Welcome to the first issue of our ClearMoney magazine for 2016. Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? Considering that the most common topics are health and finances, there’s a pretty good chance that at least one of them involves a financial goal.
On page 10, we look at why the start of a New Year is the perfect time to take stock and think about how you can improve your financial position. Many of us start the year with good intentions, but things often get in the way as the year progresses. Tempting as it may be to put off tackling your finances, giving your money matters a thorough sort through will help you work towards what you want to achieve financially out of life.
To minimise the tax you pay, it’s important to be fully aware of the choices you can make before you make them, so planning ahead and taking professional financial advice is essential. With real-terms tax increases the prospect for the foreseeable future, it makes sense to utilise every available tax relief. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) creates many legitimate opportunities for you to reduce the amount of tax you pay. However, you may not be aware of them all, or you may be unsure of how to take advantage of them.
On page 8, we consider some examples of the ways in which legitimate tax planning may save you money by reducing your tax bills. Also inside this issue, we look at tax-efficient Individual Savings Accounts, the new dividend tax regime and how the pension tax relief system is about to be reinvented. The full list of the articles featured in this issue appears on page 3.