Blog
There is a debate about whether gold makes for a good way to protect portfolios against stock market declines or rising inflation. When I was at school the currency of the playground was premier league stickers. If you had a “shiny” you could command a higher price than the standard card. Deep down, there is
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Some mortgage borrowers may have been adversely affected financially by The Coronavirus (COVID-19). Because of this, they may consider requesting to take a mortgage payment holiday on their mortgage for up to three months. The Government’s policy aims to ease the stress some borrowers will face during the pandemic. It also provides some flexibility at
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A Whole of Life Assurance policy with guaranteed premiums promises payment of a known level of cover upon death of the life / lives assured whenever death occurs, provided that premiums are maintained. The premium and sum assured are fixed throughout the life of the policy (in some cases it is possible to include an
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The damage from falling victim to a fraud or scam is not only financial. It can also have huge emotional consequences. Remember that if you are a victim of this type of crime, you are not alone. Support is available, but you need to report what has happened as soon as possible. How to spot
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MIT AgeLab has identified three simple questions to ask yourself to gauge how prepared you are for retirement. They uncover crucial factors which may determine your future quality of life. When it comes to retirement planning, we are inclined to focus on accumulating wealth and spending it wisely. While not outliving our wealth is essential
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The research on how best to generate retirement income has been evolving for decades. In the 1950s and 1960s, the leading strategy was to buy bonds live off the interest. This prevailed until the high inflation of the 1970s ravaged the true value of bond interest. In the 1980s, retirees shifted to buying dividend-paying shares
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After the events of the first quarter of 2020, world stock markets bounced back in April. The US market was the standout performer, enjoying the best month since 1987. Over March the S&P 500 rose by more than 14%. Indeed, the index is up by 30% from its 23 March low, meaning that the US
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One of the most valuable assets of a business is its staff, with business success or failure depending on them. Some of these people because of their specialised knowledge, skills or contacts, are vital to the profitability of the business. They are often referred to as ‘key persons’ as their death or incapacity could result
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Watching your portfolio’s returns go up and down can be an emotionally trying experience. Rebalancing to a predetermined, diversified asset mix makes it so you do not have to worry about market instability as much. Having a suitable mix of assets in your portfolio can serve as a buffer against extreme swings in the market.
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The Lifetime Allowance (LTA) limits how much someone can draw from their pensions without incurring tax charges. It currently stands at £1,073,100 (2020/21). Lifetime allowance charges can arise on various occasions with the main ones being: When benefits are initially taken (Taking tax-free cash from a pension is an example of this), On the death
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