Do you have a financial plan in place to help protect your home? Taking out a mortgage is the biggest financial commitment many of us will ever make, and having a financial plan in place will help protect your home in the event that you can’t work due to illness or ill health, or even […]

Start thinking about preparing for any big events as soon as you can None of us know exactly what life’s got in store for us, but we know that there are a handful of major events that we’re quite likely to encounter at some stage. These include some of the great milestones of life, such as […]

Understanding why your lifestyle makes it more relevant and real From the old adage of saving for a rainy day to planning for a comfortable retirement, before you can actually define your investing goals you need to ask yourself what you want to achieve. While deciding on the best fund, tax regime, pension or investment […]

Importance of not losing sight of your long-term savings goals The UK is entering uncharted territory after the EU referendum, but with relatively few unretired people beyond the age of 55 having started their retirement planning it is important not to lose sight of your long-term savings goals. Changing social, political and demographic factors mean […]

Economic and financial outlook As a result of the UK voting for Brexit (apart from the political turmoil), sterling has dropped significantly against the US dollar and the Japanese yen – the new safe haven currency it seems. We have a new Prime Minister and cabinet and a clear statement from the new Chancellor of […]

New research outlines typical financial situations A small number of pensioners are relying on loved ones to help them financially during retirement, and those approaching retirement seem to be in an even worse situation. Yet equally worrying is that people are also far more likely to take financial advice about retirement from friends than from […]

Britons not planning financially for long-term sickness Only one in five UK people have income protection cover in the event of becoming too ill or disabled to work according to research published by insurer Zurich. This is despite the fact that as many as 42% have experienced income loss in their working lives due to […]

Whether seeking income, growth or both, there are some basic rules to follow Volatile financial markets are an inevitable part of investing. On a day-to-day basis, the swings in stock market prices can be significant. However, over the longer term, things have tended to smooth out, with daily volatility having a lower impact on overall […]

Choosing a management style that’s right for you Investors are faced with one of the most basic questions: do you want to put your money in ‘actively’ or ‘passively’ managed funds? Deciding if you would prefer your investment ‘actively’ or ‘passively’ managed is an important consideration and a useful step towards narrowing your choice of […]

Protecting your portfolio Investors should not try to predict currency movements, but you can act to protect your portfolio. Investing in foreign securities, while potentially a good thing for your long-term portfolio, may continue to pose new threats for investors. As more people broaden their investment portfolios by expanding into foreign stocks and bonds, they must also […]