Category: Financial Planning

From 6 April 2022, no-fault divorce came into effect in England and Wales. No-fault divorce is a long-awaited revolution in family law, finally removing the need for blame as a basis for divorce. The result is that the only ground for divorce is that the marriage has ‘irretrievably broken down’. No one enters into a

According to new research[1], 95% of adults in the UK are worried about the anticipated rise in the cost of living in 2022. The expense most UK households are concerned about is the rise in energy bills (92%), with three in ten (29%) being apprehensive about this, followed by food shopping (87%). Cost hikes to

Many initially seek financial advice because they want help with something like a pension or making intelligent investment decisions. However, pensions or investments are only a means to an end which is helping you pursue your goals. An advisor cannot manage a portfolio or create a robust financial plan unless they have a holistic view

How often do you talk about money with your partner? Issues around money can sometimes make or break a couple. Research indicates it causes a lot of struggle. According to a survey from Royal London, 62% of couples in the UK have argued about money. The most common cause is the perception that one of

Last year the government revealed new proposals for funding long-term care. At the time, much was made of the point at which someone needing to pay their care costs in full increasing to £100,000 and the overall cap on care costs being £86,000. The Government made out as if this fulfilled its manifesto promise that

Following a financial plan and staying disciplined can be challenging. A good start can be with what someone shouldn’t be doing with their finances. Not having an Emergency Fund An emergency fund underpins a solid financial plan. We advise our clients to hold at least six months’ expenditure, plus any planned additional spending, in easy

Relax. Live for the moment and enjoy life. Most of us know someone who, despite being well off, struggles to spend money on things that make them happy. Instead, the fear of running out of money controls their spending habits. On the other hand, there are those who struggle to think past the next few

We personalise the advice we give to our clients as much as possible. Our financial planning process is all about collaboration. We seek to understand where you are, what you want from life, and any concerns you have. Your goals and priorities are unique to you. Once we have done some analysis, we will have

It is easier and cheaper than ever to invest money or to start a pension. In addition, we like to say that long term investing is, to a fair degree, solved. We do accept that we cannot tell you what the perfect portfolio is going to look like for the next 30 years. However, we

There has been as much research into what makes us happier as there has been into what makes us wealthier. As financial planners, we are trying to help our clients improve their lives using their money. So, it is therefore important to look at what drives happiness and how it relates to money. The happiness

The Halifax has published research into first-time buyers showing the heavy year the Bank of Mum and Dad has experienced. The average price paid by a first-time buyer in the UK last year was £256,057. This was up by £22,939 (10%) from a year earlier (£233,118). How much of this came from the Bank of Mum and

Paying yourself first Before you pay any bills, consider paying yourself first. This means saving and investing a portion of your earnings before you do anything else with your money. In the book The Richest Man in Babylon, written by George S. Clason, the parables are told by a fictional Babylonian character called Arkad, a

I have always been passionate about helping people feel more financially confident and achieve financial security. What this can be boiled down to is increasing financial wellbeing. The Financial Wellbeing Book, published in 2016, laid out five parts to financial wellbeing: A clear path to identifiable objectives Control of daily finances Ability to cope with

2020 has put our ability to survive financial shocks to the test. However, for many, the financial implications of the pandemic have not been as bad as they could have been. This is thanks to the government’s support schemes. Other than being unable to work, the biggest causes of financial emergencies are cars, properties, family

First-principles thinking helps reverse-engineer complicated problems. The idea is to break something down to its base elements. We can then reassemble them from the ground up. This approach was used by the philosopher Aristotle. Elon Musk and Charlie Munger are among those who use it now. It allows them to cut through the fog of

A survey of 2,000 people reveals we spend 110 hours a year think about what might have been. Eight out of ten believe their lives would be better if they had taken more risks. The most common regrets were: Not saving more when younger Not keeping in touch with old friends Not taking the plunge

If you want to make better decisions with your money, we can help. However, working with us is not for everyone. We help our clients take the necessary steps to get the most out of their money. There are some things some expect from us which bear little relevance to what we do. Some of

Getting the most out of life can be like climbing a mountain. The goal is to reach the peak and hoist up your flag. The journey will be challenging, so you need to be passionate about it. Most financial plans involve investing and markets always have difficult periods. It is essential to have something to

We can get the answer to just about anything in a few clicks. However, the difference between getting a solution and the one which is right for you can be huge. This difference is where the value of good advice is. The truth is everybody would probably benefit from financial advice in some way. Saving

Financial planning is key to resolving worries about money. It may be useful to think about financial planning in terms of some common concerns: Will we be able to support our current standard of living in retirement? Can we manage financially if one or both of us needs long term care? What happens to my