1-August-2016 Brexit brought sweeping changes to the cabinet including a new chancellor. But will a change in personnel herald any changes to inheritance tax? Former chancellor, George Osborne, kept the inheritance tax threshold at £325,000 – the tax-free amount on a person’s estate before you pay 40% – for the whole of his six year […]
Latest News
Fix or Switch Your Mortgage
1-August-2016 On the 4th of this month, the Bank of England announced that it was cutting interest rates to 0.25%. Interest rates have been at a record low of 0.5% for more than seven years. Although the Bank of England’s Governor Mark Carney has said he was not a fan of negative interest rates, he […]
Prepare Now for an Interest Rate Cut
29-July-2016 Earlier this month, the monetary policy committee voted not to lower the base rate. However, savers shouldn’t get too comfortable as a cut is almost certainly on the horizon. Those depending on income from savings and investments have already felt the squeeze over the past seven years, with rates set at just 0.5 per […]
Mortgage Lending at Eight Year High
28-July-2016 The Brexit vote does not appear to have put off borrowers, with mortgage lending in June at its highest level in the past eight years. Gross mortgage lending hit £20.7 billion – the highest figure since 2008 and 16 percent higher than the previous month, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders. […]
New Alzheimers Test May Offer Millions Hope
27-July-2016 A new gene test which analyses whether a person is likely to have Alzheimer’s Disease could be made available to people who develop mild memory problems in middle age. By detecting the disease early on doctors would be able to give the patient brain exercises, and drugs should they become available, to slow the […]
Variation of Trust Recognises Civil Partnerships or Gay Marriage
26-July-2016 A Cambridgeshire family has successfully changed the inheritance rules of their family trust which conveyed a life interest in their property to future generations. The property Trumpington Hall which is set on a 3,200 acre estate in Cambridgeshire, has been in the Pemberton family for the past 300 years. Under the terms of the […]
Inheritance Tax Collection Breaks Record
Record-breaking receipts from Inheritance Tax (IHT) boost treasury coffers. HMRC collected £5.1bn from Inheritance Tax bills over the last 12 months, records show. This is the first time that inheritance tax bills have broken through the £5bn barrier within a single year. Why are Inheritance Tax bills rising? Once the reserve of the super-rich, Inheritance […]
New Genetic Test Calculates Risk of Alzheimers
21-March-2017 A new DNA test could help identify at birth which people are most likely to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. For some babies, the risk that they will develop Alzheimer’s before their 80th birthday is very small. For others, the odds are much greater. Scientists now have a genetic test which determines the likelihood […]
Dementia Sufferers Held in Care Homes and Hospitals llegally
20-March-2017 A Legal Watchdog has warned that hundreds of thousands of people suffering with dementia or learning difficulties are being held in care homes and hospitals unlawfully. The Law Commission has revealed that the system which allows detention of people who cannot make decisions for themselves is failing because of the huge number of applications […]
First Time Buyer Effect on House Prices
20-February-2017 Claims that the growth in house prices has slowed because of post-Brexit uncertainty have been revisited after official figures showed an upward trend at the end of 2016. According to the Office of National Statistics, the average house price rose by 7.2% to £220,000 in December 2016 – £15,000 more than in December 2015 […]
Mortgages Arrears at a Record Low
18-August-2016 Figures released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) show that mortgage repossessions are at an all-time low. In the three months leading up to the end of June this year, there were 92,500 mortgages in arrears of at least 2.5% of the balance – 13.4% lower compared to the same period last year, […]
Inheritance Tax Revenues Soar
22-May-2017 HM Revenue and Customs have reported a monthly record of £483 million in inheritance tax revenue for March. In 2016-17 a total of around £4.8 billion was collected in Inheritance Tax – double the amount taken in 2002-2003. So what can a person do to reduce their inheritance tax bill? Gifting allowances Many people […]
Rise in Probate Fees Scrapped Ahead of Snap Election
21-April-2017 The Government has scrapped controversial plans to raise the cost of probate fees ahead of this June’s general election. Probate fees in England and Wales had been due to rise from £155 (if using a solicitor) or £215 to up to £20,000 for some estate. The Ministry of Justice said, following the surprise news […]
This is Me Leaflet Available From Breens Solicitors
13-March-2017 Breens Solicitors is backing the Alzheimer’s Society efforts to help people with dementia retain their sense of self and identity. The Alzheimer’s Society-produced leaflet, This is Me, allows a person with dementia to complete or have a relative or friend complete for them, details about their background, routines and personality. The four page booklet […]
Video Game to Beat Dementia
24-February-2017 A US laboratory is developing video games that could help treat a range of health conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease. Akili Interactive Labs currently makes two games designed to treat ADHD and depression, both of which are currently undergoing clinical trials. The project was co-founded with PureTech Health which is listed on the London Stock […]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 6
- 7
- 8