Herald - Issue 411

Page 54 • The HERALD • 26th August 2021 v EMAIL: editor@herald-publishing.co.uk v Helen Sparks Mortgages & Financial Services Offering professional advice since 1985 Mortgages Residential Life Time Equity Release Buy to Let – first time landlords Property Portfolios Help to Buy Insurance Buildings & Contents Insurance Life Assurance Critical Illness Income Protection Private Medical Insurance YOUR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS This firm usually charges a fee for mortgage advice. The amount of the fee will depend upon your circumstances and will be discussed and agreed with you at the earliest opportunity. Some forms of buy to let mortgage are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. 023 8084 4108 helensparks@btconnect.com Helen Goodall T/A Helen Sparks Mortgages & Financial Services is an appointed representative of PRIMIS Mortgage Network, a trading name of First Complete Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority BRYANT & CO Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers We provide a wide range of accounting and business services to individuals, partnerships and limited companies. We specialise in working with family owned businesses, providing guidance and advice as appropriate. Our services include: • Annual Accounts • Bookkeeping • VAT • Payroll and CIS • Personal and Corporate Tax Returns • Management Accounts • Business Advice • We also provide training on the use of Sage and Quickbooks, and the implementation of computerised and manual accounting systems. • Meetings can be arranged to suit your needs, including evenings and weekends if more convenient to you. • The initial meeting is free of charge, regardless of the length of time, as we believe it is important to develop a good working relationship from the outset. • All fees are agreed in advance of any work being undertaken. Please call Peter or Lisa on 023 8089 4982 to arrange a meeting to discuss your business needs. You can also contact Peter on 07976 808969, or email us at info@bryantandcompany.co.uk Have a look at our website www.bryantandcompany.co.uk for a fuller understanding of our business. Building Plans & Estimating Building Plans for Planning & Building Regulation approval Builders Estimating Service Free initial meeting and estimate CAD drawings produced on latest software Please call Bob on 07795 692060 Email abbott.bob@sky.com ASK A PROFESSIONAL Inheritance Tax Advice Boom Research from e Openwork Partnership, one of the UK’s largest and longest established nancial advice and investment networks, shows advisers are expecting a boom in demand for advice on Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning. e top ve reasons for the increase in those seeking advice on inheritance planning include greater awareness of the impact of IHT (56%), advisers proactively discussing it with their clients (47%), rising property prices (43%), pensions being more attractive as a way of passing on wealth (41%) and COVID- 19 increasing interest in nancial reviews (25%). e average age people seek IHT advice from a professional is 62-years old - however a quarter (25%) of advisers have seen an increase in the number of families visiting them for advice in the last 12 months. Mike Morrow, Chief Commercial Officer at The Openwork Partnership, said: “ Inheritance tax has so Action Fraud has received over 700 reports from members of the public about fake emails purporting to be from the NHS. e emails claim to be able to provide people with a “digital passport” that “proves you have been vaccinated against COVID-19”. These emails are fake, and the links within them lead to genuine-looking websites that steal your personal and nancial information. How to protect yourself: In the UK, Coronavirus vaccines will only be available via the National Health Services of England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, a GP surgery or pharmacy local to you, to receive your vaccine. Remember, the vaccine is free of charge. At no point will you be asked to pay. • e NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details. • e NHS will never ask you for your PIN or banking passwords. • e NHS will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine. • e NHS will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips. • Your vaccination status can be obtained for free through the o cial NHS app, NHS website, or by calling the NHS on 119. How to report scams: If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you are suspicious about an email you have received, you can report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk Suspicious text messages can also be reported by forwarding them to the number: 7726 (it’s free of charge). If you believe you are the victim of a fraud, please report this to Action Fraud as soon as possible by calling: 0300 123 2040 or visiting: www.actionfraud.police. uk. ALERT - VACCINE PASSPORT SCAMS Information from Action Fraud many different elements to it; it can often be overwhelming and difficult to know what the best options are for you. The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged many to reassess their finances and ensure everything is as it should be. It’s good to see more people enlisting the help of a professional and parents bringing their family along to start the adviser process early”.