Tuesday December 6, 2011 at 9:00am
Solar Energy will form an increasing part of the UK power supply over the coming years. This is especially true as a consequence of recent UK and European legislation which requires that 30% of UK electricity is provided from renewable sources such as solar and wind. As only 5.5% of power comes from such sources at present there is significant growth to be expected in the renewable energy sector.
In April last year the government introduced a 25 year feed-in tariff to encourage greater invest....
Thursday August 25, 2011 at 9:00am
Although a daily report on the position of the FT100 index of UK shares is totally irrelevant to the long term investor, the media insist on relaying it in almost every news report at the moment.
Steve Forbes, publisher of US Forbes Magazine, makes an interesting point; “You make more money selling advice than following it. It’s one of the things we count on in the magazine business – along with the short memory of our readers.”
There is no doubt that big movements in....
Thursday June 9, 2011 at 9:23am
A good way to look at your business is as an investment. By this I mean it produces an income for as long as you own it (the dividend) and you want to maximise the proceeds when you eventually sell it. No different to a portfolio of shares really except you have all of your eggs in one highly specialised and personalised basket.
As with most investments the income from the investment is often overlooked as the much bigger number is the sale proceeds. However, for many the sale proceeds are sim....
Thursday May 12, 2011 at 9:00am
Most people find investing noisy, confusing and full of mixed messages such as which fund manager is the best, how to beat the market, what the market will do next and how to time it so you buy high and sell low. It is not surprising when you see the resources stacked against clear thinking. Newspapers, TV, radio, advertising push individual funds, fund managers, sectors and regions. Even radio 4 tells us what the FTSE 100 did today as though this actually means anything to anyone other than a d....
Thursday April 7, 2011 at 10:00am
The number I’m referring to is the amount of money and resources you need to enjoy the lifestyle you desire both now and especially when you start to work less or stop work completely. How much is enough to provide you with the things and experiences you want now, and to allow you to enjoy retirement rather than ‘live it out’?
Why should you accept that your lifestyle has to change dramatically if you work less or when you enter retirement? Cutting out holidays, taking the ki....
Thursday March 31, 2011 at 10:00am
It is a rare person that does not strive for financial independence, financial security and financial peace of mind. These objectives may seem difficult to define in financial terms but the aim of personal financial planning is to do just that.
Personal financial planning will enable you to define:
where you are now financially (your net worth)
where you want to get to (in terms of the amount you need in savings to enable you to retire)
how you are going to get there (by helping yo....
Thursday March 3, 2011 at 10:00am
As the tax year end approaches now is an ideal time to review your tax and financial planning requirements. High earners in particular could save a considerable amount of money by implementing some tax planning ideas before 5th April this year.
With the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) carrying out a review into all tax reliefs, allowances and exemptions, and identifying reliefs, you may want to consider making sure any tax planning is executed before the 23rd March 2011 Budget, which will t....
Friday February 18, 2011 at 10:00am
The new rules applying from 6 April are now known, with flexibility being the name of the game.
Annuity rates are very low at present, with no signs of that changing, and the new rules will allow you to draw income from your pension fund without having to buy an annuity. If you have a secured pension income of at least £20,000 a year you will even be able to access 100% of your pension fund if you wish (with an income tax charge on it of course) and the options in your particular circums....
Thursday December 16, 2010 at 11:57am
Whilst the Christmas period is a time for reflection, the New Year is all about looking ahead and making plans. The break between Christmas and New Year is an ideal time to take a bit of a financial stock-check and consider whether your finances are in order for the year ahead. Here are the Parker Financial Advisors tips for preparing for 2011. 1. Review your investments Now is a great time to review how your old investments, saving accounts and pensions are performing. Should you be consolidati....
Monday December 6, 2010 at 9:47am
One of the changes announced in the June budget seems not to have crossed many business owners’ radar and yet I think it potentially has a substantial impact on how they might be able to reduce tax costs now and in the future.
You may have spotted the change to the tax relief on contributions into pensions being reduced from £255,000 to £50,000 per annum for pensions with a pension input period ending after 5th April 2011. You might have been excused for thinking that it&rsqu....
Friday October 29, 2010 at 10:00am
In business cash is king. As accountants we talk about it all the time: what is cash flow like? who owes you money, how can you conserve your cash etc. But when it comes to personal finances and investment strategies the opposite is generally true.Cash is seen as risk free as there’s a perception that it cannot fall in value. Research by Finametrica (specialists in risk profiling) estimates that we are twice as concerned about losing money as we are about seeing an increasing return on our....
Monday October 4, 2010 at 2:39pm
A recent survey from pension provider Aviva suggests that every adult needs to save an average of £10,300 per year to secure a comfortable retirement. I’ve got to admit I’m not in favour of these blanket claims. I know as a country we have a massive pensions shortfall (£318bn by all accounts) but headline rates are very unlikely to inspire anyone to review their savings and retirement plans. Our approach to financial planning and retirement planning in particular is to ta....
Tuesday September 21, 2010 at 4:50pm
If you are in a business partnership now would be a good time to consider whether you fancy running your business with your partner’s wife or husband. Strange thought? Maybe. But that’s what would happen if your business partner died and their spouse inherited their share of the business.Image this happens and they want you to buy them out but you can’t raise the funds? Chances are neither of you are going to be very happy with the situation. They will have lost a spouse ....
Thursday August 26, 2010 at 1:29pm
Business owners are showing less confidence according to the recent Business Confidence Monitor Survey from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Around one fifth (19%) of firms said they were less confident about the future due mainly to the tax rises announced in the emergency Budget and promised public spending cuts. Having come through recession, business owners now face a challenge to survive the recovery. Uncertainty is a key factor resulting in a cautious ap....