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Bringing Up The F Word
Having difficult conversations is a part of life. This means that everybody needs to develop a strategy for dealing with them. If you’re struggling to discuss the F word - Finance, then here are some tips to help. Start with why Start by verbalising why you feel...
How To Manage Your Money When You Have A Mortgage
Managing your money is something you should always take seriously. It becomes even more important when you have a mortgage. Getting into financial difficulties could lead you to lose your home. With that in mind, here are some useful tips on how to manage your...
Is The Four-Day Week The Way Of The Future
As Stephen Fry pointed out, the working week is a social construct, not a scientific fact. What’s more, there’s no real backing for it in law, in theory, or in reality. This means that, in principle, there should be no real barrier to the UK (or anywhere else)...
Spring statement – Investors
Like its predecessor, the spring budget, the spring statement heralds the beginning of the end of the financial year. It also sets out what investors can expect from the year ahead. Here are its key points. The UK is expected to avoid a recession The Office for...
Love, Remarriage and Inheritances
As the law currently stands, if a person is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse/civil partner has first claim on their estate if they die. Provision may be made for minor children but not for adult ones (barring special circumstances). This fact has...
How To Plan For Inheritance Tax
Following the news that thousands more people are expected to pay the standard 40% inheritance tax this year because of the effects of the pandemic, we explore some of the ways to navigate the complexities of inheritance tax. The complex laws around inheritance tax...
The Bank of…Granny and Grandad?
For many younger people struggling to get a foot on the property ladder, the Bank of Mum and Dad is the only option. With rent taking a huge chunk out of their income and the requirement for increasingly onerous deposits, two in five renters do not believe they will...
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...
How To Keep Your Business Safe
Between Brexit and COVID19, the last few years have been tough on businesses. Realistically, nobody is out of the woods yet. With that said, if businesses have made it this far, they can probably make it to better times. Taking the right approach will, however, be...
How To Cut The Cost of Life Insurance
Thinking about life insurance may not be as engaging as some other financial topics. It is, however, crucial that all adults make sure they have the right life insurance for their situation. With that in mind, here are six tips on how to get the right cover at the...
What You Need To Know About The National Insurance Rise
Despite a manifesto promise and massive controversy, the government is going ahead and raising National Insurance in April. The increase itself is only for a year. After that National Insurance will return to normal and a new Health and Social Care Levy will be...
Why You Should Care About Staff Satisfaction
Sometimes job markets favour employers. Sometimes they favour employees. Right now, in many cases, it’s very much the latter. Even when it’s the former, however, employers tend to be in competition for the very best talent. They also tend to be under scrutiny for...
Is It Still A Seller’s Market?
The introduction of the SDLT (Stamp Duty) holiday sparked a frenzy in the housing market. Realistically, it was only to be expected that the end of the tax break would lead to a slowdown. Just like people, there’s a limit to how long markets can run at maximum speed....
Time For The Self-Employed To Have A Mortgage Checkup
If you’re self-employed and a homeowner or (potential) homebuyer, then now is the perfect time to have a mortgage check-up. After the last few years with Covid-19, inflation and cost of living increases, your financial situation may not be the best. Don’t, however,...
Mortgage Advice You Can Count On
Buy-to-let mortgages – what you need to know
The UK’s property market is notoriously resilient. Crashes are very few and far between. There are occasional low periods. In practice, however, all these mean is that house-price growth slows and properties can take a bit longer to sell. Demand for rental property is...
Are You (Financially) Ready For Retirement?
If you’re at the younger end of the boomer generation, then retirement should be high on your list of priorities. In fact, even if you’re in Gen X, retirement should be one of your key considerations, especially if you’re at the older end of it. This means you...
What Does Inflation Mean For Modern Retirees?
Retirees have traditionally hated inflation. It often has a brutal effect on fixed incomes such as the State Pension and annuities. Pension freedom may have helped to take the edge of this somewhat. Even so, inflation is likely to have to remain a concern for retirees...
Are you approaching retirement?
If you are nearing retirement, you may have been particularly worried about the impact of recent market volatility on your pension assets and perhaps you are reassessing your retirement plans. There are several things to consider if you are planning to retire, which...
Should You Prioritise Property Or Your Pension?
Both pensions and property can be good ways of financing your retirement. It is, however, important to think carefully about which you prioritise. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know. The basics of pensions. In the UK, public-sector employees may still...
Are you approaching retirement?
If you are nearing retirement, you may have been particularly worried about the impact of recent market volatility on your pension assets and perhaps you are reassessing your retirement plans. There are several things to consider if you are planning to retire, which...
The Government Wants To Protect Your Money
The government recently announced a raft of proposals for new consumer-protection legislation. It aims to protect consumers against misuse of prepayment schemes and subscriptions and also from fake reviews. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know about it....
Should You Prioritise Property Or Your Pension?
Both pensions and property can be good ways of financing your retirement. It is, however, important to think carefully about which you prioritise. Here is a quick guide to what you need to know. The basics of pensions. In the UK, public-sector employees may still...
How To Keep Your Pension Pot Safe
If you’re in employment, saving into a pension can be a lot like paying tax. The money comes out of your paycheque before it reaches you. You don’t have to do anything. In principle, you don’t even have to think about it. In practice, however, you should think...
Will Interest Rates Go Up Or Down In 2023?
The change from one year to the next is often a time when people think about what the future will bring. One of the key questions for this year is the question of what direction interest rates will take. The answer to this question will depend on two main factors....
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...
10 Healthy Financial Resolutions For 2023 (And Beyond)
New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t be just for January. Effective New Year’s resolutions should create a foundation for healthier habits throughout the year. With that in mind, here are ten healthy financial resolutions for 2023 (and beyond). I will budget effectively...
Investing So Your Children Can Afford To Move Out
A child’s first day at school is a big moment for both them and their parents. For most parents, however, it’s also a relief, especially financially. Even so, time flies and it really won’t be too long before they’re grown up and looking to leave school. At that...
Investing So Your Children Can Afford To Move Out
A child’s first day at school is a big moment for both them and their parents. For most parents, however, it’s also a relief, especially financially. Even so, time flies and it really won’t be too long before they’re grown up and looking to leave school. At that...
How Can You Get The Best Value From Your Supermarket
Most people do most of their shopping at supermarkets. Generally, that’s a sensible option. Supermarkets usually do offer the most affordable prices overall. Unfortunately, they’re also places where you can spend a lot of money you didn’t intend or need to. With...
Insurance For The Self-employed
When you’re self-employed you don’t have employer benefits to fall back on. In fact, you might even be the employer needing to organise (and pay for) employee benefits. You’ll definitely be responsible for protecting any assets related to your business. With that...
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