Your Window on WEALTH- Summer 2021 As the country emerges from lockdown, an increasing sense of optimism seems to have filled the air with a much more familiar feel returning this summer. And there’s plenty to look forward to over the coming months, with a host of major sporting events including the Olympics to excite and enthral us, audiences returning to theatres and concert halls across the land, and the rearranged Chelsea Flower Show set to extend summer into late […]
New investors spring into action With interest rates plummeting to record lows, savers are discovering that cash is not always king. This is encouraging a new band of investors to dip their toes in the investment market. While some families have suffered financially during the pandemic, many have saved significant sums due to a reduction in spending on non-essential items. Official data1 shows the UK household savings ratio soared from 9.5% in the first three months of 2020 to a record […]
Glimmers of hope for the New Year Over the past year, our vulnerabilities have been starkly exposed by coronavirus, and the pandemic continues to present an array of challenges on many different levels. Economic frailties have also been laid bare but, as we enter a new year, shoots of optimism are beginning to emerge, with rising hopes of recovery in 2021 and beyond. A gradual recovery The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) final 2020 assessment of global economic prospects was entitled […]
In the current climate, there is uncertainty in all of our lives with both health and financial concerns. However, while we are all understandably focusing on the here and now, it might be worth using this time to take a step back and review your long-term financial wellbeing as well. This newsletter takes a look at some of the areas you might want to consider. Of course, we are on hand to support you through any challenges ahead. Make time […]
How much do you need to retire comfortably? People on an average salary who wish to retire at the age of 65 will now typically require a pension pot of almost £450,000 in order to fund their retirement until they are 100 years old, recent analysis has found1. Never too early to start saving The research also shows that an individual who starts saving into a pension at 25 years of age will need to invest around £235 a month […]
The Intergenerational Fairness Debate Continues The House of Lords Committee on Intergenerational Fairness and Provision has called on the government to take steps to make society fairer by supporting younger people, particularly in the employment market and the provision of housing. A change of perspective needed Peers believe that ‘outdated’ age-specific benefits for older people should be replaced with support for the young to ‘deliver a fairer society’. The Committee – made up of Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and […]
Winter 2019 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: In the News / What the 2018 Budget means for older people / Number of working women aged 60-64 has doubled / Gifting early to avoid IHT / Trends in baby boomer retirement plans / Where we spend our money / Over-55s feel the pinch from being the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’. What money rules would you pass to the next generation? As parents and grandparents, we all hope the values that we […]
ONE IN TEN BRITONS ADMIT THEY ARE BAD WITH MONEY – HOW TO BUCK THE TREND A recent survey1 has shown that for many, building up their savings is not top of their agenda. Everyone should think about putting some money aside for emergencies, and for the bigger things in life like the deposit on a home, a child’s education or a wedding. So, for most of us having some cash that we can access quickly to pay for unexpected […]
FIVE PERSONAL FINANCE HABITS WE SHOULD ALL ADOPT While most of us think we’re pretty good with our money, we can all benefit from giving our finances a regular health check. If you’re looking to get to grips with your finances and develop better habits, then setting yourself some financial goals and drawing up a budget is a good way to get motivated. Priority debts are those that have the most serious consequences if you don’t repay them, and aren’t […]
COULD YOU BE AN ISA MILLIONAIRE? Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are a great way to invest free of tax on the income and any capital gains. The amount you can put in each year has gradually increased. A growing number of people are becoming ‘ISA millionaires’ as a result of rising stock market prices, and the steady increase in the annual ISA allowance. GENEROUS ANNUAL LIMITS The allowance for the 2017-18 tax year is set at £20,000, meaning that couples […]