Financial Services & Tax

Articles

Is testamentary freedom in the UK slowly being eroded?

With the number of wills being challenged by adult children under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 rising by a remarkable 20 per cent in the last decade, the court's ability to interfere with testamentary freedom is falling under increasing scrutiny.

A whole new world of money

Bitcoin is not simply a digital currency. The technology behind it has the potential to revolutionise private client affairs beyond recognition, explains James Brockhurst

Make sure they're golden

If your clients' are banking on the good life when they retire, they need to realise that it's a goal they have to reach for throughout their lives, not at the point of need, says Joe Hawes

How secure is a trust?

There is no guarantee that the courts will overlook a trust created prior to marriage when it comes to a nuptial settlement, finds Carmel Brown

Conflict of interests and RBS's fear

The attempt by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) to prevent law firm Cooke, Young & Keidan (CYK) from acting for Property Alliance Group (PAG) in its £30m Libor-rigging claim against the bank is based on allegations of conflicts of interest arising out of rules of evidence protecting communications that are subject to legal privilege.

Taxing taxation

HMRC has made forward strides in how they deal with the affairs of vulnerable individuals and advisers have an important role to play

Going boldly

Vote to stay in the EU, and it's as you were. Vote to leave, and we head into the unknown. Exit negotiations alone could take more than two years

Surviving succession

The survival of a business does not always depend on its profitability; sometimes failing to have a succession plan in place can lead to its downfall.