Assessing how best to achieve your goals Building an investment portfolio can be a daunting challenge. However, if you are seeking to save over the long-term, perhaps for retirement or school fees, it may be worth taking the time to assess how best to achieve your goals. Income or capital growth or a mixture of […]

Millions of people are not saving enough to have the income they are likely to want in old age Up to 11 million workers will now start to be automatically enrolled into a workplace pension which commenced from October last year. Larger employers were the first, with small and medium-sized employers following over the next […]

Cap provides long-term savers with a greater idea of future spending In his Budget speech delivered in March, the Chancellor, Mr Osborne, said this was a Budget for ‘an aspiration nation’. He explained this meant ‘helping those who want to keep their home instead of having to sell it to pay for the costs of […]

Greater opportunities for those with over £20,000 pension income The eligibility rules for flexible income drawdown from pensions were untouched by Budget 2013, which is welcome news if this is something you are considering or would like to find out more about. Flexible income drawdown is a type of income withdrawal where you can take […]

New research shows why many older UK adults have many money regrets Research from Standard Life has found that UK adults have many money regrets. But when asked what one thing, if anything, they most wish they had started doing earlier to be financially efficient with their money, saving for retirement came top of the […]

Start your retirement by celebrating your newfound freedom Some pensions allow you to switch your money into lower risk investments as you near retirement date, which can help to protect you from last-minute drops in the stock market. However, doing this may reduce the potential for your fund to grow, plus your fund cannot be […]

One of the biggest overhauls of Britain’s pension system in decades The Government recently announced that up to 400,000 more Britons will qualify for a new higher flat-rate State Pension and they’ll introduce the reform a year earlier than expected. The simplified scheme will provide a weekly flat-rate payment of £144. The date has been […]

Demystifying some of the key fund management concepts We understand that the fund management industry has an array of jargon that can confuse both the novice and well-seasoned investors. Here we aim to demystify some of the key concepts. Fund types Funds exist to enable many investors to pool their money and invest together. This […]

Even in challenging markets there are opportunities to be found Post the credit crunch of 2008, the banking crisis, concerns over the Eurozone and continuing low interest rates have tested even the most unwavering investor. There is no doubt that these are some of the toughest economic conditions we have seen for many years. Even […]

A guide to the jargon of protection Assured A person or persons who are insured under the terms of a protection policy. Convertible Term Assurance A term assurance plan that gives the owner the option to convert the policy to a whole-of-life contract or endowment, without the need for medical checks. Critical Illness Cover Critical […]