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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...
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,...
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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...
Relevant Life Plan
Do you want to provide valuable life cover and financial security for your employees and your family in a tax efficient manner? A Relevant Life Plan could be the answer. What is a Relevant Life Plan? A Relevant Life Plan is an individual ‘death in service’ life policy...
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...
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...
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...
The search for a reliable retirement income
It’s been almost four years since the April 2015 pensions changes which scrapped compulsory annuities and gave pensioners greater choice over how to take their retirement income. This historic change to UK pension legislation opened up a range of investment...
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...
The search for a reliable retirement income
It’s been almost four years since the April 2015 pensions changes which scrapped compulsory annuities and gave pensioners greater choice over how to take their retirement income. This historic change to UK pension legislation opened up a range of investment...
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...
The Junior ISA
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...
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...
