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Help!Need some advice

Options
I have about £40-£50K in a variety of forms. I would like to consolidate into the best tax free savings account. I am a high rate tax payer and my wife is a 22% rate tax payer. I was considering National Savings options. Any other ideas? I don't need quick access.

thanks
Would like to say someting smart or funny here...but the fear of failure is too great

Comments

  • Put it into a joint account.
    Notify the inland revenue , Form R17, that 99% is your wifes and 1% is yours. This is OK legally.
    ...............................I have put my clock back....... Kcolc ym
  • Thanks....do you mean a normal high yield, long term savings account?
    Would like to say someting smart or funny here...but the fear of failure is too great
  • Shinds
    Shinds Posts: 449 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Egg and Bradford & Bingley are offering very good rates on their Savings Accounts at the mo... about 5.5%
  • johnllew
    johnllew Posts: 1,928 Forumite
    Put it into a joint account.
    Notify the inland revenue , Form R17, that 99% is your wifes and 1% is yours.  This is OK legally.
    It might be easier just to invest it in accounts in your wife's name; that is if you trust her not to run off with it.

    As you're intersted in tax-free accounts, I assume you've both already used up your Mini-Cash ISA allowance for the year?
  • Thanks...I checked with the Inland Revenue and it seems the R17 option is no longer available since independent taxation came in. Seems that if its a joint acoount it is considered 50/50.
    Would like to say someting smart or funny here...but the fear of failure is too great
  • Rafter
    Rafter Posts: 3,850 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    If you don't want to risk your money on stock ISAs you are limited to £3k each in cash ISAs in any 12 month period ending 5 April.

    Probably your best bed to invest some of it in National Savings Certificates which are also tax free. Some in your name, some in hers. You have a choice of index linked or fixed rates and given the tax benefit the rates aren't too bad.

    You won't in the short term be able to get everything in one place tax free unfortunately.

    Given the inland revenue ruling on joint accounts put any savings you are going to have to pay tax on in your wifes name to minimise your bill.

    For that much money, I would consider using a low cost index tracker for at least some of it. You would be taking a risk with your capital, but over the longer term the return from share based investments has considerably beaten the return on savings accounts.

    Good luck.

    R.

    PS. If you have a mortgage, you might get an even better return paying a chunk off that and paying of your home loan earlier. Just a thought, if you don't need £40-£50k for anything now.

    You could also get an offset mortgage and effectively earn around 5% tax free through offsetting your savings against the mortgage balance and only paying interest on the difference.
    Smile :), it makes people wonder what you have been up to.
  • Thanks, great site as a newcomer. I think I'll split between National Savings in my name, tax free, and the rest in the Mrs's in B&B 5.5% interest. Maybe one of these days our confidence in the stock market will allow us to be more courageous.
    Would like to say someting smart or funny here...but the fear of failure is too great
  • One man's courageousness is another man's foolhardiness.
    ...............................I have put my clock back....... Kcolc ym
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