Protecting your identity Common ways fraudsters can steal your personal information As individuals, throughout our lifetime we exchange personal information with a vast number of institutions including banks, credit card suppliers, utility companies, supermarkets, government organisations and retailers. This may be to receive important services, but also to allow us to do the fun things like shopping, eating out or going on holiday. Fraudulent or stolen identities being used to make false applications for credit cards or loans, to obtain

Festive gifts Building wealth for a solid financial future As a parent, guardian or grandparent, you’ll want to provide the best future for your children or grandchildren that you can. Christmas is an excellent time to encourage children to start thinking about the value of money. Many children have hundreds of pounds spent on them at Christmas. But could that money be put to better use? Rather than buying yet more toys for your children or grandchildren, why not consider

Dot-com crash to global financial crisis Busting the myths of investment companies’ performance Saturday 15 September 2018 marked ten years since the collapse of Lehman Brothers. And with the bull market following the global financial crisis – now the longest in history in the US – it’s useful to revisit the past. The Association of Investment Companies (AIC)[1] has looked at the long-term performance of investment companies from just before the dot-com bubble burst in 2000 and just after the

Sandwich Generation Financially squeezed between elderly parents and children Faced with the task of caring for elderly parents alongside your children, being in the Sandwich Generation can be a testing time. Finding yourself squeezed between – and often by – these two generations can be very stressful. As well as facing time pressures, chances are your finances will be stretched too. New research[1] warns that the UK’s Sandwich Generation is feeling strained when it comes to their financial responsibilities. It

Volatility, risk and market declines Relentless and continual rise in value over the very long term, punctuated by falls There is an undeniable correlation between geopolitics, market sentiment and the macro trading environment. But over long periods, we have seen markets recover from downturns, although past performance is no indicator of future performance. Corrections can be healthy and result in even stronger growth in the future, although this isn’t guaranteed and you could get back less than you invest. This

Renewal of Corporate Chartered Financial Planners Status Our managing partner, Laurence Turner, has been in financial services since May 1986 and has been authorised to give advice on and transact occupational pension transfers for decades. This in no way means he’s out of touch, quite the contrary. Along with the rest of the Investing for Tomorrow team, Laurence is fully qualified and constantly gaining new skills and certificates. He elected to take the latest exam to prove he is still

Funding your golden years Tax aspects require careful planning after recent government changes Pensions have the reputation of being confusing, but they needn’t be. Private pensions are usually used by people who don’t have access to a workplace pension scheme, but you can also have one if you are employed or not working. They work in much the same way as workplace pension schemes, but you, rather than an employer, are responsible for choosing the provider and setting up your

Pension freedoms Taking responsibility for funding our own retirement Although each generation will likely face different challenges and opportunities, achieving retirement readiness will require actions common to us all. We all know that our ageing population and increased life expectancy are putting a strain on government finances. Following pension freedoms, there’s greater choice than ever before in how you access and take your retirement benefits. Now, more than ever, it is vital that we all take responsibility for funding our

Diversified portfolio Effective tool for reducing risk and volatility without necessarily giving up returns When you start investing, or even if you are a sophisticated investor, one of the most important tools available is diversification. Whether the market is bullish or bearish, maintaining a diversified portfolio is essential to any long-term investment strategy. Diversification allows an investor to spread risk between different kinds of investments (called ‘asset classes’) to potentially improve investment returns. This helps reduce the risk of the

Avoid the mad March rush Get a head start on your tax planning resolutions Although the current tax year does not end until 5 April 2019, tax planning shouldn’t be a mad March rush. Now is the perfect time get a head start on your tax planning resolutions to enhance your own, your family’s or your company’s tax-efficient plans for the future. We have set out some tax tips and actions that may be appropriate to certain taxpayers. Reviewing your

Relationship breakdowns A pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship What is likely to be a divorcing couple’s most valuable asset? The family home will spring to most people’s minds first. But the value of a pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship. When and how pensions are divided on divorce depends on the circumstances of you and your family. If your marriage has been short and both of you are in

Independence plan Least financially resilient group delay life milestones due to financial insecurity Life can get complicated when you hit your early thirties, which means your finances are starting to get serious. You might be in the middle of countless transitions, like moving up in your career, starting a business, buying a home, getting married, having children…and a whole lot more. A study[1] reveals that people in their early thirties are putting off life milestones, such as having children or