Join us online at 1pm on Thursday 7 November 2024 when perennial Assembly favourite, Les Cameron of M&G Wealth, will be joining us to share his thoughts on the Budget just one week before on 30 October.
As well as the fact that Rachel Reeves made history by becoming the first woman to deliver a budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer, were there measures that are sure to feature when Budget history is written?
Or were the widespread jitters among savers and investors ill-founded as Labour delivered its first Budget since Alistair Darling’s on 20 April 2010 – no fewer than 5,334 days earlier.
What actually happened?
Were the headlines screaming about capital gains and inheritance tax? How about pension tax relief and fuel duty? Or national insurance and the British ISA? Perhaps even VAT on school fees or measures affecting non-doms? And what about a wealth tax?
Whatever the contents of the red box, Les will be on hand to offer his thoughts and insights, and answer your questions and explore ideas that you raise in the chat.
Save your spot now
So will it have turned out to be one of the most consequential Budgets of recent years, more of a ‘pitch-rolling’ statement in preparation for future measures, or something else altogether?
Save your spot and find out.
When it comes to gaining and maintaining inheritance tax (IHT) planning know-how and expertise, nothing beats a good case study.
So this special case study investigation, which features not one but two client examples, is bound to be right up your street.
Join Steve and Richard as they crack the case
Because in this 50-minute episode, Utmost International’s Steve Sayer joins host, Richard Allum, to explore why reversionary interest trusts (RITs) combined with the available nil rate band (NRB) threshold, can become a powerful and flexible feature of a client’s IHT strategy.
In a conversation that’s packed with practical insights, ideas and expertise, tax and trusts expert Steve unpacks two case studies which will help you:
– understand the mechanics and key features of a RIT
– consider planning opportunities using RITs especially in conjunction with other options
– be able to discuss and explain RITs and NRB with a client in a clear and concise way
– apply this knowledge to appropriate, individual, client scenarios
Whether you’re a seasoned paraplanner who wants to keep your knowledge fresh or the role of RITs in IHT planning is new territory for you, we’re sure you’ll enjoy the hands-on learning offered by this expert discussion.
Watch or listen now
Just follow the links for a CPD certificate and downloads.
Working out what to do with your client’s wealth after their death is all part of a paraplanner’s life.
But settling on the best strategy can be complex – especially when missing a vital detail can have costly consequences.
So what can you do about it?
Stay up to date with the latest thinking, that’s what.
Which is why Neil Macleod, senior technical manager at M&G Wealth, joined us to explore death and trusts and paraplanning.
During this lunch-hour Assembly, Neil covered:
- the types of trusts that can be created upon a person’s death
- how to spot different trust structures and what this means
- the income tax and capital gains tax treatment of trustee investments
- strategies for selecting appropriate investments for specific trusts
- practical approaches to providing investment advice to trustees
What will I learn from this online Assembly?
By the end of this Assembly, you’ll be able to:
- identify the types of trusts which can be created on a person’s death
- describe the income tax and CGT treatment of trustee investments
- identify appropriate investments for a particular trust
No matter how complex the cases you deal with, this is a great chance to tune in to Neil’s expertise, and get up to speed on death and trusts.
Once upon a time, we were scouring our library of previous online Assemblies and realised something: we had never covered the topic of inheritance tax (IHT) planning using the alternative investment market (AIM)!
So we thought it was high time to fix that with a whistle-stop tour to discover why investing in AIM is right up there as a strategy for IHT planning.
Whether you’re new to paraplanning and in search of a primer, or you’ve been paraplanning for absolutely ages and want to make sure you really know what you’re talking about, tuning into this Assembly will be well worth your while.
To help us navigate the topic we were joined by the ideal tour guide: Canaccord Genuity’s senior investment director and head of IHT investments, Paul Parker. During our lunch-hour gathering we explored:
- why AIM is so appealing for IHT planning
- business relief and how it works
- why AIM has a reputation for riskier investments
- how clients can invest in AIM – investment managers and DFMs
- researching the suitability of AIM portfolios and their managers
- things to consider when designing an IHT strategy using AIM
As ever, the chat was open for paraplanners to pose questions, or share ideas and observations – and the quality of contributions was great!
It’s no secret that top slicing relief offers a powerful method of reducing tax liability by spreading bond gains across each year of the lifetime of the bond.
But no matter how experienced a paraplanner you may be, working out the best way to make use of the relief, and getting the top slicing calculations right, can be tricky.
Join Steve and Richard as they crack the case
That’s why we think this case study investigation (CSI) on top slicing will be right up your street.
In this 45-minute special on top slicing, Utmost International’s technical sales manager, Steve Sayer, joins The Paraplanners’ Richard Allum, to pick his way through a case study featuring fictional client, David.
Designed to give you the chance to consider the financial planning opportunities from all sorts of angles, this CSI will help you:
- understand how top slicing relief works and when it can be applied;
- calculate top slicing relief as accurately and tax efficiently as you can;
- work out strategies to assign bond segments to spouses or beneficiaries to reduce tax liabilities;
- understand how pension contributions can be used to save tax and maximise relief; and
- navigate how bond gains, personal allowances, and other sources of income work together
Watch or listen now
Whether you’re new to top slicing relief or are a seasoned pro, it never hurts to top up your knowledge and know how – especially when it can make such a big difference to a client’s financial plan.
In a world where even HMRC doesn’t seem too sure what the score is, how can paraplanners get to grips with the new allowances landscape so clients know what they need to know right now?
Well you could tune into this recording of our Assembly with Les Cameron on 24 April 2024 for starters.
Because M&G Wealth’s head of technical took us on a guided tour of the new allowances regime following the abolition of the lifetime allowance (LTA).
What you’ll gain from this Assembly
During this lunch-hour event, hosted by Richard Allum of The Paraplanners, Les explored what has changed, what matters, and what it all means for you and your clients.
In a session that was jam-packed with examples, case studies and practical tips, Les covered all the essentials including
- individual starting allowances
- allowance excesses
- transitional allowances – including transitional tax free amount certificates (TTFACs)
- ongoing allowance availability and use
- death benefits and beneficiaries drawdown
- the importance of the order of benefits
Among the nuggets that Les shared were his analysis of the winners and losers under the new regime, nine things you need to know about TTFACs, and planning opportunities for clients as a result of the changes.
What’s more, he recapped the legislative position as well as shared some good-to-know quirks that the changes are throwing up.
With the post-LTA world still in an apparent state of flux, this is a timely chance to take stock in the company of one of the Assembly’s most popular experts. Want to join in? Then save your spot now.
A special tax year end Assembly combining expert insights and Chat-powered Q&A.
Coming just a week after the Budget statement on 6 March, a little over a fortnight before tax year end, and while the Finance Bill from last October’s statement is still making its way through Parliament, it was the ideal time to tune in to what you really need to know as the tax year hits its paraplanning peak.
To help, we gathered together a stellar panel of experts to share their knowledge and know-how: Les Cameron from M&G Wealth, James Jones-Tinsley of Barnett Waddingham and Transact’s Brian Radbone. (Scottish Widows’s Tom Coughlan, was due to join us but technical gremlins proved too much of an obstacle.)
Expect a lunch-hour discussion laden with lashings of insights on allowances, reliefs and exemptions spanning pensions, ISAs, capital gains tax and inheritance tax (and everything in between).
Paraplanners from all over the country gathered for the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s Big Day Out 2024 on 12 September 2024.
From its first meeting in 2013, the Paraplanners’ Assembly’s annual gathering has created space for sparking collaboration and conversation among paraplanners that is unlike any other event in the world of wealth management.
Why?
The Big Day Out is an informal gathering that offers six hours’ worth of CPD thanks to its combination of tailor-made interactive sessions led by hand-picked experts (and designed especially for the event), and group discussions facilitated by paraplanner hosts.
It makes for a supportive and encouraging space in which you can listen and learn, and share ideas, knowledge and insights. And it’s a unique environment in which you can really focus and flourish – both professionally and personally.
You’ll feel you belong at The Big Day Out because The Big Day Out belongs to you. Here’s what happened at The Big Day Out 2024.
Welcome!
Assembled paraplanners joined us in the conference barn for a welcome from Big Day Out hosts, Sam Tonks and Chris Wormwell.
Then we got straight into…
Hone it. Own it: One hour to perfect your development plan
New for this year, and designed especially for the Paraplanners’ Assembly, we open and closed the day with two really interactive sessions led by Arch Inspire’s Rachael Hurdman.
What were they all about? How to create an actionable and practical plan to achieve your personal and professional development goals.
But this wasn’t some dry run-of-the-mill classroom-type session because IT WAS A BIG DAY OUT! So Rachael shared practical tools, techniques and insights that (1) participants could try out throughout the sessions at your Big Day Out and (2) will last participants (and people back at the office they shared them with) for years.
Crop Rotations
Following the opening session, the Assembly split into three groups (called Crop Rotations) to tackle three topics over three 45-minute sessions.
ROTATION A
Quiz the experts
Our technical sessions are a perennial favourite among paraplanners.
After all, it could be the one chance you get this year to fire any question you can possibly think of at experts who – we’re pretty certain – will be able to answer them. (As long as it’s a technical paraplanning question and not e.g. ‘Yes, but what’s the universe expanding into?’)
This year is no exception. Your stellar quartet of experts includes:
– Les Cameron of M&G Wealth
– Gareth Davies of Scottish Widows
– Natalie Howard of Canaccord Genuity
– Brian Radbone of Transact
So begin collecting your questions today and you’ll be all set to quiz the experts on the day.
ROTATION B
Productivity tips you live by. Apps and tools you can’t live without.
Because the Big Day Out attracts paraplanners from companies large and small, and from in-house and outsourced teams, we know that the ability to influence things such as report content and formats, and choice of software and tech tools varies widely among participants.
But one thing that won’t vary widely is the way we go about getting our own stuff done.
So that’s what this session is all about: what’s the secret to your day-to-day personal productivity? What are the tips or techniques that help you get things done? And what tools, apps or websites do you keep coming back to?
Whether you’re the world’s leading expert on the application of the Pomodoro method, Eisenhower matrix and tried all the task management apps – or are thinking ‘Pomodoro what?’, this will be a fantastic chance to discover how and why other paraplanners do what they do, the way they do.
ROTATION C
You, clients and the future of advice technology.
You already know how influential technology is in day-to-day paraplanning. But what does the future of work look like for paraplanners with the arrival of AI? In this crop rotation – designed especially for the Big Day Out – NextWealth founder and managing director, Heather Hopkins, will lead a conversation that’s all about how technology is changing advice, what innovations are coming down the line, and how they’re likely to influence the practice of paraplanning.
This is a fantastic opportunity for you and your paraplanning peers to share what you think and feel about the future – and technology’s role in it.
From due diligence to data, and research to report writing, this is a unique chance to explore how emerging technologies will influence paraplanning facilitated by one of the most influential figures in UK advicetech today
Lunch
Locally sourced and freshly prepared, we tucked into pulled pork or vegetarian chilli (or both!) along with loads of healthy salads and slaws that were grown on the farm.
Hone it. Own it: Part Two
Rachael Hurdman returned and, in this closing session, invited participants to take a couple of practical steps that will enable you to gather the loose ends of your personal action plan. It was another really interactive session where you could try out your new tools, and round off your development plan – and Big Day Out – perfectly.
And finally…
The Paraplanners’ Assembly
It was time for the session after which the Assembly is named. Just like at our first gathering in 2013, Sam and Chris will opened up the floor for you to share anything that’s on your mind.
Ever-popular Assembly regular, Les Cameron of M&G Wealth, joined us to answer the question ‘What’s going on with the lifetime allowance?’
Why? Because in his Budget statement to the House of Commons earlier this year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, announced the removal of the amount you could hold in pension savings before becoming liable for tax.
And that’s quite the change. Because it’s not all that long since Hunt’s predecessors stood accused of levying ‘stealth taxes’ by freezing the LTA at to £1,073,100 – potentially exposing an influx of pension savers to tax liabilities thanks to the effect of inflation.
So with proposed legislation removing the LTA and introducing a rise in the annual allowance, doesn’t the future look rosey for pension savers and their pots?
Or do other proposed measures – like setting a limit of £268,275 on tax-free lump sums – muddy the waters a bit?
Well, that’s where Les came in. Because over the lunch-hour session he:
- recapped the saga of the lifetime allowance so far
- explained the changes that the government has proposed
- explored what’s already happened (and what’s still left to happen); and
- considered what it all means for paraplanners working on retirement planning cases for clients.
Be honest. This stuff is like catnip to a paraplanner isn’t it?
Listen now
We recently teamed up with friend of the Assembly, Steve Sayer of Utmost International, to record a three-part series of special Assemblies. Each one-hour session explores the issues affecting tax and tax planning, and offers practical ideas that paraplanners can consider for their firms’ clients.
In the first part of the series, Steve looked back at the last two budgets – the ‘mini-budget’ in September 2022 and spring Budget in March 2023 – to demonstrate the cumulative effect of ‘stealth’ tax rises and explore strategies to alleviate their effects.
In the second episode, he explored the flexibility of loan trusts and their potential for inheritance tax planning – especially in the wake of the freezes in nil rate and residence nil rate bands announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer earlier this year.
In the final part of the trilogy, Steve considers discounted gift trusts as an alternative to loan trusts for inheritance tax planning.
In sharp contrast to loan trusts, the decision to execute a gift trust brings no flexibility but their appeal is the immediate inheritance tax advantages.
Whether they’re the right vehicle will depend on a number of planning considerations such as the ages of the applicants and the types of gift trust.
During his talk, Steve looks at the difference between absolute trusts and discretionary trusts, touches on issues like the consequences of pre-2006 flexible power of appointment arrangements, making gifts and insurance policies.
In the slides that you can download below, you’ll find two case studies:
Case study No 1: explores the issues a couple might consider when choosing between a joint settlor or single settlor discounted gift trust.
Case study No 2: a client who wants to invest in a discounted gift trust but wants to be able to secure a fixed level of withdrawals. By combining discretionary and absolute trusts they’re able to achieve their objective without exceeding their nil rate band.
Steve’s talk is ideal if you’re handling cases where clients are weighing up planning opportunities for inheritance tax, this is the special Assembly for you.
We’ve ‘chapterised’ the video above so you can navigate the video however you’d like – and provided the slide number/s too for easy reference.
To download a PDF version of Steve’s slidedeck, just tap the link below. You can also download a CPD certificate as a record of viewing the recording, and links to other resources mentioned during the recording.
CPD, downloads and links
Slides: Discounted gift trusts (opens a PDF in a new browser tab)