Commentary and Updates
From our regular market commentary to our expert breakdowns of government budgets and statements, here’s where you can stay up to date with all the latest financial developments.
Gifting Your Home To Avoid IHT – A Costly Mistake?
‘If my house is going to be subject to Inheritance Tax anyway, why not gift it to my children now and take it out of the estate?’ This is one of the most misunderstood and poorly executed estate planning strategies. In this video, we walk you through the main pitfalls, explain when this approach does and doesn’t work for Inheritance Tax planning, and highlight the risks, including the loss of control, that are often overlooked and could cost you far more than you expect.
How to Avoid the 60% Tax Trap
If you earn over £100,000, you could be paying an effective 60% tax rate, without even realising it! It’s a stealth tax, not writ large in HMRC’s tax tables, but triggered by the quiet withdrawal of your personal allowance. In this video, we’ll explain how this hidden rate works, how to find out if you may be impacted, and, most importantly, what you can do to avoid it, changing a 60% tax rate into 60% tax relief!
How Much Do You Actually Need to Retire in 2026?
Our existing and new clients ask us all the time: “How much do I actually need to retire?” but the frustrating answer is, it depends. It’s not a magic number; it depends on your life, not just the size of your pension pot. In this video, we debunk some of the common techniques used in trying to answer this question and how our approach gives you clarity and confidence. In addition, we’ll be giving away access to a FREE useful tool we use with our clients to help bring retirement spending into focus.
Astute Wrapped 2025: Our Highlights.
2025 has been a huge year here at Astute Private Wealth, and as it comes to a close, we wanted to reflect on everything we’ve achieved together. We appreciate all of your support throughout this year and look forward to what 2026 holds. Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Autumn Budget 2025: Buy now, pay later.
Another year, another Autumn Budget, but does 2025 bring meaningful change or just more of the same promises? In this, our immediate reaction video, we break down the key announcements, exploring what they could mean for you and your financial planning.
Should I or Shouldn’t I? The Pension Tax-Free Cash Conundrum.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is under pressure to balance the books, and one of the most popular queries we have received from our clients in recent weeks is about the possibility of cutting back on the 25% tax-free lump sum that’s been a cornerstone of the pension system for decades. In this video, we’ll unpack what’s going on, and we’ll touch on some of the reasons why you should, and why you shouldn’t take your tax-free cash.
Labour’s Autumn Budget: Which Taxes Could Rise in 2025?
It feels like only yesterday that we were talking about last year's Autumn Budget, widely billed as a once in a generation reset for the public finances. Back then, the challenge was plugging a £22 billion gap in the nation’s accounts. Fast forward not even 12 months, and here we are again, only this time, the gap is even bigger! We’ll break down the tough choices facing Rachel Reeves, look at the options on the table, and explore what they could mean for you ahead of this year’s Autumn budget.
The Retirement Trade-off That No-one Talks About
Planning how to pay for care – a topic full of uncertainty. Will you spend all of your life savings just to get sub-par care and accommodation? Or, will you find yourself with just enough to afford the care you’d really want in later life?
Are Cash ISAs Under Threat?
Big changes could be coming to the humble Cash ISA – and if you’ve been leaning on it as your go-to savings vehicle, this is a moment to pause and reflect.
Practical Pension Planning to Avoid IHT (Including Business Relief)
Farmers took to the streets in protest following the agricultural relief changes in Labour’s budget.
Market Dips. What History Has Taught Us
If you have listened to any radio, watched any TV or glanced at newspaper headlines this week, you’ll have heard that markets have “plunged” following America’s tariffs on much of the rest of the world. You can watch our video from last week for more detail.
In Trusts We Trust: Strategies to Avoid Inheritance Tax (IHT)
Inheritance Tax receipts are on the rise and are expected to grow significantly in the future, particularly owing to the changes announced in the Labour Budget in October 2024.