Farmland prices more than treble within nine years
Farmland prices hit yet another record high during the first half of 2013 and have now more than trebled in less than a decade, according to the RICS Rural Land Market Survey H1 2013. During the first six months of the year, the cost of farmland jumped to £7,440 per acre across the UK, hitting… Read more »
Attitudes to wealth and inheritance
A recent study of America’s wealthy by private bank U.S. Trust has found that generational gaps in attitudes about leaving an inheritance have narrowed, and that work ethic and the transfer of financial skills and knowledge have the greatest influence on the next generation. The survey found that only one-quarter of all survey respondents attribute… Read more »
Patients wary of NHS ability to provide long-term care
Patients across the UK fear for their long-term care and believe that it will only be secure if health and social care is paid for through a combination of State and family funding, according to a survey by KPMG. Yet, with many families unable to bear the cost of long-term care needs, a significant proportion… Read more »
Lack of an estate plan can cause family strife
Residents of Canada are being urged to move beyond traditional estate planning, which typically focuses on estate administration, tax considerations and having the proper legal documents in place, and instead to consider enhanced estate planning to address the emotional impact on those left behind and alleviate family strife. According to a new report from the… Read more »
Survey suggests time has run out for retirement planning
A recent survey into Retirement Readiness has uncovered a worrying lack of preparation among those closest to retirement (55+). The survey, by Aegon UK, found that: Of those within ten years of state pension age, more than three in ten don’t know how much they’ll need to live on in retirement. Three in ten of… Read more »