Thursday May 17, 2012 at 9:00am
When Paul McCartney sang “When I’m 64” at the height of Beatlemania in the 1960s he couldn’t possibly have imagined what life had in-store for him at 64. What about you? Have you thought about what’s in store for you once you reach retirement age?
Whether you approach retirement with trepidation or with a big sigh, glad to leave working life behind and do the things you’ve always dreamt of, will largely depend on how much planning you’ve done....
Thursday April 26, 2012 at 9:00am
As an investor you could be excused for being somewhat confused by the fluctuations in the markets over recent years and the apparent mismatch between the depressing news headlines and the buoyancy of the FTSE100 for example.
The FTSE 100 index has risen from 5000 to nearly 6000 and back to 5750 in a matter of months. Back in September/October 2011 when the FTSE 100 was touching 5000 points some days, the news headlines certainly weren’t predicting this kind of improvement:
"I don....
Wednesday March 21, 2012 at 9:31am
The news today is all about the budget. As promised in previous statements the BBC is reporting that the Chancellor will increase the personal allowance to £9,205, which might sound like good news but, read on.
The personal allowance trap is the little-known area of income tax quicksand, which progressively drags you under once your income exceeds £100,000. It creates a situation where individuals pay 60% income tax on some of their income.
How can this happen? It’s all dow....
Thursday March 15, 2012 at 8:55am
How many times have you said, “When I win the lottery I’ll ….” Everyone says it. We’ve all had our favourite fantasy where we scoop the jackpot and dream of how we’ll spend it. Strangely, nobody ever says, “When I get my tax-free cash lump sum from my pension, I’ll …”. Yet this is much more likely and achievable than waiting in the lottery winners queue. So to get the ball rolling, we thought we’d help you on your way to fulfill....
Friday February 3, 2012 at 11:52am
If you come into money from an inheritance, bonus or even a lottery win, your thoughts may immediately turn to paying off your mortgage. Although we live in a society where debt is commonplace and accepted, many people want to pay off their home loans at the earliest opportunity. After all, a home without a mortgage is financially secure.
But think twice. Instead of clearing or reducing your mortgage, consider your future. In particular, think about your pension provision.
Inadequate pensio....
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 July 14, 2011 at 9:00am
We can and frequently do help clients to mitigate Stamp Duty on purchase of a home or commercial premises. But when it comes to avoiding the Inheritance Tax (IHT) payable on the home on death, many clients seem to think there’s little they can do. With the rise in property prices and Inheritance Tax thresholds at £325,000 per person once the home is added to the estate many people find that Inheritance Tax will be due on death. This tax is gratefully received by HMRC, so much so they....
Thursday July 7, 2011 at 9:00am
Gone are the days when an investment in the FTSE all share index would provide a reliably, healthy rate of return. For the last 11 years the FTSE all share index has returned only 2.4% per annum.
The investment winners today are those who focus on keeping costs low whilst also investing in a broader, globally diversified portfolio. One such globally diversified portfolio when back tested returned 7.4% per annum for each of the past 11 years. Compare this with the FTSE 100 which has actually lo....
Thursday June 30, 2011 at 9:00am
How many parents out there are tearing their hair out worrying, not whether their son or daughter will make the grade and get into university, but how on earth they are going to fund them if they do?
If you have a child going to University later this year the cost over 3 years might be as much as £52,000. This is based on course fees around £9,000 per annum, accommodation of £5,000 per annum and living costs on top of say another £100 per week. And that assumes they liv....
Thursday May 26, 2011 at 10:00am
In a previous blog I talked about why many investors feel confused and uncertain about investing for the future. Part of this is because the emphasis of the financial services industry is to convince investors that they can beat the markets through company research and stock picking and by getting the timing right. This results in high advisory and transactional costs paid for by the investor. Part of the problem lies with the inherent volatility of markets causing investors to feel greed when m....
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....