Obtaining financial advice
When you are planning your finances, thinking about inheritance and considering making a Will, it is important that you seek the best professional advice that is tailored specifically to your needs and situation. You need to consider your personal and family circumstances and make sure that you choose the most appropriately trained and qualified professional for your needs.
Today it is easy to find a professional in your area by using the various online search facilities that are now available. The following websites will help you to obtain the relevant contact details:
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Solicitor (www.lawsociety.org.uk).
A solicitor will be able to help with all the legal aspects involved in Wills and probate, transferring property, trusts and tax issues, for example. -
Solicitors for the Elderly (www.solicitorsfortheelderly.com).
This is an independent, national organization of lawyers, such as solicitors, barristers and legal executives who are committed to providing the highest quality of legal advice for older and vulnerable people, their families and carers.
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Chartered accountant (www.icaew.com).
A chartered accountant will be able to help you with tax issues, filing accounts and filling in self-assessment tax returns. -
Trust and estate practitioners or planners (www.step.org).
These people will be able to help you to plan your estate, set up trusts and offer advice about tax planning. The terms ‘practitioner’ and ‘planner’ tend to be used interchangeably – you just need to make sure that they are fully qualified to offer advice. -
Financial advisers (www.aifa.net).
These people will be able to offer advice about planning your personal finances, obtaining mortgages and investing your money. -
Financial planners (www.financialplanning.org.uk).
These people will be able to offer tailor-made advice about planning your finances for the future. -
Inheritance tax adviser (www.tax.org.uk).
These people specialize in offering advice about inheritance tax. These issues can be extremely complex and an experienced adviser should be able to help you save money on this tax. -
Property adviser or surveyor (www.ricsfirms.com).
These people will help you to value a property or carry out a survey on a property that you are thinking about buying. -
Investment manager or stockbroker (www.apcims.co.uk).
These people will be able to offer advice about the different types of investment such as ISAs, Child Trust Funds and Self-Invested Personal Pensions.
Most of the directories on the websites listed above will enable you to search for a professional by geographical location and specialist area, which include estate planning, inheritance tax, divorce and separation, retirement planning and investment planning.