Farms and Family Businesses: The New £2.5 Million Cap on Agricultural and Business Property Relief
For family farms and trading businesses, one of the most significant Inheritance Tax changes in decades took effect on 6 April 2026 - ending unlimited 100%…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 21st 2026
Why Pensions Are Losing Their Inheritance Tax Advantage From April 2027
For years, pensions have been one of the most effective tools for passing on wealth free of Inheritance Tax - a reason many advisers suggested spending…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 19th 2026
Paying an Inheritance Tax Bill: The 10-Year Instalment Option and Other Ways to Fund It
An Inheritance Tax bill often needs to be paid before an estate's assets - sometimes including the very property the tax is calculated on - can be sold or…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 17th 2026
Charitable Giving in Your Will: The 36% IHT Rate Explained
Leaving money to charity in your will does more than support a cause you care about - it can genuinely reduce the Inheritance Tax rate on the rest of your…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 15th 2026
Second Marriages and Wills: Protecting Children From a Previous Relationship
Second marriages and blended families create genuine estate planning challenges that a simple, straightforward will often doesn't address well - and…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 13th 2026
Contesting a Will: Grounds, Costs and What the Law Actually Allows
Contesting a will is more legally constrained than popular perception suggests - you generally can't challenge a will simply because you think it's unfair,…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 11th 2026
Deed of Variation: Changing a Will After Someone Has Died
It's a genuine and useful feature of UK law: beneficiaries can collectively agree to change how a deceased person's estate is distributed, even after…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 9th 2026
What Happens to Debt When Someone Dies? Are Family Members Liable?
One of the most common and understandable fears after a death is whether family members become personally responsible for the deceased's debts. In the…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 7th 2026
Inheriting a House: Capital Gains Tax, Rental Income and What Happens Next
Inheriting a property brings a set of tax and practical questions that are genuinely different from inheriting cash - particularly around Capital Gains Tax…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 5th 2026
Inheriting an ISA: The Additional Permitted Subscription Explained
Since 2015, surviving spouses and civil partners have had a specific, valuable right when they inherit an ISA - one that's separate from, and in addition…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 3rd 2026
Life Insurance and Inheritance Tax: Why Writing Your Policy 'In Trust' Matters
A life insurance payout is meant to support your family when they need it most - but without a simple, free step taken when the policy is set up, a…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
October 1st 2026
Joint Ownership and Inheritance: Joint Tenants vs Tenants in Common
How you jointly own a property has a direct, significant effect on what happens to it when one owner dies - and many people who own property jointly don't…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 29th 2026
Trusts Explained: Why (and When) You Might Actually Need One
Trusts have a reputation as a tool for the very wealthy, but they solve genuinely practical problems for a wider range of families than that reputation…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 27th 2026
Gifting Money to Family: The 7-Year Rule and Other IHT-Free Gift Allowances
Giving money away during your lifetime is one of the most straightforward ways to reduce a future Inheritance Tax bill, but the rules around timing and…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 25th 2026
Probate Explained: How Long It Takes and What It Actually Costs
Probate has a reputation for being slow, expensive, and requiring a solicitor - all three are only partly true. Here's a realistic picture of the timeline…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 23rd 2026
Power of Attorney Explained: Protecting Your Finances If You Lose Capacity
A Lasting Power of Attorney is arguably as important as a will, yet far fewer people arrange one - despite the fact that anyone can lose the mental…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 21st 2026
Married Couples and IHT: How to Pass on Up to £1 Million Tax-Free
The oft-quoted 'married couples can leave £1 million tax-free' isn't automatic - it depends on both spouses' allowances actually being available and…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 19th 2026
The Residence Nil-Rate Band: An Extra £175,000 for Leaving Your Home to Children
Beyond the standard £325,000 nil-rate band, homeowners get access to a second, separate allowance specifically for passing on their main home - but it…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 17th 2026
Inheritance Tax Explained: The £325,000 Nil-Rate Band and How It Actually Works
Inheritance Tax (IHT) affects a growing share of UK estates every year, mostly because its core threshold hasn't moved since 2009 while property and asset…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 15th 2026
Writing a Will in the UK: What Happens If You Die Without One
A significant share of UK adults don't have a valid will - and dying without one means the law, not your own wishes, decides who inherits, through a fixed…
Marsha Marcus-Kennedy
September 13th 2026