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What’s new in the new financial year?
With the UK under lock-down, people stuck at home could easily forget what day it is, let alone remember that it’s now the start of the new financial year. As is customary, this is the time when most regular financial updates take effect and it generally brings a...
Client Feedback
We recently received this fantastic feedback for Mike, one of our mortgage advisors, which was given to our provider Openwork. They create ongoing client contact which is aimed at customers who have received advice in the previous month and gathers details of how...
Protecting yourself from coronavirus scams
Crises can bring out the best in people. Sadly, they can also bring out the worst in people. A quick look through history shows that there are inevitably people who try to profit from other people’s misfortunes, not by legitimately solving problems, but by...
What the budget means for personal finance
The budget was expected. The emergency meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, by definition, was not. Both had meaningful implications for personal finance. Interest rates were cut from 0.75% to 0.25% (and have since been cut again to 0.1%)...
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...
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...
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...
More hope for first time buyers with the Help to Buy Extension
Since it was launched in 2013, the popular Help to Buy scheme has enabled almost 170,000 households to buy homes; who may not otherwise have been able to. An extension to the successful scheme was announced in the Autumn 2018 budget, now making it available until 2023...
‘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...
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...
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...
Confused about pension planning?
With more UK employees saving for their retirement than ever you could argue that Automatic Enrolment has been a success since its launch six years ago. However, research from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that many people contributing to their...
Savers in the dark about their pension
Are you among the 30.4 million working-age people who don’t know if their pension pot will be big enough to afford a comfortable lifestyle in retirement? According to a report by the Pension and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), some of the blame for this worrying...
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...
Helping you to save
Help to Save is a government savings account aimed at an estimated 3.5m people on low incomes. The scheme pays a bonus of 50p for every pound saved over four years, representing better value compared to the 1 - 2 per cent returns on savings bonds offered by high...
Saving for Junior
Junior ISAs (JISA) are long-term, tax-efficient savings accounts for children, introduced in November 2011 to supersede the phased-out Child Trust Fund (CTF). There are two types of JISA: A cash Junior ISA - where you won’t pay tax on interest on the cash you save A...
What’s stopping you from saving?
Generally speaking, and subject to investment charges and performance, the more you save and the earlier you start saving the better shape your finances are going to be in when you need to draw on them. So why is it then that many of us are reluctant to put money...
Getting Ready To Meet The Grim Reaper
Do you know how your family would cope after your death? It's not an easy question to answer, or a nice subject to think about, but you could help to make their lives easier by setting up a Whole of Life plan, getting your finances in order and making a detailed will....
What's the Cost of a Comfortable Retirement?
Have you ever stopped to think about the monthly income you'd need to provide for a comfortable retirement? If you’re thinking it would be the equivalent of your current salary you've probably overestimated. Remember, by the time you retire, you will hopefully have...
Are Cash ISAs worth the investment?
After the Bank of England (BoE) cut interest rates to reassure the market following the Brexit vote, cash ISA returns plummeted. According to Telegraph Money cash ISA returns fell by as much as 35% in the six months after the BoE’s decision. A quick google shows the...
Pensions for stay at home parents
Could you survive on £8,000 a year or less, in retirement? If you’ve given up work to look after your family, you’ll be among those least likely to save for retirement simply because you have no income. And when it comes to the State Pension, you’ll usually need at...
