Summer 2025 Newsletter

The phrase ‘feel the heat’ could be applied both to the weather so far this summer and domestic and global politics. Following the Chancellor’s Spending Review on 11 June, the pressure is on the government to fund its investment commitments within its own financial rules. Meanwhile, developments on the world stage continue to concern and influence short- and long-term decision making.

One area of life that affects us all is ensuring we have made adequate provision for when we stop work. The Work and Pensions Committee reported on the success of employer auto enrolment pension arrangements in 2024 but concluded that contribution levels are too low to match individuals’ expectations for retirement. Our feature in this edition of the newsletter considers strategies for sustainable pension investment, whatever your stage of life. It is never too late, or too early, to make a difference to your pension fund.

There’s now just under a year until HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) programme starts to become mandatory for some taxpayers. The project to automate tax reporting should reduce opportunities for errors and omissions in business receipts and tax calculations. From April 2026 the self-employed and landlords with qualifying income over £50,000 will need to have MTD-compliant software for reporting their finances, so if you if you are likely to affected, now is the time make sure you know what is required in the new regime.

Our other stories in this edition include:

• The lessons of ‘Liberation Day’ – President Trump’s power to affect the stock market by announcing erratic policy measures may appear to create opportunities for quick financial gains, but ultimately the markets recover and investors could lose out trying to predict how fast that will happen.
• Funding for long-term care – An independent commission on long-term care will report initial findings in 2026, but nothing will be due for implementation until 2036, leaving another generation to fund their own personal care costs.
• Wedding bells and wedding bills – The number of couples saying ‘I do’ has bounced back strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic, despite a significant rise in the costs of a wedding or civil ceremony. If you are planning to help pay for your child’s big day, consider starting to save as early as possible.

Download the newsletter here.

Get in touch

Heidi Tresadern is Wealth Planning Director at Benchmark Financial Planning, Maidstone. Heidi has over 30 years’ experience and supports all needs from starting out and building wealth, to wealth preservation for future generations and use of assets to fund long term care.

Please visit our contact page to speak with Heidi and the team.

Approved by Best Practice IFA Group Ltd on 13/06/2025.