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Pensions – An article from Letts Wealth Management
A pension is a long-term investment that aims to build a fund for retirement in a tax-efficient way. This can be used in retirement in a variety of ways depending on the type of pension scheme the fund is from. Pensions take many different forms – workplace pensions, stakeholder, personal pensions, group schemes, final salary, SIPPs, the list continues. Pensions offer some of the most generous tax breaks around. Thanks to tax relief, your contribution is boosted by 25% immediately. If you pay more than the basic rate of Income Tax, you may be able to claim even more tax relief through your self-assessment tax return. Money you invest today…
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A day in the life of an estate planner – Episode 3
Running a busy estate planning business can be challenging. Writing a Will isn’t as simple as making gifts to beneficiaries and then when the time comes, assets are simply distributed… I keep contemporaneous notes about all of these meetings, who was present, the reasons for making gifts, reasons for any exclusions, and then once I know what you’re looking to achieve, and only then – I can offer detailed advice about how you can protect, preserve and pass on your assets. That’s the difference between writing a Will with a cheap DIY Will kit and using a professional. Would I use a DIY Will kit? NEVER. Not just because…
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SLS announce new Charity Partnership with Hypo Hounds
Recently we have been working on something really exciting and we’re pleased to be able to announce that we have Partnered up with Hypo Hounds. Hypo Hounds train dogs to detect and alert dangerous changes to their Type 1 Diabetic owner’s blood sugars. By alerting their owners or their families to these changes in blood sugars, Hypo Hounds can help to prevent potentially life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks. These are known as hypos and result from low blood sugar levels. Diabetic alert dogs can also be trained to detect potential episodes of hyperglycaemia (known as hypers) when blood sugar levels are too high. Hypo Hounds services are focused on children, enabling them…
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Appointments with SLS Wills and More
Due to recent demand for Will Writing appointments with SLS Wills and More all available slots have been taken for the next two weeks. I am able to book appointments for the week commencing the 14th September so if you would like an appointment, please contact me and we will find a mutually convenient date. What happens during an appointment with SLS? During an appointment with SLS, please make sure that you have I.D to hand. We do this so that we can ensure that the person we are writing a Will for is the person giving us the instructions. I normally will not get instructions forms out straight away…
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SLS have been shortlisted in the British Will and Probate Awards
I’m delighted to announce that in our first year of entering the awards, SLS Wills and More have been shortlisted in the British Wills and Probate Awards. We’re down to the final 4. 🙂 When I started out in this profession years ago, excellence was rarely recognised. Certainly not like it is now. Recognising that it is incredibly important for my clients to understand what makes me safe to do business with, I actively work to provide these assurances. Not only am I a member of the Society of Will Writers (SWW), but I was also upgraded recently to Associate status. When I joined the SWW I was passionate about…
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“I only need a simple Will – You don’t know what you don’t know”
In this blog, I would like to differentiate between simple and complex Wills, and perhaps why it is a good idea to have professional advice. That isn’t to say that I will always advise the need for complex (typically more expensive Wills). What I will always do is advocate professional advice and provide this specific to your needs. A little insight into my work I saw a client recently who told me that he did not need advice because his estate was straightforward – 2 properties and some savings. His London property was to be left to his daughter, and his home to his partner, and he is not leaving…
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A day in the life of a Will Writer – Episode 2
You will have seen in Episode 1 of this new series that no two days are ever the same for me and that is one of the joys of the work that I do. Having worked in legal firms for as long as I have, I knew that when I started my own business, I wanted to build a reputation for exceeding the expectations of my clients. Running a successful Will Writing business comes with a lot of responsibility and, as well as adhering to legislation governing what I do, there is also case law precedents which govern what I do too. I am writing about this because lots of…
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Common myths about LPAs (Lasting Powers of Attorney)
SLS have been helping clients with important legal documents for years. Here are some of the common myths about LPAs that we have heard. I’m too young to have an LPA. This is a silly one… Sadly, you can lose your capacity at any time and one of the biggest causes for loss of capacity within younger people is from road traffic collisions. If you don’t have an LPA and lost capacity the impacts on loved ones could be catastrophic. My family will take care of me. It’s true that your family will probably take care of you but will they have any legal power to make decisions regarding your…
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A day in the life of a Will Writer – Episode 1
A day in the life of a Will Writer and Estate Planner – Sara Sheppard A day in the life of a Will Writer – with SLS Wills and More’s Founder – Sara Sheppard. One of the things I love about my work is that no two days are the same but there are some common tasks, themes and conversations. Here’s just sample of some of the work I’ve done in the last week. A common element to my day is networking and developing relationships with other professionals such as Financial Advisers, Mortgage Brokers, and Accountants. The session I went to last week was with 4N at 8…
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Common Myths about Wills
Having practised in private client for so long I’ve heard just about every excuse and reason why people don’t need or haven’t got a Will. Here are some of the most common and frustrating myths. I don’t need a Will – My partner will get everything… Not True. If you don’t have Will your estate Will pass in accordance with the rules of intestacy. Under these rules, the first £270k will pass to your spouse or civil partner after which any surviving children will benefit in conjunction with your spouse. Other friends and family are likely to receive nothing so it’s best to write a Will to ensure your…
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