Ben Salisbury

The good news is life begins at forty. The bad news is once you reach that milestone, you could struggle to get a mortgage. That's what many prospective home-buyers have reported, believing age was a factor in their failed mortgage applications. Here's why it has become an issue in recent years and what you can do about it. Why banks are reluctant to give mortgages to the over 40s According to research carried out by Nottingham Building Society, 25 per cent of those turned down for a mortgage said it was because they weren't allowed to borrow for a long enough period or that they or their partner were deemed too old. So why would banks be reluctant to turn away older borrowers?

It's known colloquially as the death tax, and for good reason. Inheritance tax - the bane of modern life - dates back to 1894 when the Government introduced estate duty (a tax on the capital value of land) in a bid to raise money to pay off a multi-million pound deficit. Its 21st century incarnation includes a tax on property, money and other assets of someone who has passed away. The thing about inheritance tax (IHT) is this: no one really understands it, and the complexity is not helped by the Government's constant tinkering around the edges. Put simply, everyone has a tax-free allowance, known as the ‘nil rate band’. The tax-free threshold for the current 2016-17 tax year is £325,000 where it has been since 2009.

Imagine in later years being able to move to your ideal village, a bespoke village, which has everything you want for a great quality of life. So, just a stone's throw from your front door, there's a swimming pool, gym, top-class restaurants, hairdresser, golf course, cinema, green spaces and a 24-hour concierge service. Your typical UK retirement village may not be able to offer this complete list of attractions just yet, but some already come close. This is one reason why retirement villages in the UK have seen a boom in popularity in recent years. Yet, all this can come at some considerable financial cost. So are retirement properties really everything they promise? We look at some of the pros and cons of village life. What is a retirement village?