Passing on your wealth to the people who matter
Most people work hard all their lives to build something to pass on. Estate planning is about making sure the wealth you have built goes where you want it to, in the way you want, with as little lost along the way as possible.
Why estate planning matters
Estate planning is not just for the very wealthy. With property values where they are, many ordinary families now find themselves facing an inheritance tax bill they never expected. Planning ahead can make a real difference, both to how much tax is due and to how smoothly and quickly your wealth passes to the next generation.
It also lets you make decisions on your own terms, rather than leaving your family to work things out at the hardest possible time. Without planning, a significant part of what you leave behind can be lost to tax, or end up in the wrong hands at the wrong time.
We help families across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire understand what inheritance tax might be due, what can be done about it, and how to provide for the people who matter most, including those who may need extra care and protection.
How we help
Open each to see what it involves.
Understanding and reducing inheritance tax
What might be due, and the options for reducing it
Understanding and reducing inheritance tax
What might be due, and the options for reducing it
Inheritance tax can take a large slice of what you leave behind, but there is a great deal you can do to reduce it with planning. We help you understand what might be due and the options for reducing it.
The first step is simply a calculation, because most people have never seen the number. Once it is on paper the conversation becomes much more practical: what your allowances are, what gifting could achieve over time, and how much of the problem you actually want to solve.
Passing wealth to the next generation
Helping children and grandchildren, thoughtfully
Passing wealth to the next generation
Helping children and grandchildren, thoughtfully
Whether you want to help your children onto the property ladder, contribute to grandchildren’s futures, or pass on wealth in a structured way, we help you do it thoughtfully and efficiently.
The question that matters most is usually not how much to give, but whether you can afford to give it and still be comfortable for the rest of your life. We model that first, so generosity now does not create a problem later.
Trusts and protecting wealth
Passing on wealth while keeping some control
Trusts and protecting wealth
Passing on wealth while keeping some control
Trusts can be a powerful way of passing on wealth while keeping a degree of control and protection, particularly where a beneficiary is young or vulnerable. We help you understand whether a trust is right for your family.
They are not the answer to everything, and they bring their own costs and responsibilities. Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Providing for a family member with additional needs
Provision that does not cost them their support
Providing for a family member with additional needs
Provision that does not cost them their support
Providing for a loved one who may never be able to fully support themselves brings particular challenges. We help families plan properly, so that a vulnerable family member is provided for without losing the support they rely on.
Leaving money directly can sometimes do more harm than good, because it may affect means-tested benefits and support. This is specialist work, and it is one of the reasons families come to us in the first place.
Working alongside your other advisers
A short conversation
A call or video call about what you have, from property and pensions to savings and businesses, and who you would like to benefit. No obligation, and nothing to prepare.
The likely tax position, in numbers
What would be due today, and what that means for the people you want to benefit.
Options, with the trade-offs shown
Including what each one costs you in control or flexibility, so you can choose how far to go.
Joined up with your solicitor and accountant
So the financial and legal sides point in the same direction and nothing is left to chance.
Part of a wider plan
What you pass on depends on what you build and how you draw on it. Estate planning works best alongside your retirement planning and your investments, rather than as a separate exercise late in the day.
Estate planning questions we are asked most
Is estate planning only for the very wealthy?
No. With property values where they are, many ordinary families now find themselves facing an inheritance tax bill they never expected. A family home in this part of the country can take an estate past the threshold on its own.
When should I start thinking about this?
Earlier than most people do. A good deal of estate planning depends on time, so options that are open at seventy may not be at eighty-five. Starting early also means decisions are made calmly, on your own terms, rather than by your family at the hardest possible moment.
Do I need a will as well as financial advice?
Yes. Your will decides who receives what; the financial planning decides how much is left to receive and how smoothly it passes. The two need to say the same thing, which is why we work alongside your solicitor. Will writing involves the referral to a service that is separate and distinct to those offered by St. James’s Place and along with some aspects of estate planning are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What does a trust actually do?
It lets you pass on wealth while keeping a degree of control over when and how it is used, which matters particularly where a beneficiary is young or vulnerable. Whether one is right for your family depends on your circumstances. Trusts are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
One of the most valuable things you can do for the people you love
Whether your estate is straightforward or complex, planning ahead makes a real difference. A conversation about where you stand is the best place to start. No obligation.