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Goals don’t just happen, you have to plan for them

How professional financial advice benefits both you and your family. When it comes to managing your finances, the wealth of resources now available can make it easy to try and go it alone. However, obtaining the right advice from a qualified professional financial adviser will ensure you are able to plan ahead by including expectations for items such as inflation, market declines and your protection requirements, so you can stay on track. Receiving professional advice is one of the main

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Financial jargon

7 out of 10 adults are puzzled by financial matters lingo. Being informed about financial matters is essential to making sound decisions and staying in control of your money. Unfortunately, many people feel confused by the jargon used in financial discussions and services. A recent study of UK adults reveals that seven in ten feel puzzled by financial jargon, while three-quarters don’t understand the concept of ‘the economy’[1]. Those aged 18-24 are the least likely age group to be confused

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Perfect storm

Major long-term ramifications for financial health and wellbeing. A perfect storm of global and domestic factors has contributed to spiralling inflation in the UK, triggering a cost of living crisis. This is pushing up the prices of food, fuel and housing. This crisis is by far the top concern for UK consumers: 58% are very worried about it, rising to 69% of women, according to research[1].  Three-quarters of those aged 50 and over are also worried about how the cost

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Feeling the pinch

Women more vulnerable to cost-of-living crisis. Throughout their lives, women face a number of challenges that can place them at a financial disadvantage compared to their male counterparts. This can include inequality of pay at work, taking career breaks or taking part-time positions due to an expectation they will take on greater responsibility for family commitments. This often leaves them less financially resilient and in the context of the cost of living crisis, where everyone is feeling the pinch, it

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Tracing old and lost pensions

Nearly half of pension holders have lost track of some of their pension pots. The lost pensions challenge in the UK has grown significantly in recent years, further exacerbated by the pandemic, which resulted in a large proportion of people moving jobs. A recent Pension Policy Institute research briefing calculated the total value of lost pension pots has grown to £26.6 billion in 2022[1]. If you’ve worked for several employers throughout your career, you might have accumulated multiple pension plans.

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Time to get your retirement plans in motion?

Three in five Britons feel stressed about later life planning. It’s only natural, in a world where most people are worried about things that are beyond their control – the rising cost of living, increasing inflation and interest rates that haven’t been seen for years – that you may also feel out of your depth when it comes to things like pensions and later life preparations. When it comes to later life planning, more than three in five people (61%)

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Taxing times

Time for a tax health check? With the current tax year having begun on 6 April 2022, the clock is ticking and it is important to utilise all the tax reliefs and allowances available to you before 5 April 2023 in order to minimise any potential liabilities. Personal tax planning should be at the top of your agenda as the end of the current tax year is not too far away. Taking action now may give you the opportunity to

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Millennials willing to forgo inheritance

Harder to support bigger financial commitments of older generation parents. Many people want to do what they can to ensure they maximise the amount they leave to their family and minimise Inheritance Tax, but working out how much you can afford to give away during your lifetime isn’t easy. With finances being stretched in all directions, it can be incredibly stressful if you want to support your children in the short term, while making sure you don’t find yourself struggling

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‘Phased retirement’

Pre-retirees starting their plans but will rising living costs halt their plans? Retiring early is a dream for many people and it is achievable for people who have been able to plan, save into a pension over a long period and taken financial advice to help them plan their finances. However, it can become a financial problem if retirement is forced upon people before they have had time to prepare. It’s estimated that to maintain your current lifestyle, you’ll need

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Don’t miss the ISA deadline

Use your tax-efficient allowance or lose it forever! Time is running out to take advantage of this year’s Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowances. You get one ISA allowance per tax year. So use it or lose it soon, when the tax year ends on 5 April. Any unused ISA allowance will not be rolled over into the new tax year. On 6 April when the new tax year starts, if you haven’t used all of your or your children’s ISA

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Chancellor retains state pension triple lock

State pension is set for a record-breaking increase from April 2023. If you’re currently receiving or have been looking into the State Pension, then you’ve probably heard of the ‘triple lock’. But what is it? The triple lock was introduced in 2010. Its purpose is to make sure that the State Pension doesn’t lose value over time. The triple lock aims to protect pensioners against the impact of inflation. If the State Pension didn’t change but the price of goods

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