

Despite the attractive tax benefits of these schemes, they are only suitable for people who are comfortable holding high-risk investments. This is because EIS and VCTs invest in smaller, fledgling companies that are inherently likely to be more fragile enterprises and could fail.

Another risk to consider is the illiquid nature of the investments as they are harder to sell than mainstream investments such as listed shares or unit trusts. As a result, such schemes are considered to be high risk and will normally only be suitable for a relatively small proportion of your overall portfolio.

If you are considering a long-term investment and want to maximise tax efficiency and diversify your portfolio, our independent financial advisers can provide you with expert guidance on such schemes, advising on the full range of investments and ensuring that the associated risks are fully understood.

Alternative Investment Market (AIM) investing

The Alternative Investment Market was launched 25 years ago (in 1995) with the aim of helping smaller companies that needed capital to grow but couldn’t afford the costs associated with listing on the London Stock Exchange, or were unable to meet the stringent requirements needed to float. As at Feb 2023 there were around 727 companies listed on AIM, with a combined market value of over £90bn.

Not all AIM-listed companies are start-up companies, but they tend to be smaller and potentially higher risk than those listed on the FTSE. The main investors in AIM shares will therefore normally be institutions and wealthy individuals.

What are the tax advantages of investing in AIM-listed shares?

Since 2014 investors have been able to include AIM-listed shares in their stocks and shares ISAs, meaning there is no Capital Gains Tax to pay on disposal and no Income Tax payable on dividends. More and more people, therefore, have considered including AIM-listed shares within their ISA portfolios in recent years.

Furthermore, most AIM stocks qualify for Business Property Relief and are exempt from IHT if held for more than two years, making this type of investment one for consideration when planning for inheritance tax.

As described earlier in this article, AIM shareholders are also able to benefit from Income Tax relief and Capital Gains Tax relief when the investments are held via an Enterprise Investment Scheme or Venture Capital Trust.

Considering EIS, VCT and AIM investments? Talk to us

These types of investments have grown in popularity over recent years, as they are now among the few remaining tax-efficient investment avenues still available to wealthier investors.

If you are unsure as to whether investing in tax-efficient vehicles such as EIS, VCT or AIM is suitable for you or you need professional advice on any other area of saving and investing, we are only a phone call away.

Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high‑risk investment, and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong – two-minute read IMPORTANT information about key risks.

Tax rules can change, and tax benefits depend on individual circumstances. The value of investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the amount you invested. The past is not a guide to future performance and past performance may not necessarily be repeated.

This material is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument. It is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal or tax advice, or investment recommendations. Some information quoted was obtained from external sources we consider to be reliable.

Tees is a trading name of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered number 211314. Tees Financial Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registered number 4342506.

Spring Budget 2023

Posted on by Sarah O'Sullivan
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, delivered his first spring budget on the 15th of March declaring it was “A budget for growth.” The fiscal update included a range of new measures, some of which had been widely trailed prior to budget day, in order to achieve growth “by removing obstacles that stop businesses investing; by tackling labour shortages that stop them recruiting; by breaking down barriers that stop people working; and by harnessing British ingenuity to make us a science and technology superpower.”

OBR forecasts

The Chancellor began his statement by unveiling the latest economic projections produced by the office for budget responsibility (OBR) which he said showed the UK would meet the Prime Minister’s priorities to “halve inflation, reduce debt and get the economy growing.” In relation to the first priority, Mr Hunt said the latest OBR figures suggest inflation will fall from an average rate of 10.7% in the final quarter of last year to 2.9% by the end of 2023. This sharp decline is partly due to some of the chancellor’s budget measures, including the three-month extension to the household energy price guarantee (EPG), which the government had confirmed earlier in the day.

Mr Hunt also said the OBR forecast suggests the UK economy will now avoid a technical recession this year (defined as two consecutive quarters of economic decline) and then expand in each of the remaining years of the five-year forecast period. According to the updated figures, the economy is expected to shrink by 0.2% this year, a significant upgrade from last autumn’s forecast of a 1.4% contraction, with growth then predicted to hit 1.8% in 2024 and 2.5% in 2025, before easing back towards its medium-term potential growth rate of 1.75% by 2028.

The Chancellor’s growth strategy focuses on the four pillars ‘everywhere, enterprise, employment and education,’ as previously outlined in his Bloomberg speech in January.

Everywhere

Mr Hunt spoke about the government’s plans for ‘levelling up,’ including the launch of 12 new investment zones. Across these “12 potential Canary Wharfs,” £80m of support per zone will be available for skills, infrastructure and tax reliefs. Mr Hunt also mentioned specific projects selected for local investment, including:

  • £200m for local regeneration projects and £400m for new levelling up partnerships across England
  • £8.8bn over the next five-year funding period for the city region sustainable transport settlements
  • Up to £8.6m for the Edinburgh festivals, as well as £1.5m for the repair of Cloddach bridge, near Elgin, and £20m for the restoration of the Holyhead breakwater in Anglesey
  • Up to £3m to extend the tackling paramilitarism programme in Northern Ireland.

Enterprise

  • To provide the right conditions for businesses to succeed: A ‘full expensing’ policy will apply from the 1st of April 2023 until the 31st of March 2026 to allow investment in IT, plant or machinery to be deducted in full and immediately from taxable profits
  • an increased rate of relief for loss-making research and development (R&D)-intensive small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) – eligible companies will receive a £27 credit from HMRC for every £100 of R&D investment
  • an extension of higher reliefs for theatres, orchestras, museums and galleries for two further years
  • the medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency (MHRA) will receive £10m extra funding over two years
  • all of the recommendations from Sir Patrick Vallance’s review of pro-innovation regulation of digital technologies are accepted
  • £900m of funding for AI research resources and an exascale computer as well as a commitment to £2.5bn ten-year quantum research and innovation programme through the government’s new quantum strategy
  • innovation accelerators programme – £100m funding for 26 transformative R&D projects
  • AI challenge prize – £1 million prize every year for the next ten years to researchers that drive progress in critical areas of AI.

Employment

The Chancellor turned next to employment, with a suite of new measures to “remove the barriers that stop people who want to from working.” To achieve this, he announced:

Mature workers
  • The expansion of the DWP’s ‘midlife’ MOT scheme, aiming to reach up to 40,000 individuals per year (up from the current 8,000)
  • new ‘returnerships’ scheme to make existing skills programmes more accessible to older workers and help them upskill and retrain
  • a pension tax relief overhaul; see details in the personal taxation and pensions section.
  • people with long-term illnesses and disabilities
  • a white paper on disability benefits reform
  • the abolition of the work capability assessment for disability benefits claimants
  • a new voluntary employment scheme for people with disabilities
  • £406m to increase support for working adults with mental health, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular problems.
Welfare recipients
  • An increase to the Administrative Earnings Threshold
  • a stronger sanctions regime for universal credit claimants.
Care leavers
  • A 50% increase in funding for the staying close programme
  • an increase in the qualifying care relief threshold to £18,140 per year plus £375 to £450 per person cared for per week for 2023/24 and these thresholds will then be index-linked, representing a tax cut worth approximately £450 per year on average.

Education

Mr Hunt then turned to Education, stating that he wants to reform the childcare system, currently “one of the most expensive systems in the world.”

His new proposal will offer 30 free hours of childcare each week to pre-school-age children aged nine months or above in English households where both parents work. It will be phased in on the following timeline:

  • April 2024 – eligible two-year-olds will receive 15 hours of free childcare per week
  • September 2024 – qualifying children aged nine months to two years will receive 15 hours
  • September 2025 – eligible children aged nine months to three years will receive 30 hours.

Also, schools and local authorities will be funded to increase the availability of wraparound care, to enable parents of school-age children to drop them off between 8 am and 6 pm.

To tackle the problem of unaffordable upfront costs, Mr Hunt also announced support for the 700,000 families on universal credit. Another major change involves each staff member in England being able to look after five two-year-olds instead of four, as is already the case in Scotland.

Personal Taxation and Pensions

To encourage over-50s to extend their working lives, the government is increasing tax relief limits on pension contributions and pots – the annual allowance will be raised from £40,000 to £60,000 from April 2023; the lifetime allowance (LTA) charge will be removed from April 2023, and the LTA will be abolished from April 2024. The maximum amount that can be accessed tax free (pension commencement lump sum) will be frozen at its current level of £268,275 (25% of current LTA). From April, the minimum tapered annual allowance (TAA) and the money purchase annual allowance (MPAA) will increase from £4,000 to £10,000 and the adjusted income threshold for the TAA will also rise, from £240,000 to £260,000.

As a reminder, the following changes were previously announced in the Autumn statement 2022:

  • The income tax additional rate threshold (ART) at which 45p becomes payable is lowered from £150,000 to £125,140 from April 2023. The ART for non-savings and non-dividend income will apply to taxpayers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
  • the dividend allowance reduces from £2,000 to £1,000 from April 2023 and to £500 from April 2024
  • the annual capital gains tax exemption reduces from £12,300 to £6,000 from April 2023 and to £3,000 from April 2024
  • The stamp duty land tax nil-rate threshold for England and Northern Ireland is £250,000 for all purchasers and £425,000 for first-time buyers, remaining in place until 31 March 2025.

In addition:

  • The income tax personal allowance and higher rate threshold remain at £12,570 and £50,270 respectively until April 2028 (rates and thresholds may differ for taxpayers in parts of the UK where income tax is devolved)
  • the basic state pension will increase in April 2023 from £141.85 per week to £156.20 per week, while the full new state pension will rise from £185.15 to £203.85 per week. The standard minimum income guarantee in pension credit will also increase in line with inflation from April 2023 (rather than in line with average earnings growth)
  • inheritance tax (IHT) nil-rate bands remain at £325,000 nil-rate band, £175,000 residence nil-rate band, with taper starting at £2m – fixed at these levels until April 2028
  • national insurance contributions (NICs) upper earnings limit (UEL) and upper profits limit (UPL) are frozen until April 2028
  • The ISA (individual savings account) allowance remains at £20,000 and the JISA (junior individual savings account) allowance and child trust fund annual subscription limits remain at £9,000.

Other key points

  • Potholes fund – an extra £200m for local road maintenance in England in 2023/24
  • alcohol duty – rates frozen until August 2023 then uprated by RPI, draught relief increased to 9.2% for beer and cider and 23% for wine from 1 August 2023
  • fuel duty rates – maintaining the rates of fuel duty at the current levels for an additional 12 months
  • defence spending – an extra £4.95bn for defence over 2023/24 and 2024/25
  • support for veterans – an additional £33m over the next three years
  • swimming pool support fund – over £60m for public swimming pools across England
  • support for charities and community organisations – £100m (England)
  • plastic packaging tax rate – uprated in line with CPI from 1 April 2023
  • launching ‘great British nuclear’ – supporting new nuclear builds, £20bn available for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and extending the climate change agreement scheme for a further two years
  • devolved administrations – receiving an additional £630m through the Barnett formula over 2023/24 and 2024/25 (Scottish government £320m, Welsh government £180m and Northern Ireland executive £130m).
Closing comments

Jeremy Hunt signed off his announcement saying, “today we build for the future with inflation down, debt falling and growth up. The declinists are wrong and the optimists are right. We stick to the plan because the plan is working.”

If you have any queries or need more information on any of the areas covered, or any other financial matter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Information within this document is based on our current understanding of taxation and can be subject to change in future. It does not provide individual tailored investment advice and is for guidance only. Some rules may vary in different parts of the UK; please ask for details. We cannot assume legal liability for any errors or omissions it might contain. Levels and bases of, and reliefs from, taxation are those currently applying or proposed and are subject to change; their value depends on individual circumstances.

All details are believed to be correct at the time of writing (15 March 2023)

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All legal services provided by Tees are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Tees is a trading name of Stanley Tee LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA Number 464615) and is registered in England and Wales number OC327874.

All financial services provided by Tees are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tees and Tees Wealth are trading names of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales number 4342506. Registered office address Tees House, 95 London Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3GW.

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All legal services provided by Tees are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Tees is a trading name of Stanley Tee LLP is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA Number 464615) and is registered in England and Wales number OC327874.

All financial services provided by Tees are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tees and Tees Wealth are trading names of Tees Financial Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales number 4342506. Registered office address Tees House, 95 London Road, Bishop’s Stortford CM23 3GW.

Copyright © 2025 Tees Law. All rights reserved.

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