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If you’re a parent you should have a Will
Wills are essentially about stating what you want to happen with your property in the event of your death. You may never have thought of your children as your property, but you do need to think about what will happen to them in the event of your death. Here are some...
Are we taking care of the vulnerable?
Who is vulnerable? At an individual level, we might all come up with different answers to that question (although there might be a lot of overlap between them). The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), however, has a very specific definition of the term: “Someone who,...
The Cost of Raising a Child
We all know raising a child can be expensive. Some research has shown, the cost of raising a child to age 18 in the UK looks to vary dependant on whether it’s a girl or boy, with boys coming in at £79,176 and girls a staggering £108,884. As a parent you are committed...
Losing Sight Of Everyday Threats Could Put Your Business At Risk
You probably have a strong idea of the short-term focus and needs of the company. But what about the longer term? It is important to not lose sight of the ongoing threats to your business – threats that could have an impact as severe as any market downturn. Protecting...
Achieving your financial goals
We lead complex lives in an increasingly complex world. As financial planning experts we can help you better understand your financial challenges, goals and needs, and help you find appropriate ways to meet them. Even a seemingly straightforward financial goal can...
A Matter Of Trusts
Taking out a life insurance policy gives you valuable peace of mind: you know you’ve protected your family against financial hardship, should the worst happen. But how can you make sure your policy will pay out quickly, to those who’ll need it most, if you died...
The new £1m Inheritance Tax allowance
In the wake of the 2015 General Election, the Conservative Party confirmed it would deliver on its Manifesto promise that parents could pass their property up to the value of £1m to their children free of Inheritance Tax, thanks to a new ‘family home allowance’. The...
Who Should Inherit Your Wealth?
Wills are for anybody with assets who love someone or something more than they love the government. This includes young people, who, sadly, can die unexpectedly. The simple fact of the matter is that we come into this world with nothing and what we accumulate in this...
Choosing The Right Type Of Cover To Protect You And Your Family Is Important
Act now to ensure you remain protected Making sure you and your family are financially protected should something unexpected happen is one of the most valuable things you can do and will help you avoid a financial crisis. So what type of cover is right for you? Term...
The Cost of Raising a Child
We all know raising a child can be expensive. Some research has shown, the cost of raising a child to age 18 in the UK looks to vary dependant on whether it’s a girl or boy, with boys coming in at £79,176 and girls a staggering £108,884. As a parent you are committed...
Losing Sight Of Everyday Threats Could Put Your Business At Risk
You probably have a strong idea of the short-term focus and needs of the company. But what about the longer term? It is important to not lose sight of the ongoing threats to your business – threats that could have an impact as severe as any market downturn. Protecting...
If Your Business Lost A Shareholding Director, Would It Survive?
Have you ever thought of what might happen if one of your directors, who is also a shareholder in your business, dies or becomes critically ill? Of course, you’d miss their presence, as well as their experience and expertise. But do you know what would happen to their...
Why you should get mortgage advice
Taking out a mortgage could be one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll need to make in life, so it’s important to get it right. You could ‘go direct’ to find the right mortgage for your circumstances – as long as you’re prepared to spend time and effort scouring...
My journey as a first-time buyer
Being a First Time Buyer was daunting to start with, but once I got in touch with an Openwork Adviser, they settled all my nerves and made the process of buying a place to call home incredibly easy. The big decision Before I could look at houses and house prices, I...
Are you at the end of your deal?
When your current mortgage deal comes to an end you might be tempted to do nothing and simply move on to your lender’s Standard Variable Rate (SVR). However, by doing so you could risk your mortgage rate more than doubling. According to Moneyfacts, fixed mortgage...
Need help to buy?
Do you aspire to own a new-build home? Are you looking to move home, but lack sufficient funds to afford the repayments on a low-deposit mortgage? You may find it easier to join, or move up the property ladder, thanks to the government-backed Help to Buy scheme. There...
Crystallising Your Pension Plan
The extra freedom granted by the pension changes introduced in April 2015 is good news for all pension savers. However, the increased options could lead to many people making the wrong decisions and paying unnecessary tax, making professional financial advice all the...
Take advantage of a ‘free’ pay rise
You might think pensions are too complicated and you don’t understand them, but the fact is they are a crucial, tax-efficient savings vehicle that can help give enough money to live on in your retirement. Worryingly though, only two-thirds of UK adults are currently...
How much can I pay into my pension?
A pension is a tax-efficient, long-term savings plan that you contribute to during your working life to provide an income when you stop work. You can benefit from tax relief on the contributions you pay in and your pension pot has the potential to grow. At the moment...
Making the most of your pension savings
Thanks to there being no major changes announced to pensions in the October 2018 Budget you can continue to pay into your pension over the next 12 months without any surprises to knock you off track. This does, however, present a great time for you to review your...
Crystallising Your Pension Plan
The extra freedom granted by the pension changes introduced in April 2015 is good news for all pension savers. However, the increased options could lead to many people making the wrong decisions and paying unnecessary tax, making professional financial advice all the...
Take advantage of a ‘free’ pay rise
You might think pensions are too complicated and you don’t understand them, but the fact is they are a crucial, tax-efficient savings vehicle that can help give enough money to live on in your retirement. Worryingly though, only two-thirds of UK adults are currently...
How much can I pay into my pension?
A pension is a tax-efficient, long-term savings plan that you contribute to during your working life to provide an income when you stop work. You can benefit from tax relief on the contributions you pay in and your pension pot has the potential to grow. At the moment...
Making the most of your pension savings
Thanks to there being no major changes announced to pensions in the October 2018 Budget you can continue to pay into your pension over the next 12 months without any surprises to knock you off track. This does, however, present a great time for you to review your...
Why are equities volatile?
The more experienced investors among us will know that investing in equities involves a more volatile journey than some other asset classes, such as fixed income. What causes this volatility? When you invest in a bond, you are effectively lending money to the issuer,...
A global approach to asset allocation
Asset allocation is one of the key tools in our investment proposition to help strike the right balance between risk and reward in your portfolio. It applies to asset classes, such as equities, bonds and cash, and different global regions. The actively-managed Omnis...
All about ISAs
In the 2019/20 tax year, you can save up to £20,000 tax-free in an Individual Savings Account (ISA), and when it comes to your ISA investment, you have a number of options. Investors comfortable with the slightly higher risk Peer to Peer lending can also now invest in...
How a trust can help your financial planning
Writing a policy in Trust could be perceived as something that only the wealthy require, but the reality is Trusts can play an important part in financial planning for people from all walks of life. When it comes to planning your family’s financial future it makes...
What’s the point of a property survey?
You're not bound by law to have a survey done on a property you're buying, but while it may feel like an unnecessary expense given all the other costs involved in homebuying, it could actually save money and stress in the longer-term. A survey is basically a health...
Protection in trust
Taking out a Life Insurance policy gives you valuable peace of mind; you know you’ve helped protect your family against financial hardship, should the worst happen. But how can you make sure your policy will pay out quickly, to those who’ll need it most, if you...
Are you thinking of downsizing?
According to a survey by Lloyds Bank, 45 per cent of empty nesters have no plans to downsize, despite the potential windfall moving to a smaller place could create. For these empty nesters then, life seems pretty comfortable, but their new-found wellbeing could be at...
The New Financial Year
The 2018/19 tax year starts at the stroke of midnight between the 5th and 6th of April. While many individuals leave tax planning to the end of the tax year, you can look to maximise the benefits by using your personal tax allowances* and reliefs straight away. ...
