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Don’t slip up this winter
Winter is here, and with winter comes unexpected weather patterns and more time spent in the home. Both can lead to an increase in accidents, and accidents for you or children can lead to time off work or loss of income. Outside risks It's not only the obvious factors...
What does the election mean for your finances?
Regardless of your views on politics in general and Brexit in particular, it’s hopefully something of a relief that we now know what is likely to happen with the former (in general terms if not, yet, in detail) and at least have an idea of the general direction of...
Is contactless making it too easy?
The concept of a cashless society may sound good in theory. It’s questionable whether it will ever work in practice. It is, however, indisputable, that cash isn’t king anymore. Plastic, in its various forms, has long since taken over. There are lots of practical...
What’s your digital information worth?
These days, for practical purposes, you are the sum of your data. Everything you do online creates a data trail which doesn’t just point back to you, it comes to form a part of your identity, hence the term “digital identity”. As such, it is vulnerable to the threat...
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...
You’re not average
What does average look like? Information released by the Office for National Statistics shows the average British man, Mr Average, is 38, will live to 85 and earns £31,103. The average British woman, Ms Average, is 40, will live to 88 and earns £25,308. The LV= risk...
Accidental damage protects against life’s little mishaps
Nobody knows what is around the corner. Accidents can and do happen and the most commonly reported household claim in 2018 was for Accidental Damage. It's therefore wise to check what is included in your insurance policy to help protect the valuable items in your...
Death is free but dying can be expensive
These days, funeral music can go way beyond traditional hymns like Abide with Me, but out of all the songs you might want to choose for your funeral, possibly the most appropriate would be the 2015 hit by LunchMoney Lewis – Bills, because, while death may be free,...
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...
‘Mortgage prisoners’ may be able to remortgage
You may have heard the term ‘mortgage prisoners’ but not know exactly what it is. Mortgage prisoners are those who are trapped in their current mortgage deal and are unable to remortgage or move. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has estimated around 150,000...
How does a Divorce affect your Mortgage?
In a divorce situation, both assets and liabilities have to be split fairly between the two parties. For most people, the family home will be an asset which has a liability attached to it. In other words, the family home will be a source of equity, but it will also...
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...
Reviewing your pension contributions
As you approach retirement, you probably want to know when you can afford to stop working. Having worked hard throughout your career you deserve to enjoy your retirement without having to worry about your finances. It may be worth reviewing your pension contributions...
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...
Reviewing your pension contributions
As you approach retirement, you probably want to know when you can afford to stop working. Having worked hard throughout your career you deserve to enjoy your retirement without having to worry about your finances. It may be worth reviewing your pension contributions...
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...
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. ...
