Inheritance & estate planning
What passes on, to whom, and how much of it reaches them.
Estate planning is about three questions: what you own, who you want it to go to, and how much of it survives the journey. The rules aren't especially hard, but they interact with pensions, gifts and trusts in ways that catch out well-organised families every year. Start with the four-strategy hub if you want the big picture, then dig into the detail.
Strip away the jargon and virtually all legitimate IHT planning comes down to four moves.
Every pound you enjoy is taxed at 0% instead of 40%. Why underspending is the most common estate problem.
From simple cash gifts to loan trusts and discounted gift trusts — moving wealth out of your estate while you're alive.
Turning an unpredictable 40% bill into a fixed monthly premium — the problems gifting can't solve.
Qualifying assets can leave the IHT net after two years without being given away. But the cost is real investment risk.
The two allowances that decide whether IHT is a problem at all.
The £175,000 that comes with strings — and the £2 million cliff.
What you can give away, and when it stops counting for IHT.
What a trust is, when it helps, and when it just adds complexity.
The two documents nearly every adult should have — and update.