Finding time for long term financial planning

My son has a savings plan with Witan Jump that is now being closed and transferred to Hargreaves Lansdown. However, Hargreaves informs me that I cannot transfer all the money (£26,000) into a Junior ISA account, because it's more than the £20,000 yearly ISA allowance. I would like to keep the remaining money invested, but would appreciate some advice as to how I could invest it for my son.

Isabella | Kent | 19/06/2019 | 0

• Junior ISA

I have put the full allowance into my daughter's JISA. If for some reason I passed away, would the amount over £3000 per year be liable for inheritance tax?

PB | Derby | 18/06/2019 | 0

• Junior ISA
• Inheritance

I have opened my first Stocks and Shares ISA, and have a company pension on the new standard 5%/3% contributions. I have enough easy access savings to cover emergencies so I was wondering what would be a next good step, add to S&S ISA or open a SIPP for retirement?

Kevin | Strathclyde | 14/06/2019 | 1

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Cash

I work for my company which funds my SIPP directly. I will be receiving compensation in the coming months - is it possible to pay SIPP contributions from the compensation payment? If pension significant contributions are not possible, what might we consider when looking for a tax efficient home for the compensation?

Andy | Lancashire | 12/06/2019 | 3

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Workplace Pension

I am a self-employed sole trader. Would my pension contributions count as a Business Expense, incurred in running a small business?

Anna | Warwickshire | 11/06/2019 | 0

• Private Pension

As a U.S. passport holder as well as a British citizen living in the UK, are there certain things I can't invest in?

Megan | Scotland | 11/06/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Shares

I have been putting £50/month for each of my two children into a pension with Hargreaves Lansdown. In light of the costs of investing highlighted on this website, should I move to somewhere with lower charges, or stay-put? Alternatively, would I be better to put money into a Lifetime ISA for each of them instead?

Stuart | Cambridgeshire | 06/06/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Lifetime ISA

I’m in my 30s and live in London. I have savings in cash but I’ve never tried any ISAs, stocks etc. before. I am looking for some suggestions as to the types of products I should use to begin investing. Instinct is telling me to keep 50% of my savings in a safe investment, 30% in a medium risk investment, 10% in higher risk, and keep 10% for emergencies. I’m making nothing keeping the cash in the bank!

Lisle | London | 30/05/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• Cash

How can I find out how my Aviva SIPP pension is performing against the competition? I'm 51. The fund value is £161K and it was opened a year ago. Appreciate any tips.

Danny | London | 30/05/2019 | 1

• Private Pension
• Pension

I have minimal pensions and would like to start a new pension to save for the next 12 years. I've already set up a Stocks & Shares ISA with Nutmeg, so would like to start my pension with another provider. Which would you recommend?

Sam | Norfolk | 30/05/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Funds

I'm in my late 30s, have a mortgage, a baby, no outstanding loans or credit cards, three pensions, and two Cash ISAs. I’d like to invest to renovate our house, help fund our children’s education and help them onto the property ladder, and retire as soon as possible! I considered a LISA but thought I might be better paying off more of the mortgage. I'm also confused about using a platform for a Stocks and Shares ISA. Any advice would be appreciated! Keep up the good work, I’m impressed with how refreshingly approachable your website is.

Nick | Berkshire | 29/05/2019 | 1

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• Pension
• Mortgage

I have two pension pots, one of which is a stakeholder - this one is currently worth £120,000 - the other is approximately £50,000. I will be 60 in 4 years time and am anxious that my pots may not be growing fast enough. I currently input £300 per month into the Stakeholder. I do not intend to access either of these accounts until I am 65. Can I combine both these pensions, or should I leave them as is? I would appreciate an opinion on this. Many thanks, Maggie

Maggie | Gloucestershire | 29/05/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Workplace Pension

Hello, I already have a workplace pension. Can I also have a private pension? If so, I have a LISA as well. Can I have all three in place?

Precious | Surrey | 23/05/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Lifetime ISA
• Pension
• Workplace Pension

I am a self-employed 55 year old, with only a state pension. What can I do to increase my money for retirement?

Sandra | Dumfries and Galloway | 21/05/2019 | 1

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• State Pension
• Pension
• Workplace Pension

I currently have a Stocks & Shares ISA and a Junior ISA with Wealthsimple. I am considering changing these to Vanguard, but I am unsure if transferring across providers is a simple process. Also can you only pay into one of each type of ISA per year?

Philip | County Antrim | 21/05/2019 | 0

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA

We have just retired to France. Our pensions cover our expenses but we also have £230k which we would like to invest for a monthly income. Could you please explain the low-risk options we might want to consider?

Keith | France | 10/05/2019 | 2

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Online Investment Platforms
• Pension

I have a young boy who will be turning 4 this month. He is British. I want to save some money for this innocent boy, for when he comes of age, but I live in Uganda and I am not in touch with his mum. Can I open a Junior ISA for him?

Dennis | Uganda | 11/04/2019 | 0

• Junior ISA

I'm in my very early 20s, and earning well. I have no debts or dependants. I have a Stocks and Shares ISA, and am weighing up the pros and cons of a General Investment Account vs a Private Pension. What should I keep in mind?

Cecily | Berkshire | 08/04/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• GIA
• Workplace Pension

Our 16 year old son has inherited a significant sum. He wants to go to Drama School and pursue a career in acting, which we know means he is likely to be low paid/short of cash. I wondered how best to help him organise his savings/investments to help fund him through drama school/the early years, whilst trying to discourage him from simply dipping into his capital?

Mo | West Sussex | 04/04/2019 | 4

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA
• Inheritance

I intend to retire in autumn, aged 60 and would like to leave my son and grandson as comfortable as possible when I'm gone. I have talked with several IFAs, but given my risk adverse nature, their fees seem to eat up most of the benefit they offer. Do IFAs normally bring sufficient benefit to low risk strategies, to make it worthwhile? Or am I better off cautiously investing myself, and saving the fees?

Stephen | North Yorkshire | 01/04/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA

Where can I get a good Junior ISA?

Rebeccah | Greater London | 27/03/2019 | 2

• Junior ISA

I have two separate company pensions from previous employers. For the last 12 years I have not contributed to a pension. I am now 44 and know I need to put money into one. I'm not financially aware and the robo providers sound tempting but, obviously, I want the possibility for the best return at medium risk. Your Q2 2018 results update showed Nutmeg’s Portfolio 10 as returning different figures than the Best Buys page for Nutmeg says. Why are these figures so different? Is Vanguard Lifestrategy 60 a good choice, though they don't have a SIPP.

Dave | West Yorkshire | 26/03/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Robo Adviser

I am self employed (40) with no private pension, earning £50,000 a year. I have savings and can make a lump sum investment. I know nothing about Stocks or Shares. What is the best way forward for pension and tax reduction? Desperate Anna

Anna | London | 25/03/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA

My pension SIPP has an annual charge of about 2%. Now that I am in monthly drawdown, I'm interested in exploring alternative providers to lessen the charges, since future returns look like being lower than they have been in the past.

Michael | London | 25/03/2019 | 0

• Private Pension

When I retired in December 2018, I considered consolidating my pensions for income drawdown, but it meant handing over management of the investments. After viewing the performance of the funds the Standard Life Active Retirement pension invests in, I hesitated. Recently I spoke to an advisers aligned to the investment philosophy of Albion Strategic Consulting headed by Tim Hale, but was scared off again by the messages regarding DIY investor dealing with re-balancing, sequencing, and lack of ability to stress test without the correct professional financial software, in addition to the high costs. I understand the basics, but am now totally unsettled as to the direction I should take and if, at such a critical stage, I should invest in an IFA on a regular basis. I appreciate you cannot give me direct financial advise but I am finding the whole event very disconcerting, when I thought I had the basic acumen to manage the transition.

Rob | Hertfordshire | 20/03/2019 | 3

• Private Pension
• Pension

My 60 year old mum is not very financially literate and has has no private pension. She has approximately £900k to invest, from which she will need to draw down c.£40k a year for life. She is not very financially literate and would not be able to proactively manage the money herself. Would you favour an Independent Financial Adviser or a Robo Adviser for someone in her position? Thank you!

Harry | Kent | 11/03/2019 | 1

• Private Pension
• Robo Adviser
• Online Investment Platforms

If my son increases his pension contribution, I have read it may affect the amount he can borrow on a mortgage. Is this correct? Should he take a SIPP out as well? Is there any advantage in maxing out his managed Nutmeg Lifetime ISA in the next financial year?

Richard | Hertfordshire | 06/03/2019 | 3

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• Pension
• Mortgage

I am 65 and still working. I have a workplace pension, which was closed and replaced with a retirement saver pension. I contribute to this via salary sacrifice. I also have a personal pension serviced by an IFA. Should I move my personal pension fund to a SIPP provider at this late stage of my life? I would like to consolidate the workplace retirement saver and personal pension fund together and manage it myself.

Den | South Yorkshire | 27/02/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Pension
• Workplace Pension

I’m 36 years old, earn £85k, and have about £40k savings in the bank, mainly in an old ISA that I’ve done nothing with. I have a five year old daughter and would like to put my savings somewhere clever so they start to do something useful by the time she starts at an independent secondary school and fees go through the roof. Any bright ideas please?

Milly | Berkshire | 22/02/2019 | 2

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA
• Shares
• Online Investment Platforms

Trying to get a bit more pro-active with my pension. If my money had been in an online managed fund like Nutmeg for example, is it reasonable to assume that as the markets fell last year the funds would have been managed in real(ish) time to limit the damage? If so, is it therefore a no-brainer to transfer my pension to an online managed pension or is it not quite as simple as that?

David | London | 08/02/2019 | 2

• Private Pension
• Robo Adviser
• Pension

With a SIPP in drawdown would a company like Netwealth whose investment management fees are of the order of .66% of the value of the portfolio, be a better option compared to companies like Hargreaves Lansdown or Investec? What are the relative benefits of Netwealth over the more traditional wealth managers?

Steve | Lancashire | 22/01/2019 | 6

• Private Pension
• Robo Adviser
• Online Investment Platforms

From my retirement I received a lump sum of money and a monthly pension. I have £100,000 that I do not need for the foreseeable future... One of my main concerns with Financial Advisers are their costs... All I want is simply to see this money grow to its potential, sensibly and above inflation... Therefore my next thoughts are Stocks and Shares ISAs... My only concerns here are the current Brexit problems - I saw the FTSE drop this past week. I cannot find any information out there to assist with my decision making if this is certainly a good time to invest... I am aware that I can place £20,000 for this year. Come April 2019 I place another £20,000 and so on until the £100,000 has been utilised. Do I have to place it into the same fund or can I choose another different fund with a different company?... Please can you help to ease some of this burden, which has proved an awful part of my retirement and made me frightened to spend any money.

Katherine | Derbyshire | 02/01/2019 | 0

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Cash
• Robo Adviser
• Online Investment Platforms
• Workplace Pension

I was lucky enough to inherit a significant sum from my father... currently in Alliance trust platform in 10 investment trusts. They have delivered well in the last 20 years. But they are UK equity based. And highly risky. Do you offer a sanity check service for confused individuals like myself? I don’t know what to do...

Paul | Berkshire | 12/11/2018 | 2

• Private Pension
• Online Investment Platforms
• Funds

I am a 30 year old British expat living and working in the Netherlands. I worked in the UK for 5 years but to my knowledge I did not have a work pension of any sort. I've been working in the Netherlands for the last 4 years, and again have no pension (my company does not provide anything). I'm getting increasingly worried about my future retirement and my lack of any kind of pension. Firstly, I am not sure what - if any - state pension I could receive (either from UK or Netherlands) but I assume not much. Secondly, I'm ready to start investing on a monthly basis into a private pension fund, but I have no idea what the best option for me would be. Really lost and confused, and would really appreciate any advice you might have.

Lucinda | Kent | 09/10/2018 | 0

• Private Pension
• State Pension
• Workplace Pension

My wife, 56, is still working but has a final salary scheme which she is drawing as well - currently £26k per annum. Her current employer's pension scheme is defined contribution, and her fund stands at £1.050m. Therefore, her total pension is around £1.57m. We protected her Lifetime Allowance at £1.25m, but all growth will now be taxed at the excess rate. My idea is to take the 25% tax free amount out of the defined contribution pot, and reinvest it in the same funds as the pension. This will then remove growth on the 25% from the excess tax rate to a capital gain when sold, thereby saving a considerable amount of tax. Am I right?

Rod | Hampshire | 05/09/2018 | 1

• Private Pension
• Workplace Pension

Can you advise me on the best approach when looking to invest in a product that offers compound interest? I’m thinking about funds rather than bank accounts. I also have 4 different pensions on the go. Should I keep them separate to diversify the risk? Or consolidate them? How will these pensions be treated when I retire? Will they be considered in aggregate by the tax man?

Craig | Clackmannanshire | 16/08/2018 | 1

• Private Pension
• Online Investment Platforms
• Funds

I have about two thirds of my ISA in funds with Charles Stanley Direct and about one third left with St James's Place. I was planning to transfer the remaining one third to Charles Stanley Direct. However the recent platform price increases seem to put me in the worst position possible. I also have a private St James's Place pension. Would I be correct in thinking the fees are also high on this, and I could do better elsewhere? Can I transfer into an SIPP for example?

Gerry | Bedfordshire | 15/08/2018 | 6

• Private Pension
• Online Investment Platforms
• Funds

I'm nearly 30 and looking to open a private ready made pension, and also an investment ISA for retirement funds or towards a property, but very unsure what risk level to choose (low to medium, or medium to high)? Any comments or advice welcome.

Susan | WMD | 24/07/2018 | 1

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA

My wife needs to set up a SIPP with a good value, low cost, low maintenance underlying investment portfolio. We want a good mobile app from a well respected provider. Where can we see the options and directly compare historic returns so we can make a decision?

Guy | HRT | 17/07/2018 | 1

• Private Pension
• Pension

I hope you can help. I recently consolidated two modest pensions into a SIPP in readiness to start UPFLS drawdown in May (2018). Whilst I was hoping for growth in my investments I wasn’t expecting it to rocket and now find I could well be looking at exceeding the lifetime allowance, possibly even before my first annual drawdown in May, and I’m unsure what, if anything, I should do.

John | LDN | 03/07/2018 | 1

• Private Pension
• Funds

Hello Are there any specific pensions you would recommend, with low charges, which I can set up for my 11 yr old son. I am already paying the maximum into a junior isa. AH

Anita | SXW | 18/06/2018 | 3

• Private Pension
• Junior ISA

Can I move an old Child Trust Fund?

Suzanne | Greater London | 08/05/2018 | 0

• Junior ISA

I would like to open a Junior shares ISA for my Grandson for about £50/month. How do I go about it and can you recommend some reliable companies?

Roger | Surrey | 26/04/2018 | 2

• Junior ISA
• Shares

I am a 59 yr old retired lady with no income but I have reasonable equity..is it worth starting a pension or is it too late?

| 06/02/2018 | 2

• Private Pension
• Pension

I am in the very lucky position of just having received a gift of £800k which I want to invest for our retirement. My husband and I are in our late 40s and aim to retire in around five years. We have 11 more years of school fees to fund, then hopefully university fees for two after that. I've put together a plan for us - can you have a look and see if it makes sense?

Fiona | UK | 18/01/2018 | 6

• Private Pension
• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA
• Shares
• Cash
• Online Investment Platforms

Can losses in a pension SIPP be offset against anything?

Henryk | HAM | 17/01/2018 | 0

• Private Pension
• Pension

We have four grandchildren (2 English living in UK, and 2 Irish living in Eire). We have decided to start savings plans for their futures. Their ages are 18yrs, 11yrs, 8yrs and 4yrs respectively. My age is 75yrs, and my wife is a little older. What should we do, please?

John | Buckinghamshire | 01/01/2018 | 1

• Junior ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• Shares
• Funds
• Inheritance

I am already receiving a pension from a final salary scheme and I am retired. I have a sum of money I want to invest. Can I start another pension as a saver and, if so, how much can I put in every year?

Collette | Greater London | 25/11/2017 | 0

• Private Pension
• Online Investment Platforms

I am a 59 yr old retired lady with no income but I have reasonable equity..is it worth starting a pension or is it too late?

LL | NFK | 10/11/2017 | 2

• Private Pension
• Shares
• Pension

I am getting long in the tooth at 79, a little forgetful and I am going through a painful divorce. This has shattered my confidence and I need help.

Richard | Kent | 05/11/2017 | 3

• Private Pension
• Funds

I have a delightful 12 year old daughter and she has just opened her first bank account. I am dreadful with money but I would like to know what I should teach her so that she does not pick up my bad financial habits. Do you have some top tips of things to teach our children so they are wise and responsible with money please?

Louise | Greater London | 11/09/2017 | 1

• Junior ISA
• Shares
• Cash

Please help me. Choosing a pension from Aviva. It asks if I want growth or income? Which one do I choose ? I'm 46 .

Ria | Greater London | 11/09/2017 | 8

• Private Pension
• Pension

Which is better - property or pension?

Paul | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 0

• Private Pension
• Mortgage

Is it worth using a financial adviser when it comes to switching pensions funds, or should I do the research and pick the funds myself? I am no expert in stocks and shares.

Helen | Dorset | 10/08/2018 | 4

• Private Pension
• Shares
• Funds

I've got £20,000 from an endowment policy (astonishing, I know), and I'm looking into how best to invest to get a reasonable return without excessive risk. Any thoughts much appreciated!!

Penny | Peterborough | 09/08/2018 | 1

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Cash
• Online Investment Platforms
• Life Insurance

Why should I bother with paying into a pension at my age of 55 years now when I have never had one?

Tee | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 4

• Private Pension
• Pension

How much should I insure my life for?

Femi | Greater London | 07/09/2017 | 0

• Life Insurance

Pensions vs ISA - which one is best?

Roderick | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 0

• Stocks and Shares ISA
• Junior ISA
• Lifetime ISA
• Pension

How much does life insurance cost?

Christina | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 0

• Life Insurance

What are the changes with pension annuities? My mother in law has asked as her retirement is looming. I've read in the press it's changing but it all feels confusing. I just need some simple clear advice. Thanks

Keith | Greater London | 06/09/2017 | 2

• Private Pension
• Pension