Does everyone have a book inside them? I’ve always admired people who manage to write one, especially novelists. How do they keep the thread going day after day? I’m told the secret is to write a little each day, but I imagine you also have to immerse yourself fully in the characters. And when the final chapter is written, do you fall out of love with the book—or in love with it even more?

For the last 10 years, the US has dominated global equity returns. That’s not controversial, and it explains why broad global indexes are now heavily US-weighted. Today the United States is 72% of the MSCI World index (developed markets only) and 65% of the broader MSCI ACWI (developed + emerging). 

The FCA’s Retirement Income Advice Thematic Review (TR24/1, March 2024) made one thing very clear: retirement income advice will remain an ongoing supervisory priority. Reinforced by the accompanying Dear CEO letter, the FCA stressed that this review is not simply “guidance” but a statement of expectations, expectations that will shape regulatory scrutiny in the years ahead.

Retirement planning often focuses on money – pensions, investments, and income. But what about the emotional and psychological shift that comes when you stop working?

Over the coming months, I’ll be sharing posts about building a Centralised Retirement Proposition® (CRP), why it matters, what I’ve learned, and why I’m passionate about keeping this conversation alive.

Over the coming weeks there will be plenty of speculation about the Autumn Budget. Rather than join the noise, I thought I would share some thoughts on what a “perfect” budget might look like – not necessarily what will happen, but what might actually move the UK forward.

When I was at school, my only sources of information were the books in the library and the teachers in the classroom. Challenging ideas or finding evidence wasn’t easy.

HMRC has published draft legislation which, if approved, will significantly change how pension death benefits are treated for Inheritance Tax (IHT) purposes from April 2027.

Big changes are coming to the way pensions are treated when someone dies. The draft Finance Bill 2025 proposes that, from 6 April 2027, some pension funds will be included in a person’s estate for inheritance tax (IHT).

From 6 April 2027, unused pensions will be part of the estate for inheritance tax. If you’re an executor, this is what you’ll need to do.

When someone dies, their executors often need to complete HMRC’s IHT400 form — the main inheritance tax return. It’s required when the estate is over the available allowances or involves more complex assets, such as trusts, lifetime gifts, or pensions. Even when no tax is due, the IHT400 can still be needed to fully report the estate.

From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits will be included in the deceased person’s estate for IHT calculation, regardless of whether the pension scheme is discretionary or non-discretionary. Current rules allow unused funds in discretionary schemes to pass tax-free; that will no longer apply after implementation.