You are insured, aren’t you?
If you’re a homeowner, it makes sense to have plans in place that protect you, your family and your home. Insurance policies are designed to provide financial safeguards and valuable peace of mind. LIFE INSURANCE TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS Life policies provide a tax-free cash lump sum for those you leave behind in the event […]
Pensions jargon – busted
No one should be deterred from planning for their retirement by the jargon used in the pension industry. Happily, we are well versed in turning complex financial terms into plain English. Here we unravel a couple of terms that you may have come across and be unclear about. ANNUITIES When you retire, you can choose […]
Average private school fees rise above 17,000 – How to save for your child
According to the annual census of leading independent schools, the average fee for attending a private school is now over 17,000 a year. Despite the rising cost of fees, private education continues to remain popular, with the number of pupils reaching 529,000, the highest figure since the Independent Schools Council began collecting data in 1974. […]
Mortgage options for the over 55s
Following the Mortgage Market Review in 2014, banks and building societies were required to adopt stricter lending criteria and affordability checks, and as a result many lenders restricted both their maximum borrowing and repayment age. FACTORS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION Whatever their age and circumstances, older borrowers will need to go through the usual checks […]
What does retirement planning mean for you?
Retirement is often seen as the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next. Planning for it isn’t just about getting your money organised, although that’s obviously very important. Depending on your circumstances, you may want to take the opportunity to completely change your lifestyle, move home, start a new business, travel the […]
Your ISA – Lump sum or regular savings
The good news is that since 6th April you can use this year’s ISA savings allowance to put your hard-earned cash to work in a tax-efficient way. The 2018–19 allowance is a generous 20,000, and it makes sense to take advantage of this savings opportunity as soon as possible in the year, rather than risk […]
One in ten Britons admit they are bad with money – how to buck the trend
A recent survey1 has shown that for many, building up their savings is not top of their agenda. Everyone should think about putting some money aside for emergencies, and for the bigger things in life like the deposit on a home, a child’s education or a wedding. So, for most of us having some cash that […]
Over 40% of buyers stressed by the mortgage process, don’t be one of them
Buying a home is, as we all know, high on the list of life events that are exhilarating and stress-inducing in equal measure. A recent industry survey1 showed that 41% of people felt stressed by the mortgage process, so here are some top tips to help you make a success of your property purchase. MAKE SURE […]
More people feel positive about their personal finances
A poll carried out by Opinium in January found that despite concerns over major issues such as Brexit, more Britons report feeling positive about their personal finances than they did last year. The survey found that workers think that their disposable incomes will increase by 3% on average, from £349 a month to £360 a […]
More women are working into their 70s
In yet another sign that retirement is becoming an increasingly fluid concept, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of women working past the age of 70 has doubled in the last four years. The abolition of the compulsory retirement age in 2011 has meant that many more workers, men and […]