Trusts and Trust Management

Woman steals £120,000 from great uncles account

Woman steals £120,000 from great uncles account

A woman who was put in a position of trust with access to her 84-year-old Great Uncle's life savings admitted to embezzling just under £120,000 to fund her gambling addiction. Franciso... Read more

Trustee guilty of serious dishonesty

A trustee of a Church Circuit has been described by a tribunal as acting with deliberate and "serious dishonesty" when he transferred money to a struggling building company, of which... Read more

Clergyman uses power of attorney to steal £60k

Reverend Peter Hesketh, aged 65 from Worcestershire, has been found guilty of using a power of attorney to steal over £60,000 from a vulnerable pensioner.The Catholic deacon was given a... Read more

Trustees £500k pay-off amounted to misconduct

The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) has found that the trustees of Glasgow East Regeneration Agency (GERA) were guilty of misconduct when they paid out a £500,000 redundancy... Read more

Jail sentence for aunt who stole inheritance

Carole Walker, aged 57, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting the theft of over £30,000 inheritance money that was intended for her niece. Ms Walker was named... Read more

New Years resolutions more finance orientated

The past couple of years have seen a change to the most popular New Years resolutions made by people in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. While dieting, exercise... Read more

The Will to keep your New Years resolution

As an increasing number of people in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK resolve to start the New Year putting their finances in order, a large number of... Read more

More people living to 100 alters inheritance plans

A new report by the Office for National Statistics shows that more people in England and Wales are living beyond 100 years, raising more questions on the affect of an... Read more

Daughter says inheritance actually for cats

A woman who has been accused of concealing a  £50,000 inheritance gift from her Mum in order not to lose her pension credits says the gift was actually for her... Read more

Trustee jailed for theft from blind charity

A former trustee of the 'Fund for the Blind and Partially Sighted' has been given a 32 month prison sentence after being found guilty of stealing £120,000 from the charity. An... Read more

Daughter wins back land left to her on trust

A daughter has been successful in acquiring commercial property from her mother, after asserting that her father had meant for the land to be held in trust for her until... Read more

Ruling leaves trustees open to negligence claims

A ruling by the Court of Appeal has questioned the long established reliance on a principle of case law by trustees to undo any actions which brought about unforeseen or... Read more

200,000 family trusts affected by new 'stealth tax'

After some initial confusion as to whether the top rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT) would only apply to discretionary trusts, it has now been confirmed that the new 28%... Read more

New rules could make changes to pension schemes

Acquisitive companies will be eager to get clearance from the pensions regulator if the UK government extends its powers, according to Claire Smith, writing for Financial News.She notes that many... Read more

Labour MP blames lack of support for failure of inheritance tax amendment

A Labour MP's proposal that siblings should be entitled to the same inheritance tax break as a married couple has been discarded.The Guardian reports that Frank Field's suggested amendment to... Read more

Moves to change sibling inheritance rules

Cohabiting siblings in Northern Ireland may soon receive the same rights as married and civil partnership couples regarding inheritance tax.An amendment has been proposed to the finance bill by Labour... Read more

Trusts a 'great opportunity' for lessening inheritance tax

Well-planned trusts can prove a "very effective way" to reduce inheritance tax liabilities and ensure that as much of your wealth as possible is passed onto the next generation, according... Read more

Wills 'need to be regularly reviewed'

Wills and trusts need to be regularly reviewed as the inheritance people are able to leave changes, according to the Law Society.The society claims that solicitors need to be consulted... Read more

Care home financial advice 'essential'

Taking financial advice about retirement and care home provision is "essential", Saga has claimed.The magazine, insurance and holidays provider for the over-50s, has welcomed Gordon Brown's review on social care... Read more

Having a will ensures money passes to correct inheritors

Making a will is essential for those who want to influence what happens to their estate after they die, a financial expert has advised.David Kuo, head of finance at Fool.co.uk,... Read more

Inheritances twice 1997 level

More people are liable to inheritance tax (IHT) bills as the average value of an inherited estate has risen to more than twice its 1997 level, according to a new... Read more

More inheritance tax bills being reduced by giving money away

The number of people giving away money before they die in order to reduce the inheritance tax (IHT) bill liable on their death is on the increase, according to Forum... Read more

Women in Northern Ireland 'more likely to be responsible for family finance'

Household finances are more likely to be controlled by the woman in the relationship, according to a new study by a child trust fund (CTF) provider.Research by Family Investments found... Read more

CTFs for teenagers 'not wasted'

Teenagers would not waste large sum of money received on their 18th birthday, according to new research.The Children's Mutual has revealed the gulf between what parents think their children would... Read more

Child trust funds 'an excellent way to save'

In the current economic climate there is no "better gift" to give your child than a deposit for a mortgage, according to industry experts.Child Trust Funds (CTFs) enable parents to... Read more

CTFs worth £2.4bn in future

The first group of children in Britain and Northern Ireland who have been eligible to set up a child trust fund (CTF) through a solicitor are looking at reaping around... Read more

Trust money 'could go to waste'

Money in child trust funds (CTFs) set up by solicitors on the birth of a child could go to waste if children in Belfast and Northern Ireland are not educated... Read more

Solicitors 'essential' for co-buyers

With property prices in Belfast and Northern Ireland remaining high, many people may be tempted to buy a house with other people, but this should be entered into with caution... Read more

IHT planning 'should start early'

Inheritance Tax (IHT) need not be a burden and though it is advisable to start planning early, it is never too late to begin, financial advisers have said.For homeowners in... Read more

More pensioners in the province

Solicitors in Northern Ireland are likely to see an increase in the number of people wanting to arrange their will, as national statistics show that there is an increasingly ageing... Read more

Ethical CTFs show future thinking

While most parents do invest money in stakeholder child trust funds (CTFs), Family Investments has said that a long-term investment in the ethical variety is the choice of families looking... Read more

Upward trend for ethical trusts

Solicitors in Britain and Northern Ireland are likely to see more clients setting up ethical child trust funds (CTFs), as more people become aware of environmental issues.A CTF is a... Read more

Clever couples can avoid high IHT

Married couples or those in a civil partnership can help to cut inheritance tax (IHT) by writing a nil rate band discretionary trust will, Willcare has advised. Couples in Britain... Read more

IFA hopes parents will trust in CTFs

An independent financial advisor (IFA) has said that the take-up of governmental Child Trust Funds (CTFs) is still disappointingly low but the industry hopes that parents will realise the benefits... Read more

Accountants face greater regulation

Accountancy services in Britain and Northern Ireland will face greater regulation from December 15th 2007.Companies offering accountancy, tax, audit and insolvency services will be forced to undergo monitoring for compliance... Read more

NI children get less cash

Children in Northern Ireland receive less money than their peers in the rest of Britain, it has been revealed.Northern Ireland's Children and Young People Commissioner, Patricia Lewsley, has said that... Read more

Non-working parents can still invest in CTFs

Family Investments has said that with more parents taking leave from work to look after their newborns, finances may be stretched, but that is no excuse not to build up... Read more

HMRC frustrated by CTF take-up

After one in five parents failed to invest their Child Trust Fund (CTF) vouchers, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has invested the money on parents' behalf.Yet the downside is that... Read more

HMRC issues children's trust advice

As this year's Baby Show embarks on a tour of the UK, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued advice to parents about the benefits of Child Trust Funds and... Read more

Expert says nil-band rate case proves zero

After a nil-band rate trust was ruled invalid by tax commissioners, many had feared that this method of cutting inheritance tax (IHT) would not work, but a leading expert has... Read more

Child Trust Funds hit record highs

More than 2.6 million children now have a trust fund set up for them, the government has revealed.The economic secretary, Ed Balls, announced that three quarters of parents in Britain... Read more

Beat the 'death duty' through giving

On April 6th the new inheritance tax (IHT) nil band rate will jump to £300,000, meaning that now may be the time for some shrewd gifting.As the new rate comes... Read more

Aged could help the young

The Pensioners' Income Series 2005/6 has revealed that the average income of UK pensioners has risen to £292 a week - an increase of 27 per cent over a decade.Published... Read more

Make the most of your nil rate band

With the Budget announcement that the inheritance tax (IHT) threshold will be raised progressively until it reaches £350,000 in 2010, homeowners across Britain and Northern Ireland should be updating their... Read more