Library.
Spring Budget 2024
The Chancellor delivered the last Spring budget of this on 6th March. In his speech, Jeremy Hunt said he was setting out to reward hardworking families with National Insurance tax cuts – leaving the average worker over £900 better off. However, it remains to be seen as to whether the tax cuts have moved Tory sentiment in…
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Key Dates in March
Pension Credit, which averages over £3,900 a year, is there to lend a hand with day-to-day expenses for those who have reached state pension age and are on a low income. About 1.4m people are already receiving Pension Credit, but an estimated 880,000 eligible households are yet to claim it. In the Spring Budget,…
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Vacancy – Receptionist/Admin person
Up to £25K pa, depending on experience. Foresight Wealth Strategists has an exciting opportunity for a Receptionist/Admin person to join our growing team. As one of the leading financial planning practices in the North-West, we are looking for someone who will be able to provide our clients with an unrivalled front of house customer experience. Our clients are…
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Children Should Be Saving For Themselves
Children are expensive! The cost of raising a child from birth to their 18th birthday currently stands at nearly £250,000. Their wants and needs are satisfied more inexpensively when young – although childcare is becoming an ever-increasing burden. But when they get to their late teens and early twenties those ‘must-haves’ – the first car,…
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Tax doesn’t need to be Taxing
The UK Government is forecast to take a total of £950bn in tax this year, approximately 36.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which makes this the highest tax burden the UK has faced since just after the Second World War. Tax is important as it helps pay for services such as schools, the NHS, and…
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Get to know: Josh Lenihan, Senior Wealth Strategist
We believe that our team members are what sets us apart from other businesses. Join us as we sit down with Josh, to talk about his day-to-day life at Foresight, and what he gets up to when he’s not in the office. Tell us a bit about yourself Throughout my time in education, I was…
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Considering Animals and Pets in your Will
We all want the best for our pets and animals during our lifetime, but consideration also needs to be given to what happens beyond this. This is important from an animal welfare point of view, but also from an estate planning perspective as well. Pets are considered ‘personal chattel’, meaning that the changing ‘ownership’ of…
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Solidus Achievement of Excellence for Estate Planning 2023
We are delighted to announce that we have once again been awarded the Solidus Achievement of Excellence for our Estate Planning and Trust based solutions. Solidus is a leading Estate Practitioner and has now been the preferred provider of Trusts and estate planning solutions for Foresight clients for over 10 years. At Foresight, our aim…
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Get to know Mike Barnes
Our team members are one of the main factors that sets us apart from other businesses. Join us as we sit down with Mike to talk about his day-to-day life at Foresight, and what he gets up to when he’s not in the office. Tell us a bit about yourself All through school and…
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Welcome to the team Charles Truswell
Join us in welcoming Charles to the Team! Charles joins us as a Client Manager, with a background in financial services in administration, he’s delighted to have a role where he can expand his technical knowledge under the guidance of our team. Outside of work he enjoys all sports, particularly cycling or grappling, whether watching…
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Welcome to the team Greg Blease
Greg has recently joined us as a Wealth Strategist, having advised clients for a couple of years in his previous role. Greg is Diploma qualified and close to completing the work to become Chartered, he prides himself on producing the best possible outcomes for clients and delivering an exceptional client experience. Outside of work Greg…
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A week in the life of…Work Experience
After arriving at the office, I was warmly greeted by Clair Davis, Receptionist, before being taken on a quick tour, followed by a briefing on how to use the various facilities and a health and safety induction. Later that day, I met with one of the Client Managers, Ben Holland, who told me about his…
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Get to Know…
Our Team members are what we believe sets us apart from other businesses. Join us as we sit down with our Marketing Executive, Kat Thanes, to talk about her day-to-day life in Marketing at Foresight, and what she gets up to when she’s not in the office. Tell us a bit about yourself I’ve…
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Another Chartered Financial Planner in the Foresight Ranks
Fantastic news! We are delighted to announce that Josh Lenihan has been awarded both his Chartered and Fellowship status with the Chartered Insurance Institute. This is the pinnacle of the financial planning profession, which very few planners ever achieve. Better than that, Josh is almost certainly the youngest recipient of these qualifications in the country…
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Foresight Shortlisted for Money Marketing Awards 2023
We are thrilled to announce that we have been shortlisted for two awards in the 2023 Money Marketing Awards. Josh Lenihan has been shortlisted for Financial Adviser 2B – for future generation advisers, and we have also been shortlisted for our Quantum Academy as the Best Adviser Academy. This is great confirmation of the importance…
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Welcome Clair to the Foresight Team
Clair has recently joined us as our new receptionist, she has a wealth of experience in client-facing roles which we believe will be an invaluable addition to our team. Foresight prides itself on providing not only excellent financial advice but also providing an excellent experience for our clients whether at home or in our offices.…
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2023 Budget Announcement
The aims of the Chancellor in this year’s Spring Budget were to get people into work and keep them there, with key changes to childcare and pensions. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) stated that the UK will not enter a technical recession and inflation will more than halve and reduce to 2.9% by the…
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ISA deadlines for 2023
Using Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) has always been a very tax-efficient way of investing, with no liability to either income tax, or Capital Gains Tax on the invested funds. These days ISAs offer the opportunity for every individual to invest up to £20,000 per annum. Unlike pension allowances, ISA allowances cannot be reclaimed from previous…
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Discover our brand new look
You may have heard over the past few months that we have been working hard on developing our branding, and building a new website? We’re pleased to say that we are now live! Have a look here… Our new brand and website reflects the evolution of Foresight Wealth Strategists, we are a modern and dynamic team…
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Welcome to Meg!
We are delighted to welcome Meg to the Foresight Team as our newest Client Manager. Meg is working towards her Diploma and brings a wealth of knowledge over with her from her previous roles. Meg is already settling in to the team and we look forward to supporting her through this next stage of her…
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Solidus Achievement of Excellence for Estate Planning 2022
At Foresight, we always aim to provide the best service for our clients and work hard to maintain these standards. However, we’re always happy to be recognised for our efforts. We are delighted to announce that we have once again been awarded the Solidus Achievement of Excellent for our Estate Planning and Trust based solutions.…
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Use those Tesco Clubcard Points!
More than two million Tesco customers could potentially lose out on a total of £13 million worth of Clubcard vouchers if they do not use them. The vouchers, first issued in December 2020, expire automatically after 2 years if not claimed, meaning that customers would lose out on the savings. The benefit of the vouchers…
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Interest Rates on the Up!
The Bank of England has raised interest rates again – the 7th time this year and only 6 weeks after the previous rise – this time by 0.75 percentage points to 3%. Not so good for those with large mortgages, but the first time in well over a decade that interest rates for savers have…
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The Gender Saving Rate
Recent research has shown that men have £599 billion more in their ISAs, investment accounts and private pensions than women. This staggering figure equates to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Switzerland. Other research by the consumer money website, Boring Money, found that 3.3 million fewer women hold investments in the UK compared with men…
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How does the weakness in Sterling affect me?
The pound slid to an all-time low against the dollar amid worries about the direction of the Government’s economic policy, following the much-derided mini-budget from the now ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer, Kwasi Kwarteng. Although the political situation has swiftly moved, the longer-term effects of a government prepared to unveil deep unfunded tax cuts with no…
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In Conversation with…Ben Dyson
In October 2022 Ben Dyson our Senior Wealth Strategist joined Kimberley Dondo on her In Conversation With… Podcast. They discussed a number of things, including how Ben got into a career in finance, and how he uses his knowledge to empower clients to be financially free listen to the entire podcast here. Author Foresight Foresight…
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The End of an Era
For most people, the period of financial excitement that came to a messy end in 2008 will always be the point of comparison for future recessions. For reference, I was still in education at this time, so largely sheltered from the worst of things. However, the ripple effects were still felt. Prior to ’08, university…
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How to avoid a pension scam
Pension scams are on the rise, with at least £2,241,774 reportedly lost to pension scammers in the 5 months between January and May 2021, the problem is getting bigger. Scammers try to persuade you to transfer your pension savings, or to release funds from it, by making attractive-sounding false promises that whilst sounding appealing have…
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Join us in welcoming Michael to the Foresight Team
We are delighted to welcome Michael to the team as our newest Wealth Strategist. Michael has been working in the Financial Services Industry for a number of years and is currently working towards becoming Chartered, alongside his numerous other qualifications. Michael is already settling into the team really well and we look forward to working…
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Join us in welcoming Damian to the Foresight Team
Damian has joined our team as our newest Client Manager, Damian has previously worked in the Financial Services industry at a compliance firm doing research and has transitioned into paraplanning. Damian is currently working towards his diploma in Regulated Financial Planning and in his spare time competes all over Europe in Buhurt (medieval armoured combat)…
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Revelations for Revolut
Back in 2008 we saw a number of banks collapse and others bailed out by the taxpayer. This highlighted that savers needed to make sure their money was protected if the worst ever happened again. Broadly speaking, bank savings are covered for up to £85,000 through the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS protects…
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A week in the life of….Work Experience
In August 2022 we welcomed Harry to do a week of work experience with us, Harry has never worked in an office before and wanted to get an idea of what to expect before he heads off to university. Let’s see what he got up to while he was with us… For a college student…
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Search behind the sofa
People now have only 100 days left to use the paper £20 and £50 banknotes before they are no longer in circulation. The last day of legal tender status is 30th September 2022. People who still have them need to use them or deposit them at their bank or a Post Office before that date.…
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State of the Nation for Quarter 2
Every quarter, we sit down together and discuss what has happened so far in the year, look at where we are in regard to our targets and what our focus is going to be for the next quarter. We have found doing this quarterly works particularly well, as it ensures the team are kept abreast…
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4 of our Client Managers gain Diploma Qualifications in 2022
As the end of the academic year arrives, it feels good to announce that the last of our Client Manager team has achieved their Diploma qualification. The financial planning profession is one of the most highly regulated, and anyone advising clients must hold a Level 4 qualification, usually the Diploma in Financial Planning from the…
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Money Marketing Awards 2022 – Nomination
We are really proud of every member of our team, they work really hard for our clients as well as on their own development, so you can imagine our elation when they receive recognition from the wider industry. Ben Dyson has been with us for 7 years and is our Senior Wealth Strategist, his passion…
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Is HMRC the major beneficiary of your estate?
The latest HMRC data reveals that Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts for the period April 2021 to February 2022 stood at a whopping £5.5 billion, £700 million higher than the corresponding period in 2021. The average amount paid per estate was around £209,000 and this amount can often be mitigated by various well-accepted financial planning techniques,…
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Meet Our Little Bits of History
Throughout June, Altrincham Town Centre found itself being watched over by 50 life-sized, artistically, designed Corgi statues. As part of the celebrations for the Queens Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, Altrincham BID worked with Inch Arts to create “Trooping the Corgis”. Businesses across the town commissioned artists, schools and community groups to decorate each dog…
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Saving Less Than You Think
One of the biggest worries for new retirees is that they will run out of money. However, there is now evidence that the opposite seems to be happening, retirees are not actually spending enough. Researchers at Texas Tech University stated, “Rather than spending down savings during retirement many studies have found the value of retirees’…
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The 4% Rule
In 1994, William Bengen published research that revolutionised the financial planning world. He was trying to figure out how much money retirees could withdraw from their portfolio each year without running out of money. Bengen found that retirees throughout history could have withdrawn 4% from an investment portfolio that held 50% in bonds and 50%…
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Foresight Wealth Strategists Summer Day Out 2022
On Wednesday, 16th June, the Foresight team went to Alton Towers Resort for a well-deserved Summer day out. The British weather was very kind and the sun shined all-day. Even better, not many others had the same idea, so everyone was able to experience all the rides with very little queuing! In the past we…
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The Tax Claw is coming
Within this new tax year, which started on 6th April, there are a couple of new ways in which you could potentially pay more tax. National Insurance (NI) is rising, but the threshold at which it starts to be paid will also be raised. NI is set to rise by 1.25% from April and…
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Leave a legacy not a fight
Leaving money to a charity of your choice within your Will is a great way to ensure a positive legacy for the future. It makes the money you worked so hard for during your lifetime continue to do good when you are no longer here. Additionally, if you give at least 10% of your…
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New Starter
We are pleased to welcome James Allen to the team as our latest Wealth Strategist, to ensure that we are able to maintain and improve our service levels as we continue to grow. James has been working in financial services for 14 years in areas such as mortgages and protection and is looking forward to…
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New Starter
We are delighted to welcome Kat Thanes to our team as our in-house Marketing Executive. Kat has been with us since April and has been working away behind the scenes. You may have noticed some of the changes she has already implemented and over the next few months many more will appear. Kat’s role with…
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How can wealth be transferred successfully without destroying the recipient and the wealth itself?
Future planning is a key factor for many people in later life. Having an up-to-date Will is the number one way that people use to communicate their wishes and, although it is an important element, it might not be the most effective way to ensure your children, family or friends get the best outcome from…
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We are delighted to announce that Platinum SRI Ltd is joining the Foresight Family.
Foresight has continued to grow, even through the pandemic, and the acquisition of Platinum is another step in our ambitious growth plans. Over recent years it has become apparent that the ever-increasing level of regulation and compliance is leading to a smaller number of larger financial advisers, who are able to deal with this overhead…
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We’re making some changes at Foresight
The pandemic has made us all take a step back and reassess how we are working. Having a good work life balance has never been more important. We are really appreciative of our team at Foresight and have already made a number of internal changes to reflect this, such as offering flexible and hybrid working. We…
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The question is…are you feeling lucky?
With interest rates now the highest they’ve been since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), are Premium Bonds still worth it? The answer depends on who you ask. With Premium Bonds, it has long been considered that there is no risk to your capital, it is only the ‘interest’ element that is a gamble. And as…
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HMRC calculated that the number of people would increase by 300,000 to 4.6 million people in the 2021/2022 tax year
However, these HMRC estimates were based on Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates for wage growth from March 2021, which have since changed significantly. Parliament has also frozen current long term tax thresholds, as well as ever-increasing inflation appearing on the scene. HMRC’s estimated number of higher rate taxpayers was based on a 0.9% growth…
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Investment Update – August 2020
Stock prices started the month strongly thanks to good early results from COVID-19 vaccine trials, better-than-expected employment reports, and higher-than-anticipated manufacturing activity. In the US, despite multiple States reporting increased COVID infections, stocks continued to climb, especially in large technology. American indices are now back in positive territory for the current year. These behemoth companies,…
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Behavioural Finance – Emotion vs. Rationality
Behavioural finance is the study of how human behaviour, driven by emotions and sentiment as much as rational decision-making, affects how we act in relation to our investments and financial decisions. Whilst there is clearly underlying rationality to financial markets and how assets are priced, the human element must be considered as part of this…
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Brexit: What’s happening?
Whether you were a Brexiteer or Remainer, we can all agree that the Brexit ordeal has been as confusing as it has been arduous. Even the most diligent of us have found it difficult to keep pace with the twists and turns of the negotiations; with an ever-changing cast of politicians and tabloid rhetoric only…
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