The US election was, as many predicted, a hard-fought election. Although the coronavirus pandemic was a key issue for both sides, the election was characterised by the overt populist support that Trump enjoyed and played out through his large rallies, and the more mainstream support for Biden. Although the result of the election has not been formally announced and President Trump has not yet formally conceded, we now expect…
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When times are good and confidence is high, pretty much anybody should be able to generate reasonable returns. However, in turbulent times such as these, having the support of a trusted adviser who you can rely upon to help, advise and guide you can really start to pay dividends. We see many people who have…
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Financial planning is all about setting plans and expectations. Imagine you’re starting a business. A business plan is essential in order to acquire funding, renting office space, and generally getting started. Most of us learned this by the time we were sat in GCSE Business Studies and perhaps we have even had experience writing one. However, so many people don’t follow this for their…
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Wills. Something that we put to the back of our minds. Something to sort out later on when you are old and grey. As it has been said, the only certainties in life are death and taxes – and a certain Mr. Trump has shown that even taxes may be optional. So, we get back…
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2020 has already turned out to be a year for the record books for all the wrong reasons, with the coronavirus pandemic and global shutdown making most of the headline news. However, despite the end of the year being near, 2020 still has a few tricks up its’ sleeve. Chief amongst these is the US Presidential…
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We are very proud to announce that Ben Dyson, one of our Wealth Strategists, has become the Personal Finance Society’s youngest fellowship graduate in 2020. The Personal Finance Society is part of the Chartered Insurance Institute, the most prestigious recognised body for financial services professionals and Ben’s achievements place him right at the top of…
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National Savings and Investments (NS&I) announced at the end of September that they would be drastically cutting their interest rates to as low as 0.01% per annum. This has left many cash savers scrambling to the private banks still offering accounts rates above 1%. However, with the river of new money in the form of…
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Currently, there are around 3.3 million unmarried cohabiting couples in the UK. Yet most legislation focuses mainly upon protecting married couples when it comes to estate planning, meaning that many cohabiting couples face large Inheritance Tax (IHT) charges on both first and second death. This is because unmarried couples do not benefit from spousal exemptions…
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Around the world, economies have re-opened with a degree of reservation. However, since August many countries have faced a resurgence in coronavirus cases, prompting concerns that a ‘second wave’ is already underway. Several European countries have witnessed a spike in coronavirus cases including France, Spain, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Even once ‘safe’ countries such as Denmark & Iceland have been…
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Traditionally, investment decisions have been made using standard methodology. A balanced portfolio should have a diversified asset allocation with elements of equity, fixed interest, and cash. But, until recently, there has been little thought as to the underlying companies and, more importantly, how companies use the invested money. But there is now an ever-increasing movement…
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