Category: News
I started writing this Newsletter on the 1st January 2020. The first day of the first month of the new decade. The Romans dedicated January to their god Janus – god of Endings, Transitions, and new Beginnings. He is depicted with two faces since he looks back to learn from the past and the year… 
You and I know that life is not all plain sailing but, as far as financial planning is concerned, if you plan ahead you can maximise your resources for your future income and capital needs and for those of your family – and reduce the risks while on life’s journey. We call it Lifetime Financial…
In this month’s Focus we are taking the opportunity to … err … Focus … on why you should check your National Insurance Contribution situation and State Pension entitlement and, if eligible, consider topping up your NICs. We also suggest you do this before next April. First because you can usually only go back six…
“Planning” is the process of deciding in detail how to do something before you actually start to do it – it’s sensible and it fits a calendar! It’s what we do! Failing to plan where financial planning is possible, is the process of witnessing opportunities disappear through the perforations of our financial life – it…
According to recent research(1), approximately 14.3 million people across the UK (44% of employees – 7% in the last year alone) have paid too much tax as a result of being on the wrong tax code. HMRC sometimes makes errors (allegedly 2.8 million times last year) with deductions, or other elements of their calculation such…
Research by Direct Line(see 1) suggests that over 12.6 million people (about 24%) would contest a will if they were unhappy with it – and incidences of wills being contested are growing in number. But we can take steps to reduce the risk of that happening to our own will. A first step that may…
Our Focus this month is an important reminder for all those who are members of a pension scheme – whether a personal pension plan or a company defined benefit scheme. Below, we focus on several key areas. Annual Allowance Your Annual Allowance is based on your earnings and other income and is currently capped at…
In early Roman times, March was the first month in their calendar. Martius, as they called it, was named after Mars the Roman god of war because this month signalled that winter was coming to an end and, with the warmer weather on its way, it was time to prepare for the season of warfare…
The Romans dedicated January to their god Janus – god of Endings, Transitions, and new Beginnings. He is depicted with two faces since he looks back to learn from the past and the year that has just ended (Endings) and, having taken stock (Transitions), he looks forward to the next year (new Beginnings). We would…
The Bank of Mum and Dad is a well-known concept and we all hate to see our children struggle financially, which is why many parents continue to support their children well into adulthood. The type of financial assistance given can take various forms, such as money towards a house deposit or a loan for a…