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Do you know what would happen to your money, property and possessions if you died without making a will? For most of us, writing will content isn’t high on our list of priorities. But if you knew what could happen when you die without making a will, you would realise that it could be one of the most important things you ever do.

Dying without leaving a will – which is known as dying intestate – has some very serious consequences, which all too often, people are unaware of. The intestacy laws which exist in the UK determine what happens to a person’s estate when they die intestate. These are strict rules which dictate who may inherit from a person in the absence of a will. And they may not operate in quite the way you assume they would.

The rules on who can inherit from you if you die without leaving a will, all depend on your marital status. What applies to a single person, doesn’t apply to a married person, and doesn’t also apply to those who are in a relationship, but not married. The following is what happens to your estate when you die without a will:

Some things you should know about intestacy

When you die without leaving a will behind, the only thing you can be guaranteed is that the laws of intestacy take effect. Intestacy just means you died without making a will.

Under the rules of intestacy, it is usually only a spouse who can inherit from you. If you do not have a spouse at the time of your death, then children, parents, siblings and a few other relatives are entitled to your money but the order in which they inherit is strictly determined by law, and is laid out below. If no surviving relatives can be found, including distant relatives, the government takes possession of your estate.

Whilst under the laws of intestacy your property might be shared to your relatives, it might not be in the way you would have done it, or to relatives you would not have chosen. It’s important to understand how the law would divide up your estate if you were to die without making a will. It is also especially important to understand how dying intestate affects a surviving partner if you are in a relationship, but not married.

Here are some of the most common scenarios:

INTESTACY AS A SINGLE, UNMARRIED PERSON

If you are unmarried and have no children, your money is automatically given to your parents, if they survive you, along with all of your property. In cases where both of your parents are no longer alive at the time of your death, your siblings are next in line to receive the proceeds of your estate. This also includes any half-siblings.

The money or property will be divided among them in equal parts, no matter how many beneficiaries there are. If you are not survived by parents, siblings or children of your siblings, then your mother’s closest relatives get half of the money or property, while the closest surviving relatives from your father’s side get the other half.

The last condition to this is that if you die and are survived by children, then the entirety of your money and estate goes to your children. All will have an equal share of your money and property. If they are no longer alive, then your inheritance would be passed to any surviving children that they had (your grandchildren). If you had two or more children, and one dies before you, and that child has a child or children, then the children of your child, as well as your other surviving children get the money, divided equally between them.

INTESTACY AS A MARRIED PERSON

Married partners or civil partners inherit everything you leave under the rules of intestacy, if your estate is worth up to £250,000. Note however that this only applies if you were actually married or in a civil partnership at the time of death. That means that divorced ex-partners have no rights to inherit from you under the rules of intestacy.

If however, there are surviving children and your estate is valued at more than £250,000, then your spouse or civil partner will inherit the first £250,000 of your estate, and all of your personal property and possessions, and half of the value of the remaining estate. The other half of your remaining estate after the first £250,000 has been taken out, goes to your children, divided equally between them.

INTESTACY FOR AN UNMARRIED PERSON IN A RELATIONSHIP

Most of the laws of intestacy have no provision for those who are unmarried, no matter how long they have been together, and no matter whether they have children together or not.

It should be noted however, that in the case of jointly-owned property, if both partners owned property or a bank account together then the remaining partner would automatically become the sole owner of the home or money that was previously jointly owned.

Despite this, it can be particularly distressing and heartbreaking for grieving partners to discover that they have no share or access to their partner’s money or possessions, when it is too late to do anything about it.

Writing a will is the easiest way to prevent this circumstance from occurring. Writing a will allows you to name whoever you like to inherit from you and ensure that your loved ones are taken care of after your death in the way you would like.

The importance of having a will cannot be understated. It allows you to take control of your estate and ensure that those you most wish to benefit from your estate after your death will be able to do so, without having to fight for it in the courts. Making a will is easy and needn’t cost a lot of money. Seek advice from a solicitor or professional will writing service if you don’t feel confident drafting your own will, as they are the experts when it comes to ensuring your final wishes become legally binding.

No matter what kind of business you run or which industry you operate in, there are always opportunities for you to save money. But for too many businesses, saving money quickly becomes a punishment game where employees and middle management shoulder the blame for systemic weaknesses in the way a business operates. Reducing costs and maximizing profitability should always be a concern for a modern business.

Here are some simple ways that you and your business can reduce your expenditures and ensure that you are keeping as much of what you earn as you can.

Get Smart With Your Marketing

A common mistake made by many businesses is to think that their marketing is a problem best solved by throwing enough money at it. In fact, you can utilize many of the most effective marketing methods out there without having a huge amount of money to spend on it.

Viral content, for example, can explode in popularity and become self-sustaining. If many of the viewers of your marketing are then showing it to their friends, they are doing your job for you. The best part is that you only need to pay for the creation of the initial content. Your audience will do the rest.

Always Be Cutting

No matter what your business is or how much of a stickler you are for efficiency, we can all but guarantee that there are some cost-cutting measures that you could take. Even small savings add up over time, so always be on the lookout for cost-cutting opportunities.

When you need new supplies, small or large, make sure that you shop around for options. For example, if you are renovating or upgrading part of your business and need some more space, it often makes more sense to use steel buildings, rather than renting expensive real estate. Through businesses like Armstrong Steel, you can buy prefabricated steel versions of most buildings. You can look here for more information about the buildings they offer and how much they will cost per square foot.

Reconsider Your Real Estate

This one very much depends on the kind of business you are in, but some people have little choice about where they work. However, for many people, a change in location can mean some pretty significant savings.

If you run a retail business or a business where the customers come to your premises, you will obviously need to think carefully before making any drastic decisions. But, regardless of the business you run, don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is something beyond your control – it rarely is.

Once you start looking for ways of reducing your overheads and cutting costs, you may well find yourself going from thinking that your business is already operating efficiently to having a whole binder full of potential new cost-cutting measures. Don’t just make this a one-off thing that you do in response to unfavorable financial conditions. Instead, make cost-cutting a core component of your corporate ethos and encourage workers at all levels of your business to get involved.

Owning a home is one of the biggest dreams of almost every adult, especially when they have a family. Mortgage arrangements come in handy to make this desire a reality. Nevertheless, homeowners are left with another big question on their minds: What strategies can I employ to pay off my mortgage as quickly as possible? Well, it is natural to want to be free of any debt commitments, and to know that you own your home and that no one has a claim on it. This is because owning a home will allow you to work on other financial goals, like saving for retirement, saving for your children’s education, and so on.

Paying off your mortgage in a shorter period is not too difficult or unachievable, but it calls for slight adjustments in your payment plan, or changing a few things in your mortgage terms. Here are some things you can do:

Increase the frequency of your regular repayments

The normal terms are monthly payments, but you can choose bi-weekly or weekly payments. Such an arrangement will significantly enable you to save on interest and it will set you free from mortgage sooner than if you only do it monthly. The goal is to make more monthly payments each year without realizing it.

Go for the shortest amortization period and the biggest repayment amount you can afford

Opting for a larger monthly payment, which means it will be paid off quicker, will cause you to consider it as a budget item, thereby shaving several years off your mortgage. While still clearing out your mortgage, a good and consistent mortgage repayment history will enhance your credit score, because mortgage is one of the trade lines (credit accounts) that contributes to your score. You can work with experts to boost your credit score to access more credit at better rates. You need not look further than https://www.boostcredit101.com/ to boost your score and find more advice.

Increase your monthly payment amount when possible

If you have had a mortgage for some time, you have most likely set a plan to make uniform payments each month. It is time you consider increasing the amount, if you can manage. Additionally, if you have experienced an increase in your income, be it from a new job, a pay raise, or any other source, it would be prudent to increase your mortgage payment with the increased income.

Pay lump sum amounts

Mortgage arrangements come with some privileges or additional options that the borrower can use to their advantage. For example, any chance to make lump sum payments should be utilized, especially an annual lump sum payment, against the mortgage. Based on the options you choose for your mortgage, you can pay amounts equal to 10%, 15%, or 20% of the initial principal figure of your mortgage at any time for each year of the mortgage term.

Diversify your mortgage

You need to weigh the various options and choose the mortgage arrangement that offers savings and flexibility.

Conclusion

It is such a relief to pay off your mortgage as fast as possible; thus, you need to work out how to save on other things and repay your mortgage in larger, more frequent payments. Also, you should do lump sum payments when possible.

Over the past few years, Liverpool has been hailed as a buy-to-let property gold mine. It has low initial costs compared to other UK cities and a growing demand for rental accommodation. Considerable investments from both the private and public sector have been boosting the city’s economy.

Liverpool’s affordable property prices are a huge draw for potential investors. With house prices in Liverpool considerably less than the UK average, developers and investors have been making the most of opportunities in the city. The average UK house price is £215,000 with the cost in Liverpool only £117,000. These low house prices allow investors to get far more for their money compared to other areas like London and Cambridge. Investors have been discovering that for the price of an apartment in London, they could by a couple of comparable quality properties in Liverpool. Prices of property in Liverpool are also on the rise. These increasing house prices are an excellent indicator for investors whose property is worth far more than they paid.

Liverpool has been attracting investors from around the world. With its strong trading history, famous football clubs, and of course, the Beatles, it’s definitely on people’s radar. Investors from the USA, to China to Saudi Arabia are all looking to this northern city as a possible location to expand their portfolio. Developers from overseas are also purchasing land in Liverpool, and working with the city to create new properties. A citywide targeted development strategy has improved areas of Liverpool that were once derelict or underdeveloped. This increased investment has been creating lucrative new opportunities for investors.

Buying off plan is another popular option with investors. Guaranteed rental yields mean that investors see income as soon as the development completes, without having to deal with tenants themselves. Access to new off plan developments is highly sought after, with plans for modern skyscrapers, apartment buildings and purpose-built student accommodation pending. The city’s borders are expanding. Unused land is being snapped up by developers for new projects around the city.

Liverpool has a high average rental yield, with some properties offering returns of up to 8%. This assured income from property is highly beneficial for investors who are generating income while their investment increases in value. It also allows investors to hold on to property, with rental income paying for the investment in years. Properties by RW Invest have rental yields of 7-8% on stunning luxury apartments in the city. High quality, modern apartments with options for furniture and high-end fittings are perfect for buy-to-let investors. Developments like Azure residence, with apartments from £94,950 and Tobacco Wharf with flats from £84,995 both, offer a generous 7% yield.

A recent study showed that 13.8 tenants were trying to get each new rental that becomes available. With such a competitive environment and so much demand, tenants are sometimes willing to spend a little bit more for a city location or a beautiful apartment. With buying their first home still unattainable for many young people. It was recently reported that 44% of private tenants were not expecting to buy in the long term. Improving job prospects are attracting more and more people to live in Liverpool city centre. These are often looking for rental accommodation that is close to the city centre or excellent transport links.

The increasing demand for rental properties and the option of long-term tenants are all factors in Liverpool’s reputation as a buy to let hotspot. With low prices, a growing economy and new developments continually popping up, Liverpool is continuing to attract savvy buy-to-let investors.

You dream of owning a great home to suit your taste and needs. However, this may have to cost you quite a lot of money. It therefore means that there will be alterations in your current spending or savings. Well, the way you will budget for a new home is dependent on several factors. It will depend on whether you are planning to own the first home, meaning you want to move from a rented house to your own home, or if you want to move from a first house to a dream home.

Whichever level you are at, there are several factors that will determine how much you budget for a new home. These factors include;

• Your earning– It could be your personal earning, or yours and that of your spouse if you plan to jointly buy a home.

• The Location of your home – Where exactly do you want to live? Some estates are more expensive than others.

• The size of your dream home- This may also include the size of the house as well as the land on which the house will sit on.

• How long you want to pay for it – If you want credit for a shorter time, then you may have to choose a cheaper home and vice versa.

After considering these factors, then it is time to come up with a real budget for your home. Remember that it is your own home, a treasure for yourself to take pride and find comfort in. Therefore, take time to budget for the best. Below are basic steps towards getting a perfect budget for your home:

1. Get informed

Be sure to visit a real estate and property development company, to get the available options in terms of different properties available in the market and their value as they have a better understanding.

2. Timing

Decide the exact day that you want to move to your new home. Do not wish for a particular time span when you want to move to the new home, say like in the next three months, but rather set a specified target date.

3. Calculate how much you can afford

Use a mortgage calculator to determine exactly how much you can afford to pay monthly.

If you are cost sharing a mortgage;

• Open a money market account or an alternative of a high-interest savings account. Ensure the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees your money.

• For every month, deposit the total money (two halves if you are two) to the savings account monthly. Deposit the money until the date for moving in is due. Spend the money to pay for your new home.

4. Reduce your spending

In order to do this, you need to be realistic by spending less than you earn. Make a plan and stick to it. For example, you may realize that you don’t need to live in that two bedroom apartment especially if you don’t have kids. Therefore moving to a one bedroom apartment may save up to around 30% of your expenses which you could channel towards home ownership.

5. Increase your earnings

While most people believe in spending less to save, I think working that extra job is a sure way of increasing your savings. Take up any money making opportunity that comes your way. You could also opt to get a second job as a side hustle to top up your main source of income.

Conclusion

To succeed in owning a new home, you may have to forego some expenses, however small they may seem. These may include your daily cup of coffee which may cost $5 but accumulates to $150 in a month.

As much as you are looking towards owning the best home, be careful so that you do not strain so much that you will have to compromise on basic needs such as food.

While owning a home may seem a hard process that requires a lot of sacrifices, at the end of the day, it is worth it, so go for it!