Financial Advice can make you more confident managing your money
Navigating the complex world of personal finance can be daunting and overwhelming. So it’s no wonder that many people don’t feel confident managing their money, and often don’t end up making the best financial decisions. That’s why it’s so surprising that so many of us aren’t getting professional and regulated financial advice. According to figures from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), just eight per cent of the UK population…
Many over-50s haven’t sought Financial Advice on their Pension
For many over-50s, the prospect of enjoying a long and fulfilling retirement doesn’t seem that far away. So now is the time for them to make sure they have their finances in order, so they can be sure of a steady income in retirement that lets them have the lifestyle that they want. However, a new study by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) has found that many aren’t doing…
Financial Planning has never been more important
The first week of February 2022 was not a good one for our personal finances. As everyone reading this will be aware, the energy price cap was raised, and headlines warned that British households face a record £693 price hike. This came on top of the confirmation from the Chancellor that April’s planned increase in national insurance – for both employers and employees – will go ahead. Andrew Bailey,…
Will you keep working after turning age 65?
Many of us dream of retiring early and spending our post-working life indulging in our hobbies and passions. But since the state pension age went up from 65 to 66 between late 2018 and late 2020, employment rates among 65-year-olds have reached record highs. According to a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), the increase in employment among this age group since the change was implemented is…
Worrying about saving enough for Retirement is more common than you may think
Determining how much you need to save for the retirement you want can be difficult enough without actually having to save the money. Your requirements and desires will change over time in the same way that your income is likely to fluctuate. You can’t be expected to know exactly what you’ll need in 5 years’ time, let alone 20 or 30, depending on where you are in your journey…
Is Cash too safe?
One of the great themes of the past 3 years has been accidental savings: the amount people in the UK have “saved” by the simple expedient of not being able to go out and spend. “Thrifty Brits stash the cash in lockdown” has been a typical headline, quickly followed by an estimate of how much cash we might have “stashed” through not going to the pub, eating out or…
Could using a pension reduce higher rate tax payments?
At the beginning of March 2021, Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his Budget. His aim was to steer the UK away from the economic damage caused by the pandemic. A year earlier he had said he would do “whatever it takes” to protect jobs and businesses. Twelve months on, with Government borrowing breaking all records, it is clear that it will take a very long time to pay the bill…
More than half of UK adults now seek financial advice
As we look back on the time passed since the UK first went into lockdown one thing is abundantly clear – financially, the last couple of years have been good for some people. We’re not talking about the billionaires who have seen their shares rocket during lockdown but rather the many, many people who have saved money by not commuting, not buying lunch from the sandwich shop and not…
How long would your savings last?
A recent survey has found that the typical working person in the UK has around a month’s worth of savings to be able to maintain their current lifestyle should their income stop without warning. The data collected from 2,000 people found that the average person’s savings would support them for 32 days. More worryingly, 26% of those who responded said their savings would only last a week or less.…
