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https://sterlingandlaw-hampshire.co.uk/

Sterling & Law - Hampshire, 5a The Gardens, Fareham (2026)

12/03/2026

How inheritance tax could influence retirement planning

Inheritance tax may become a bigger consideration
for retirees in the coming years.

From April 2027, unused pension funds are expected to
be included within an estate for inheritance tax purposes.

That change could alter how some people think about retirement withdrawals.

For years, pensions were often left untouched for as long as possible.

That approach may not always make sense under the newer rules.

Some retirees may decide to draw from pensions earlier.
In certain cases, using wealth during retirement.

Others explore ways to protect what they plan to pass on.

One option sometimes considered is life insurance
written in trust, which could provide funds
to help beneficiaries meet a future
inheritance tax bill.

Arranging cover earlier in life may make premiums more manageable.

The key point is simple.

Retirement planning and estate planning are increasingly connected.

If you would like to discuss how these changes could affect your long-term plans, send us a message.

11/03/2026

Retirement planning today is often more of a coordination exercise than a single decision.

For many people, retirement income comes from several places built up over time. 📊

You might have:

Defined contribution pensions
A defined benefit entitlement
ISAs & scsh savings
Property investments
Stocks and shares

Each one works a little differently.

They’re taxed differently. 💷

They can also pass to the next
generation in different ways.

The order you draw from them can shape how long
assets last. It may also influence what
eventually passes to the family. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Pensions are a good example.

Some people leave them untouched because they
believe they sit completely outside inheritance tax.

That assumption may not always hold if the
anticipated changes to the rules go through.

Others draw heavily from pensions early on
without thinking about the estate implications later. 🧾

Retirement planning isn’t usually about
reacting to the latest financial headline. 📰

In many cases, it’s about creating flexibility across the assets
you already hold so they can work together over time.

Retirement is both a lifestyle change and a financial transition. Joined-up thinking can make a real difference. 🧠

If you’d like to talk through your retirement plans,
feel free to send us a message and connect with
Ian Batterbee or Laura Whitehead. 🤝 💡

10/03/2026

Retirement Planning for Business Owners

Business owners often face a different retirement equation.
Wealth may sit across several places at once.

ISAs.
Pensions.
Company reserves.
Investments & property.

And then there are the shares they own in your own business.

Each part can serve a role, yet they rarely operate in isolation.

Pensions have historically been viewed as tax-efficient for retirement income.

Business assets may also qualify for certain reliefs depending on ownership structure and legislation at the time.

Of course, as history shows us, the rules can change.

Relying too heavily on one provision remaining unchanged can introduce planning risk.

Exit timing, pension withdrawals and estate planning decisions usually work best when considered together.

Many owner-managers eventually discover their largest asset is not the business itself.

It is accumulated pension wealth.

On the other hand, it could be a portfolio of buy-to-lets.

Business owner?
Looking at your retirement?

Send us a message to talk to a specialist

08/03/2026

Celebrating the women of Sterling & Law - Hampshire

This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to recognise the women whose work, care and professionalism contribute so much across our practice.

Today, we’d like to place particular focus on Laura Whitehead, Laura Fox and Lauren Hudson.

Each brings a great deal to the business through the support they provide to our clients, colleagues, and the wider team.

We’re also proud to recognise the women across the whole of Sterling & Law Group plc, including Becky Guy, Bina, Hardip, Louise, Lorraine, Tajal, Jacqueline, Saba and Linda, whose contribution is equally valued across the wider group.

Financial planning is often built on trust, consistency and strong relationships over time.

That is why the people behind the business matter so much.

We’re grateful for everything these women bring to Sterling & Law - Hampshire and Sterling & Law Group plc.

06/03/2026

Understanding the different types of pensions (Short Guide)

Pensions come in several forms, and each works slightly differently.

Knowing how they fit together can help people make better sense of their long-term retirement planning.

1/ State Pension

Paid by the UK government once you reach State Pension age. The amount you receive usually depends on your National Insurance record.

2/ Workplace Pension

Arranged by an employer through automatic enrolment. Both the employee and employer contribute, and in many cases, this forms the foundation of retirement savings.

3/ Personal Pension

Set up privately by an individual. Contributions are flexible and tax relief may apply, which can make it a useful option for those wanting additional retirement savings.

4/ Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)

A type of personal pension that offers a wider range of investment choices. Often used by those who prefer more involvement in how their pension funds are invested.

5/ Defined Benefit Pension (Final Salary)

An older style workplace pension that provides a set income in retirement, usually linked to salary and years of service.

6/ Defined Contribution Pension

Now the most common type. Contributions are invested over time, and the retirement income depends on the value of the pension pot when accessed.

Different pension structures may serve different purposes over the course of a career. Understanding how they interact can often make retirement planning clearer.

If you would like to review your pension arrangements, it may help to discuss them with a professional adviser.

To get in touch, you can send us a message 👇

05/03/2026

Historically, pensions have often sat outside your estate for inheritance tax.

In many cases, that’s made them a neat way to pass wealth on, using beneficiary nominations rather than a Will.

That’s set to change. From 6 April 2027, the government plans to bring most unused pension funds and many pension death benefits into the IHT net.

So the “pensions are IHT-free” assumption may no longer hold for a lot of families.

This matters if you paid more into pensions after the Lifetime Allowance was scrapped (6 April 2024).

A larger pot might still be sensible for retirement, but it shouldn’t be treated as an IHT planning tool by default.

Need advice on your current or future inheritance tax position?

Connect with Ian Batterbee or Laura Whitehead DipPFS, to schedule a consultation.

03/03/2026

Five pensions. One retirement.

It’s common to reach your 50s and find pensions in several places.

A current workplace scheme.
One or two from previous employers.
Maybe a personal plan set up years ago.

Individually, they can look manageable.
Together, they’re often unclear.

Different charges.
Different investment approaches.
Different retirement dates.

Before considering any changes, it can help to understand:

• What each pot is worth

• What income might it support

• Whether guarantees exist

• How death benefits are set up

In many cases, consolidating pensions into a single arrangement can make retirement planning easier to manage.

It may reduce paperwork, simplify investment strategy and make income planning more straightforward.

That said, consolidation isn’t suitable for everyone.

Some pensions include guarantees or features that could be lost if transferred.

A regulated pension adviser can help assess those details, explain the trade-offs and ensure any decision aligns with your wider retirement plans.

Follow Sterling & Law - Hampshire for more measured guidance on retirement planning and pensions.

27/02/2026

What is the 7-year rule for inheritance tax planning?

The 7-year rule concerns gifts you make during your lifetime and how they are treated for inheritance tax.

In simple terms, if you live for seven years after making a gift, it will generally fall outside your estate for inheritance tax purposes.

However, if you die within those seven years, the gift may still be taken into account when calculating the value of your estate.

There is also a sliding scale known as taper relief.

Where applicable, this can reduce the amount of inheritance tax due on gifts made more than three years before death, although it does not remove the gift from consideration entirely.

Importantly, the rule tends to apply to larger gifts that exceed your available annual exemptions. By contrast, transfers between spouses or civil partners are usually exempt.

Because timing and records matter, keeping clear documentation of gifts is essential. Executors often rely on this information when dealing with HMRC.

While the 7-year rule can form part of inheritance tax planning, it works best when considered alongside your wider estate strategy.

Read the full article to understand how it works in detail: https://shorturl.at/e3Sof

Want clarity on your inheritance tax position?

Call us on 01328 550190, and we’ll guide you through the next steps.

26/02/2026

How do you reduce or avoid inheritance tax?

In short, inheritance tax can take 40% of the value above your available thresholds.

With property prices and asset values rising, more families are finding themselves exposed.

The good news is that there are legitimate planning strategies available if you act early.

Here are ten commonly used approaches:

1/Use your nil-rate bands fully

2/ Make use of annual gift allowances

3/ Consider larger lifetime gifts

4/ Gift surplus income

5/ Leave at least 10% to charity

6/ Use trusts strategically

7/ Invest in qualifying business relief assets

8/ Life insurance policies, written in trust

9/ Plan for property allowances carefully

10/ Review your estate regularly

There isn’t one magic fix.
Or any magic fix at all, for that matter.

In practice, it comes down to having a proper plan in place that suits your assets, your family and what you’re trying to achieve.

Inheritance tax planning is complex, and mistakes can be costly.

Professional advice is essential before taking action.

If you’re concerned about how inheritance tax could affect your family or your plans, send us a message.

Let’s talk through where we may be able to help 👇

25/02/2026

What is estate planning?

In summary, estate planning means deciding what should happen to your money, your home and your investments after you’ve gone.

At the same time, it prepares for life’s curveballs, illness, loss of capacity or the possibility of needing care later on.

In practice, that could involve writing a will, putting powers of attorney in place and thinking carefully about inheritance tax.

More importantly, it’s about reducing pressure on your family and avoiding tax bills that could have been planned for.

Read our guide to learn more: https://shorturl.at/VGrC1

If you’d like to get your estate properly organised, send us a message. 👇

We’ll talk through your situation and help you understand the options available.

24/02/2026

Trusts & inheritance tax planning

If you’re looking at reducing inheritance tax, trusts are often part of the
conversation.

Here are the key ones people come across:

Discounted Gift Trusts (DGTs)
Allows you to make a gift while retaining a regular income. A portion of the gift may be immediately outside your estate for IHT purposes, depending on health and age.

Flexible Reversionary Trusts (FRTs)
Enables you to set aside capital for beneficiaries, with the option for trust segments to revert to you at set points in the future.

Loan Trusts
You loan money into a trust rather than gifting it. The original loan remains in your estate, but any growth sits outside it.

Bare trusts
Assets belong to a named beneficiary outright.

Discretionary trusts
Trustees decide how and when beneficiaries receive funds.

Interest in possession trusts
One beneficiary receives income, while capital passes to others later.

Gift & loan trusts
A hybrid structure combining elements of gifting and lending.

Business property trusts
Often used alongside qualifying business relief assets.

Life insurance (written in trust)
Policies written in trust to keep payouts outside your estate.

Trusts can be solid tools when used correctly.

They can also be complex financial instruments with tax implications if structured poorly.

Professional advice is essential before putting any trust in place.

Think you may be impacted by inheritance tax in the future?

The earlier you start planning, the more options you may have.

If you’d like to understand where you stand and what options may be available, send us a message and let’s start the conversation.

23/02/2026

Inheritance tax in 2026/27: Thresholds & rates

Most people are unsure when inheritance tax actually applies.

£325,000 nil-rate band (NRB)
Every individual can pass on up to £325,000 tax-free.

£175,000 residence nil-rate band (RNRB)
An additional allowance when your main home is left to direct descendants.

Up to £500,000 per person
Combined total of the NRB and RNRB.

Up to £1 million for couples
Unused allowances can transfer to a surviving spouse or civil partner.

40% inheritance tax rate
Charged on the portion of an estate above the available thresholds.

36% reduced rate
Applies if at least 10% of the estate is left to charity.

£2 million taper threshold
The residence allowance is reduced by £1 for every £2 the estate exceeds £2 million.

Thresholds frozen until April 2031
With property and asset growth, more families are being drawn into scope.

If your home and investments have grown over time, you may already be closer to these limits than you think.

It's important to note that inheritance tax is governed by detailed rules and exceptions. The points above are simply a summary of the main thresholds and principles.

If you’re concerned about how this tax could affect your beneficiaries, it’s sensible to speak with a specialist inheritance tax planning firm.

The team at Sterling & Law - Hampshire is on hand to help.

Send us a message to speak with an experienced, specialist inheritance tax planner 👇

Sterling & Law - Hampshire

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