Picasso - Pagan Osborne
Picasso - Pagan Osborne
Picasso - Pagan Osborne
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tempo<br />
ISSUE 1<br />
THE MATURE TRAVELLER – FEED THE WANDERLUST<br />
ETHICAL FUNDS – GREEN SAVINGS<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong><br />
A LESSON IN WILL POWER
Opening Soon<br />
<strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> Property Shop<br />
South Edinburgh
Contents<br />
2<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong><br />
A LESSON IN WILL POWER<br />
6<br />
The<br />
Ethical<br />
Funds<br />
GOOD FOR YOUR WALLET<br />
AND SAVING THE PLANET<br />
Regulars<br />
Ask the expert 5<br />
A week in the life of... 12<br />
Prop Idol<br />
HOW £2,000 CAN GET YOUR<br />
HOUSE READY FOR SALE<br />
4<br />
mature<br />
traveller<br />
RELEASING EQUITY TO FEED<br />
THE WANDERLUST<br />
9<br />
Financial<br />
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE<br />
10Planning<br />
<strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> provides choices in life. As a firm,<br />
we offer a refreshing approach to managing and<br />
protecting your personal interests and assets and<br />
those of your family by combining legal, financial<br />
and property expertise.<br />
Our aim is to work with you to create a cohesive<br />
plan which provides direction and clarity around<br />
your personal affairs, helping you confidently meet<br />
and navigate the key stages in your life.<br />
Tempo is our magazine and it is designed to help<br />
guide you as you face up to important decisions.<br />
From buying your first property to making<br />
investments, from safeguarding your inheritance<br />
to planning for death, from obtaining the best<br />
advice on family relationships to managing the<br />
needs of the agricultural community and advising<br />
charities, Tempo will touch on subjects that<br />
shape your lives now and in the future.<br />
We hope you enjoy it.<br />
www.paganosborne.com<br />
tempo<br />
Tempo is published by <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>, one of<br />
Scotland’s leading legal, financial and property<br />
specialists.<br />
<strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> is authorised and regulated by the<br />
Financial Services Authority.<br />
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part<br />
without written permission is strictly prohibited.<br />
12 St Catherine Street, Cupar, Fife, KY15 4HH<br />
Cover image:<br />
Chouette Mate earthenware vase,<br />
No 200 of an edition of 200. Edition <strong>Picasso</strong> Madoura NMS<br />
© Succession <strong>Picasso</strong>/DACS 2007<br />
Acknowledgements:<br />
National Museum of Scotland<br />
Gillian Stuart<br />
Neville & Freda Walker<br />
Key Retirement Solutions<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 1
Prop Idol<br />
HOW £2,000 CAN GET YOUR<br />
HOUSE READY FOR SALE<br />
RELEASING EQUITY TO FEED<br />
THE WANDERLUST<br />
Selling your house can be one of life’s biggest<br />
stresses; a time when even the calmest of souls<br />
can turn into a nervous wreck.<br />
Worrying about getting the price you want, if<br />
the timing is right, or whether you should splash<br />
out on a new bathroom suite, means that moving<br />
home can cause its fair share of anxious<br />
moments. But not if you are prepared and ready<br />
for your ideal buyer.<br />
Getting your property looking good before it<br />
goes on the market is one of the best ways to<br />
ensure a stress-free sale. It doesn’t require a lot<br />
of effort or money either - a good clean and tidy,<br />
a few well placed props and some white paint<br />
can work wonders.<br />
Rob McGregor, a property valuer based at<br />
<strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>’s Queen Street office is used to<br />
advising clients on getting their homes ready for<br />
sale.<br />
He says: "A maximum of £2,000 would give a<br />
three bedroom house the ‘for sale’ makeover that<br />
could mean the difference between a quick sale<br />
and having the house languish on the market for<br />
months on end. It’s also an investment that is<br />
easily recouped in the sale price.<br />
"The reality is that whilst we love our homes<br />
and hope everyone will instantly feel the same<br />
way (whatever the state of the stair carpet)<br />
today’s purchasers want to see a house that they<br />
can quickly call their own. That means fresh<br />
neutral colours and simplicity.<br />
"So for a small amount of money, a new coat<br />
of paint, repairing some of the window locks,<br />
cleaning the carpets or replacing tired kitchen<br />
cupboards, can make a big difference. It’s money<br />
well spent.”<br />
2
Rob McGregor’s<br />
Top Tips<br />
By following Rob’s top tips, here’s how you can go<br />
to ‘des res’ in just ten steps:<br />
• Clear away clutter! Whether its children’s toys or<br />
lots of photographs, it’s important to tidy away<br />
belongings.<br />
• Look outside – has your property got kerb<br />
appeal? Look at the property as a whole; often<br />
gutters need to be cleared; a fresh, newly painted<br />
front door will appeal to buyers; as will plants and<br />
hanging baskets at the doorway.<br />
• Make the most of your property’s features. Don’t<br />
hide away period fireplaces, cornices, ceiling<br />
roses or paint over shutters: where possible<br />
restore them. Such features make properties<br />
unique.<br />
• When decorating, keep colours neutral<br />
remembering not everyone shares your taste.<br />
However, don’t go for cream carpets as they get<br />
dirty quickly; wooden floors are always a better<br />
option.<br />
• When it comes to dressing and preparing a<br />
property, those which look lived in sell better.<br />
Invest in stylish but not expensive furniture as this<br />
will aid the imagination of potential buyers.<br />
• If rooms are on the small or narrow side invest in<br />
some mirrors as they will instantly make the area<br />
look bigger.<br />
• Finishing touches, such as vases of freshly cut<br />
flowers and coloured olive oil bottles in the kitchen<br />
add some colour and provide a homely feel.<br />
• Kitchens and bathrooms help sell a property so<br />
make sure both are spotless and well presented.<br />
Put some nice soaps out and fresh, fluffy towels.<br />
• Make sure pets and children are out of sight.<br />
Giving undivided attention to purchasers is a must<br />
- you don’t want your furry companions or little<br />
angels running around riot distracting you.<br />
• Marketing is the key to a successful sale so look<br />
for flexible marketing packages and an estate<br />
agent that can make the process as hassle free<br />
as possible.<br />
Case<br />
Study<br />
Mother-of-three Gillian Stuart from Kirkcaldy has<br />
lived in her four bedroom cottage for a total of<br />
thirty years.<br />
Following a recent upgrade and<br />
refurbishment, Gillian is selling the property.<br />
She plans to downsize into a smaller home now<br />
that two of her children have flown the nest.<br />
Sharing her experience she says, "The<br />
cottage is truly a unique property retaining<br />
traditional feature fireplaces, fabulous cornices<br />
and plasterwork, as well as natural woodwork<br />
which has been stripped and enhanced over<br />
the years.<br />
"But the most recent transformation took<br />
about eight months to complete. In that time I've<br />
renewed two bathrooms with modern white suites<br />
adding complementary wall and floor tiling,<br />
upgraded the kitchen with a new cooker, sink,<br />
worktops, cabinet doors and stripped and sealed<br />
the floorboards.<br />
"I’ve also replaced fitted wardrobes in two of<br />
the bedrooms, laminated the entire upper floor,<br />
finally redecorating from top to bottom by<br />
co-ordinating neutral wall colours with window<br />
dressings and soft furnishings.<br />
"By creating a fresh blank canvas, new<br />
owners just need to move into the house,<br />
personalise it and enjoy."<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: Rob McGregor<br />
rmcgregor@pagan.co.uk<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 3
<strong>Picasso</strong> – a lesson in Will power<br />
Pablo <strong>Picasso</strong>, a 21st century icon, died at the<br />
age of 91 having lived a full life. For many, he was<br />
an artistic genius, who challenged<br />
perceptions and broadened horizons. He also<br />
had a string of lovers, four children by three<br />
women and two wives.<br />
Until the end of October, a fascinating<br />
exhibition is taking place at the National Museum<br />
of Scotland in Edinburgh that gives an insight into<br />
that genius as well as a glimpse at his rather<br />
colourful family life. <strong>Picasso</strong>: Fired with Passion is<br />
sponsored by <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> and focuses on<br />
over 100 ceramics created at his Vallauris studio<br />
in the South of France, between 1947-61,<br />
drawings, paintings and many family<br />
photographs. It is well worth a visit.<br />
Interestingly, it might also provide a<br />
timely reminder to think about a Will.<br />
At the time of his death, <strong>Picasso</strong> left an<br />
estimated 1,885 paintings, 3,222 ceramic<br />
works, more than 1,200 sculptures, 7,000<br />
drawings and some 30,000 engravings, etchings,<br />
lithographs and tapestries. In addition, he left<br />
three French chateaux, two villas as well as cash<br />
and securities. Sources at the time put his<br />
estate at around $240m.<br />
But because <strong>Picasso</strong> left no Will, the trail left<br />
by his prolific personal life and his vast estate<br />
instantly became embroiled in a complex<br />
inheritance tangle, which took over four years to<br />
sort out. His life and death, therefore, offer a<br />
valuable lesson in why making a Will is so<br />
important.<br />
Visit <strong>Picasso</strong>: Fired with Passion at the<br />
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street,<br />
Edinburgh until 28th October 2007<br />
Why making a<br />
Will is important<br />
• A Will is a practical formality, which<br />
can prevent all kinds of unnecessary<br />
heartache in the event of someone’s<br />
death, as it legally states who is<br />
entitled to a share of the estate.<br />
• Some people may think that they don’t<br />
need a Will as their family will know<br />
what to do, or that it is a fatalistic<br />
omen. This is wrong.<br />
• It can be complicated when<br />
unmarried/non-Civil Partnership<br />
cohabiting couples do not have Wills,<br />
as although the surviving partner may<br />
make a claim to inherit some assets, it<br />
is the children who have the automatic<br />
right to them.<br />
• In such a situation, if there are no<br />
children, all of the deceased’s savings,<br />
personal items and sometimes even<br />
their share of the property, will be<br />
divided evenly between parents and<br />
siblings. The partner will be left with<br />
nothing unless he or she is successful<br />
in raising a costly court action within<br />
six months of their partner’s death.<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: Lianne Lodge<br />
llodge@pagan.co.uk<br />
4<br />
Chouette Mate earthenware vase,<br />
No 200 of an edition of 200. Edition<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong> Madoura NMS © Succession<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong>/DACS 2007<br />
Faune cavalier, silver<br />
platter. Studio Francois<br />
Hugo; 1977 Musée<br />
<strong>Picasso</strong>, Antibes ©<br />
Succession <strong>Picasso</strong>/<br />
DACS 2007<br />
6
ASK the expert<br />
1<br />
Fiona<br />
Gordon Brown<br />
wants us all to take<br />
out long term fixed<br />
rate mortgages.<br />
Is this a good idea?<br />
2<br />
Rachael<br />
I want to put money<br />
away for my<br />
grandchildren, what<br />
is the best way to<br />
go about this?<br />
I am about to get<br />
married and have<br />
heard a lot about<br />
pre-nuptial<br />
arrangements. We<br />
don’t have much, so<br />
is it something we<br />
3should think about?<br />
John Ross, managing consultant at <strong>Pagan</strong><br />
<strong>Osborne</strong> Independent Financial Advisers, says,<br />
"Proceed with caution! Long term fixed rate<br />
mortgages tend to come with a lot of<br />
restrictions; they have a higher interest rate and<br />
incur large penalties if you wish to change<br />
lender before your fixed period draws to an end.<br />
"Although signing up to a long term rate can<br />
offer peace of mind, it is also a long term<br />
gamble. If interest rates move up or down, they<br />
will either leave you feeling very smug or<br />
annoyed. With the majority of people barely<br />
looking beyond the next five years of their lives,<br />
their personal circumstances could dramatically<br />
change within the next 10-15 years, which is<br />
why it’s better to choose a mortgage that is<br />
fixed for two-five years as it offers a great<br />
degree of flexibility, unlike a long term fixed<br />
rate."<br />
McDonald, associate at <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong><br />
suggests, "From an Inheritance Tax (IHT)<br />
perspective, gifting during your lifetime can be a<br />
very sensible idea as it can also reduce potential<br />
IHT liabilities. In each tax year, you can gift<br />
£3,000 tax-free and can carry this forward one<br />
year if it is not fully utilised.<br />
"Additionally, if your intention is to make regular<br />
gifts to your grandchildren, the transfers may be<br />
able to be structured in such a way that would<br />
enable the gift to be treated as an exempt<br />
transfer for IHT, providing it is possible to show<br />
that the gifts you make are out of excess<br />
income so that your standard of living will not be<br />
affected.<br />
"Also, if you do not wish the funds to be<br />
transferred outright to your grandchildren,<br />
perhaps because they are young, a Child Trust<br />
Fund could be considered<br />
which would allow<br />
for flexibility and<br />
protection."<br />
Kelsey, partner at <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> and<br />
family law specialist, said, "If you’re<br />
contemplating marriage, particularly second<br />
time around and own your own home, have<br />
savings, investments or other assets like<br />
antiques or art, you would be well advised to<br />
enter into a pre-nuptial agreement.<br />
"Pre-nups are now common in Scotland - the<br />
Family Team have prepared more this year than<br />
ever before. It’s not that our clients aren’t<br />
romantic - they’re simply realistic and know that<br />
there is a chance that their relationship might<br />
not last. They want to protect the assets that<br />
they have when they marry and to be able to<br />
avoid the uncertainty and expense of litigation<br />
in the future; they want to be able to decide<br />
themselves what they think is fair for them."<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 5
The mature<br />
traveller<br />
RELEASING EQUITY TO FEED THE WANDERLUST<br />
When Neville Walker took early retirement 17<br />
years ago, he and his wife Freda knew they<br />
wanted to live life to the full.<br />
Living in the family home, which Neville<br />
inherited from his father and with no dependants,<br />
the 67 year old couple have always enjoyed<br />
travelling, visiting various countries and, in<br />
particular, the USA.<br />
Now relying on police and state pensions to<br />
support their ever increasing living costs, Neville<br />
and Freda looked at other options to fuel their<br />
wanderlust. They needed extra income to fulfil<br />
their desire for travelling, but wanted a solution<br />
that would allow them to remain in their much<br />
loved home.<br />
Living in a 400 year old farmhouse and with<br />
no mortgage to pay, the couple were able to turn<br />
some of the value of their home into income,<br />
through a scheme called equity release.<br />
Neville said:<br />
"IT’S VERY SATISFYING TO KNOW<br />
WE HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS<br />
COMING IN. WE HAVE GREAT PEACE<br />
OF MIND KNOWING THAT BILLS CAN<br />
BE PAID AND WE CAN STILL<br />
TRAVEL AND ENJOY OURSELVES IN<br />
OUR RETIREMENT."<br />
"Recently, we returned from a trip to<br />
Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. Because I enjoy<br />
hunting, in particular deer stalking, we<br />
decided to go on a hunt, but as the rules of the<br />
National Parks don’t permit mechanical vehicles,<br />
horseback was the only method of travelling up<br />
the Rockies.<br />
"Although Freda and I had never been<br />
horseback riding before, we took a deep breath<br />
and decided to give it a go. We endured a three<br />
day riding course on Dartmoor prior to flying out<br />
and spent another three days riding and<br />
acclimatising at 9,000 feet above sea level before<br />
riding into the hills.<br />
"The experience was exhilarating. We slept<br />
under the stars, although it was known that grisly<br />
bears inhabited that region, but the fear was soon<br />
overcome when we sat back at the camp and<br />
saw all the stars in the sky flickering away. We<br />
also cooked and ate our food over the<br />
campfires and had a wonderful time. This isn’t<br />
the type of travelling experience you’d expect<br />
from a couple well into their 60’s, but we’re young<br />
at heart and enjoy living life to the full."<br />
Neville and Freda currently enjoy two or three<br />
holidays a year, which all seem to turn into<br />
adventures! They have booked another trip to<br />
Wyoming this autumn where they will trek through<br />
the Rockies on horseback, go fishing in remote<br />
trout streams and relax in the peaceful<br />
surroundings of a 300,000 acre ranch. The<br />
couple will also be making a return visit to<br />
Texas next year to visit some old friends – a<br />
holiday they have enjoyed taking for the<br />
past 17 years.<br />
inheritance tangle, which took over four years to<br />
sort out. His life and death, therefore offer a<br />
valuable lesson in why making a Will is so<br />
important.<br />
Visit <strong>Picasso</strong>: Fired with Passion at the<br />
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers<br />
Street, Edinburgh until 28th October 2007<br />
6
Neville and Freda Walker on horseback in Yellowstone<br />
Park in Wyoming<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 7
What is equity<br />
release?<br />
Equity release allows you to free tax-free<br />
cash from your home to boost your<br />
finances in retirement. The two main types<br />
of equity release plan available are lifetime<br />
mortgages and home reversion. Both types<br />
of equity release plan allow you to:<br />
• safely release equity from your home<br />
• spend the cash as you wish<br />
• make no monthly repayments<br />
• stay in your home for life<br />
If you want to release equity to go feed the<br />
wanderlust of travelling like Neville and<br />
Freda Walker, you need to:<br />
• speak to a financial adviser<br />
• decide realistically how much equity you<br />
can and are able to release<br />
• ask, are you planning on bequeathing<br />
your property to family? If so, decide<br />
how much of the estate value you wish<br />
to leave<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: John Ross<br />
jross@pagan.co.uk<br />
8
Ethical funds SOCIAL CONSCIENCE CAN BE GOOD<br />
FOR YOUR WALLET AND YOU CAN SAVE THE PLANET<br />
The stock market wouldn’t generally be the first<br />
thing you’d think of if you were looking for ways<br />
to improve the world around you and leave it<br />
better than you found it. And yet, ethical<br />
investment is one of the fastest growing areas of<br />
the market, with "green" funds expected to top<br />
£7 billion this year.<br />
The origins of moral investing date back to the<br />
early 20th century when the Methodist Church<br />
decided to invest in the stock market with a view<br />
to avoid firms with an involvement in gambling<br />
and alcohol. In 1984, Friends Provident launched<br />
the first ethical fund for private investors (now<br />
managed as the F&C Stewardship Growth Fund)<br />
and nowadays, there are over 90 ethical funds to<br />
choose from. So there has never been more<br />
choice should you wish to keep your money<br />
clean and green.<br />
But does this sound too good to be true?<br />
Is it really possible to invest profitably and ethically<br />
at the same time? Well – yes and no.<br />
To understand the financial implications<br />
of ethical investment, it’s important<br />
to understand what it means in<br />
the first place.<br />
Here, St Andrews Asset<br />
Managers, part of <strong>Pagan</strong><br />
<strong>Osborne</strong>, offer some<br />
guidance.<br />
Lindsay Fraser head of St Andrews Asset<br />
Managers (SAM) says,<br />
“Investing ethically means different things to<br />
different people, but for the majority, it means<br />
investing in line with their principles.<br />
“For some, it may be avoiding certain sectors<br />
or stocks within the market, such as tobacco,<br />
armaments, alcohol, gambling or pornography.<br />
For others, it may be ruling out pharmaceuticals<br />
because of animal testing, or oil testing due to the<br />
environmental damage they cause.”<br />
What is the difference between light green<br />
and dark green funds?<br />
Ethical funds are sometimes defined on a scale<br />
from light green to dark green. Light green<br />
funds are those using some ethical principles,<br />
whereas dark green investments are those that<br />
adhere to strict ethical criteria.<br />
But as investors are becoming more<br />
discerning nowadays and are looking for a<br />
positive commitment from companies that are<br />
actively behaving in a socially responsible way,<br />
there is a third level of ethical investment whereby<br />
investors will call upon fund managers to engage<br />
with firms in order to help them improve their<br />
policies. Therefore, it is possible for people to get<br />
an ethical fund investing in the likes of a tobacco<br />
company in order to put pressure on the<br />
company to behave responsibly towards its<br />
suppliers, employees and customers.”<br />
Will my savings grow more using an ethical<br />
investment vehicle?<br />
Like all investment tools, the peaks and troughs<br />
of the market conditions, coupled with the<br />
sectors people have invested in can either<br />
produce returns significantly better or worse.<br />
Although ethical unit trusts or Open-Ended<br />
Investment Companies have more or less<br />
matched the wider market over the past five<br />
years, there have been times when this has<br />
not always been the case and green investors have<br />
missed out on some major market themes. The<br />
general consensus is that greenness can come at a<br />
cost, so it’s important to seek the right advice.<br />
What ethical funds are worth investigating<br />
further?<br />
A good place to start is to sit down with a fund<br />
manager at SAM. The most important thing, as<br />
with all investment decisions, is for you to<br />
understand the implications of whichever route<br />
you take, and for this you can’t beat good<br />
professional advice.<br />
If you are ready to delve further EIRIS is the<br />
leading provider of independent research into the<br />
social, environmental and ethical performance of<br />
companies – www.eiris.org. Insight Investment,<br />
has also been leading the way in socially<br />
responsible investing and it’s worth taking a look at.<br />
www.insightinvestment.com has a wealth of<br />
helpful information.<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: Lindsay Fraser<br />
lcfraser@pagan.co.uk<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 9
Financial<br />
Planning<br />
A FATHER-OF-TWO HOPES TO TAKE EARLY<br />
RETIREMENT, BUT WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN<br />
IN PRIVATE EDUCATION HE KNOWS HE NEEDS<br />
TO GET ORGANISED<br />
Self-employed IT consultant Michael Jamieson*<br />
has enjoyed a successful career, but is looking<br />
forward to the day when he can switch off his<br />
computer for the very last time. Now 47, he<br />
has always hoped to retire well before he<br />
reaches the age of 65.<br />
However, with two small boys, the matter<br />
of school fees may affect his plans.<br />
Mike’s eldest son has just started his<br />
primary education at one of Edinburgh’s<br />
leading public schools, with the younger boy<br />
expected to attend the same school in three<br />
years time. With the average cost of private<br />
education to 18 now around £100,000, Mike<br />
has made a big commitment. He will also be<br />
63 by the time his youngest child finishes<br />
school.<br />
To supplement his own income, Mike’s wife<br />
works part time and the family has two rental<br />
properties (one which is mortgage free and the<br />
other which has a 50% buy-to-let mortgage).<br />
In addition, Mike has two pensions, which he’s<br />
being paying into for the past 20 years and a<br />
handful of other investments.<br />
Mike says: "Ever since I got my first proper<br />
wage packet over 20 years ago, planning for<br />
retirement has always been in my mind. I’ve<br />
always been careful and believed in setting<br />
aside a sum of money each month to be<br />
invested into company pensions and savings<br />
accounts to assist in leading a more<br />
comfortable lifestyle. Now that the children<br />
have come along and my financial situation has<br />
changed I am conscious that I need to review<br />
my financial position, if I still hope to take early<br />
retirement."<br />
*Our client’s name has been changed<br />
inheritance tangle, which took over four years to<br />
sort out. His life and death, therefore offer a<br />
valuable lesson in why making a Will is so<br />
important.<br />
Visit <strong>Picasso</strong>: Fired with Passion at the<br />
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers<br />
Street, Edinburgh until 28th October 2007<br />
10
Here’s what the experts say<br />
John Ross, managing consultant for <strong>Pagan</strong><br />
<strong>Osborne</strong> Independent Financial Advisers, says:<br />
"Whilst planning for retirement is prudent, the big<br />
question Mike needs to ask himself is what if he<br />
loses his income through illness or even death? It<br />
is not just a case of taking out an ‘insurance<br />
policy’, but making sure his future family<br />
aspirations are protected if such an event<br />
happens.<br />
"It is necessary that Mike reviews his current<br />
provision to ensure that should such incidents<br />
arise, his family will at least have no financial<br />
worries and their future plans can continue as<br />
hoped. Therefore, various contracts, such as term<br />
assurance and critical illness cover must be<br />
considered.<br />
"Also, Mike’s future retirement income could<br />
be at risk if his current income is lost, so it is<br />
important that he thinks about income protection<br />
as well to enable him to continue to contribute to<br />
his pension."<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: John Ross<br />
jross@pagan.co.uk<br />
Lindsay Fraser, head of St Andrews Asset<br />
Managers, part of <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>, suggests:<br />
"Mike has a number of investments and looks to<br />
have taken the right route in terms of<br />
diversification as he has a very balanced portfolio.<br />
He has the right balance between ‘risky’ and<br />
‘non-risky’ assets in that he needs the capital<br />
growth from the risky ones to keep up with<br />
school fee inflation, plus some stability and<br />
flexibility to allow for unexpected events.<br />
"In terms of what Mike can do to see his<br />
finances work more effectively, he needs to sit<br />
down now with a wealth management specialist<br />
and agree a cashflow projection covering<br />
expected income versus expenditure that will<br />
allow him to plan the next 16 years with<br />
confidence. It would also be worth reviewing<br />
his overall financial position to make sure he’s<br />
contributing the right amount to his pension."<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: Lindsay Fraser<br />
lfraser@pagan.co.uk<br />
Anona Simpson-Greig, solicitor at <strong>Pagan</strong><br />
<strong>Osborne</strong>, suggests Mike could use trusts as a<br />
way of paying for the children’s education. "The<br />
secret to planning for school fees is to start as<br />
early as possible," she says. "And Mike is in a<br />
good position as he is already considering how<br />
he will fund his sons’ education and has<br />
established various strategies already.<br />
"One option is to speak to the grandparents.<br />
They are often seeking to minimise their<br />
Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill and it can therefore be<br />
useful for them to help with school fees by setting<br />
up a Discretionary Trust for the benefit of the<br />
grandchildren. Money can be added into the<br />
Trust and this will be tax free as long as the sum<br />
is less than the Nil Rate Band (NRB) for IHT which<br />
is currently £300,000. The funds will grow over a<br />
period of time and the fund can be used to pay<br />
the school fees. As long as the value of the Trust<br />
remains under the NRB, then no Inheritance Tax<br />
will be due. This also offers the benefit of<br />
transferring the tax liability on future income and<br />
Capital Gains Tax to the children to utilise their<br />
own personal annual allowances."<br />
Looking for more information?<br />
Contact: Anona Simpson-Greig<br />
asimpson-greig@pagan.co.uk<br />
temp<br />
1SSUE ONE 11
A Week in the Life of…<br />
The countdown<br />
is on!<br />
Not only am I an associate at <strong>Pagan</strong><br />
<strong>Osborne</strong> in the Trusts & Charities Team<br />
based between Edinburgh and Cupar – I<br />
am also trying to organise my wedding.<br />
Welcome to the diary of a very manic<br />
Anona Simpson-Greig<br />
(aka FMG, the Future Mrs Gow!).<br />
Monday<br />
Wedding panic attacks, 0; Calls from<br />
Mother, 8; Client Meetings,1<br />
After a blissful weekend hunting for wedding<br />
dresses all over Scotland, I am now<br />
concentrating on drafting a complex but<br />
interesting Charitable Trust for an elderly client.<br />
I met her this morning. I am so glad she’s<br />
doing this because she would really like her<br />
estate to make a difference and this way she<br />
12<br />
will be remembered and her good works will<br />
continue. I’m also swamped with dealing with<br />
weekend mail and telephone messages but it all<br />
gets done. I mean to start this week as I intend<br />
to continue: with no wedding panics at all and<br />
being thoroughly organised.<br />
Tuesday<br />
Wedding panic attacks, 2; Calls from Mother, 5;<br />
Client Meetings, 3<br />
Disaster – invitations and orders of service were<br />
due to arrive today and they haven’t – panic<br />
attack number 1. Second attack followed rather<br />
quickly when I realised that the candles I bought<br />
for the table centre pieces don’t fit the candle<br />
sticks – why would this happen?<br />
I had various client meetings today to discuss<br />
Inheritance Tax planning and setting up Trusts.<br />
Met with two very different sets of clients, but<br />
who, nonetheless, want the same peace of mind.<br />
In the afternoon I met with new clients to discuss<br />
their Wills and Powers of Attorney and now have<br />
instructions to draft Deeds which will complement<br />
the family’s wishes. It’s a practical step that I know<br />
they found hard, but worthwhile. I try to<br />
encourage them that this should be reviewed<br />
every five years.<br />
Excellent end to a day which began badly!<br />
Wednesday<br />
Wedding panic attacks, 0; Calls from Mother,<br />
0; (Mother with friends all day so no access to<br />
telephone – hooray!!); Client Meetings,0<br />
Out at an Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator<br />
seminar all day discussing the merit of and how<br />
best to re-organise smaller charities to make them<br />
more cost effective and easier to deal with. This is<br />
a particularly salient subject for <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>,<br />
rgh until 28th October 2007<br />
as it applies to some of our Charitable Trusts.<br />
Charities which were established several hundred<br />
years ago are often based round an outdated idea,<br />
which also may not be applicable to society now.<br />
Sometimes, these Trusts only hold a small amount<br />
of funds and therefore cannot bear the costs of<br />
administration. If these charities, however, are<br />
re-organised and amalgamated together, then the<br />
cost of administration can be shared.<br />
Thursday<br />
Wedding panic attacks, 1; Calls from Mother, 4;<br />
Client Meetings, 2<br />
Trauma, trauma, trauma – the marquee company<br />
will not return my calls which is so frustrating as I<br />
have a list of questions to go over with them. The<br />
Big Day is rapidly approaching.<br />
Determined not to be so inaccessible with my<br />
own clients, I pick up the phone to discuss Deeds<br />
of Variation as a good instrument of Inheritance<br />
Tax planning. My appointment at the end of the<br />
day was a fairly lengthy meeting with the Trustees<br />
of a Charitable Trust that I manage. This meeting<br />
went very well and good progress was made.<br />
Friday<br />
Wedding panic attacks, 3; Calls from Mother, 7;<br />
Client Meetings, 1<br />
I end the week on a bright note, I finished and sent<br />
out a draft Charitable Trust for approval and met a<br />
family this afternoon to discuss their family’s Trusts<br />
in light of the changes the Finance Act 2006<br />
introduced - keeping everything up-to-date.<br />
But its Friday and the weekend mayhem is<br />
about to begin. The schedule is all organised and all<br />
I have to worry about is the seemingly endless<br />
length of time it takes to make a wedding dress!<br />
t<br />
isit <strong>Picasso</strong>: Fired with Passion at the<br />
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street,<br />
Edinburgh until 28th October 2007
We’re with you every step of the way<br />
Providing choices in life
To find out more contact any one of <strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong>’s offices<br />
Edinburgh<br />
55-56 Queen Street<br />
Edinburgh<br />
EH2 3PA<br />
Tel: 0131 226 4081<br />
Fax: 0131 220 1612<br />
Cupar<br />
12 St. Catherine Street<br />
Cupar<br />
Fife<br />
KY15 4HH<br />
Tel: 01334 653777<br />
Fax: 01334 655063<br />
St Andrews<br />
106 South Street<br />
St. Andrews<br />
Fife<br />
KY16 9QD<br />
Tel: 01334 475001<br />
Fax: 01334 476322<br />
Anstruther<br />
5a Shore Street<br />
Anstruther<br />
Fife<br />
KY10 3EA<br />
Tel: 01333 310703<br />
Fax: 01333 311918<br />
Or, visit our website at:<br />
www.paganosborne.com<br />
<strong>Pagan</strong> <strong>Osborne</strong> is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.