Holding cash on deposit is a necessary part of the financial planning process. There are always unexpected twists and turns that life throws at us, so the general rule of thumb is to have two to three months’ living expenses saved in an instant access account, just in case. Is Cash King? When it comes…
The average age for a UK adult to become a parent is 29.8 years old. By this point, most people should have at least a basic understanding of how to look after their finances. They should be contributing to a pension. Some will be diligently saving into ISAs in the hope of becoming an “ISA…
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…
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…
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…
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…
The age that savers will be able to access their pensions will rise from 55 to 57 in 2028. The Government wants to delay the age savers can access their private pensions to keep it in line with the state pension age, which is also scheduled to rise to 67 in 2028. The logic behind…
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,…
The UK has been in lockdown since March 2020 as part of the measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 across British society. Countries around the world have adopted a variety of strategies with many across Europe following a similar stance. This strategy was put in place following the alarming figures coming out of China…
Inheritances can provide a real springboard for future generations. They can give much-needed capital to buy property, start businesses, or just assist in improving day to day living. However, it requires specific strategies to be in place to maximise and maintain these funds through the generations. This article looks at the way parents can ensure…
