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Returns on private sector pensions have been in the doldrums for a long time, and with interest rates (on which annuity rates depend) firmly stuck at historically low levels, an increasing number of people are unable to rely on their pension savings to secure their post-retirement lifestyle. However, for property owners, continuing increases in house prices over time, plus low mortgage rates, have meant that many have steadily built up equity in their homes. Indeed, a substantial majority of homeowners now have more wealth tied up in property than they...

Beneficiaries often have to wait for many years after a person's death to inherit under a will – but to what extent do they have a right to be kept informed of what is being done with the relevant funds in the interim? The High Court gave important guidance on this thorny issue in the context of a charitable gift. By her will, a woman placed her estate, which was then valued at about £145,000, in trust for the benefit of her son and daughter-in-law during their lifetimes. Upon their...

Inheritance Tax (IHT) is an increasingly significant problem for many people, but it is also sometimes described as a 'voluntary tax' because it is a tax that, with proper forward planning, can usually be largely avoidable. IHT taxes a person's wealth at the date of death and will also 'catch' transfers of assets they have made in the previous seven (and in some instances up to 14) years, with a sliding scale applying to reduce the tax charge for 'older' transfers. Formal IHT planning exercises are not for everyone, but there...

In the UK, a person who is injured by an uninsured driver can claim compensation from the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB), which is funded by a levy on all motor insurers. Across Europe there is a system in operation (the 'green card' system) which can provide compensation for a national of any participating state who is injured in an accident with a vehicle which is registered in a participating state. Originally, the way the system worked was that the injured person pursued their claim for compensation in the state in which...