Updates

Read the full article at Western Morning News.

I have always taken a keen interest in history and particularly if the past can offer any useful lessons for investing. In 1986, ‘Big Bang’ marked the start of deregulation of the City and the move from human to electronic trading reflecting the pressures of globalisation. Until then, we are led to believe that the City had been a more genteel place, where each Summer traders would take time out to watch cricket, Wimbledon and Ascot.

We have more than 11,500 pages of tax legislation, the longest in the world. Little wonder then that the Office of Tax Simplification is tasked with streamlining our 400 tax reliefs, allowances and exemptions. Whilst the ‘tax tail should never wag the investment dog’, tax is nevertheless a key consideration for financial planning. After all a pound of tax saved is at least as good as a pound of investment growth.

In a long overdue announcement, Michael Gove, the Education Secretary has signalled that all children will be taught personal finance under the new revised national curriculum. I am delighted that the need for a basic level of financial knowledge at school has been recognised. The younger generation face huge financial challenges in the coming decades – funding university fees, buying a first house and adequate pension provision to name but three key issues.

Thank you to everyone who attended our launch party at Exeter Golf and Country Club and made it a most enjoyable and memorable evening, as well as a raising £237.55 for FORCE Cancer Charity. A big thank you to Justin Urquhart-Stewart as our keynote speaker, who gave a highly informative and entertaining talk. Press coverage in the Western Morning News.

After seemingly endless debate and discussion, this week sees social care as one of the flagship issues to be included in the Queen’s speech for the coalition government’s plans for the next session of parliament. The admirable aim of the reforms is to put the social care sector alongside the NHS at the heart of the welfare state for the first time, something overlooked when the NHS was set up in 1948.

Read the full article at Western Morning News.

Many people unsurprisingly rank a divorce as one of the most stressful events in their life, as well as posing one of the greatest threats to their financial security. Even Dragons’ Den tycoon, Duncan Bannatyne, who has built up an estimated £430 million fortune, is not immune from these pressures as his recent divorce shows.

We are delighted to be nominated the 'Adviser of the Week' by Unbiased.co.uk to recognise our promotion of professional advice in engaging and interesting ways. This included the launch of our new website last month, our weekly expert column published on Thursdays in the Western Morning News and online www.thisisdevon.co.uk.

Children with wealthy parents who die without making a will could lose out under proposed changes to inheritance laws contained in recent draft legislation. If there are no children, then the spouse could take the entire estate.