Is inflation back? Don’t panic! How to protect the value of your money from its effects The BOE forecasts that consumer price inflation will remain above 2% in each year until 2021. While nowhere close to historic highs, higher inflation stands in contrast to near record low interest rates offered on cash savings. To protect your purchasing power over time, your savings need to grow at least as quickly as prices are rising. So how can savers and investors protect

Your money, your choice Supporting your future financial requirements Building up a substantial pension pot The term ‘private pension’ covers both workplace pensions and personal pensions. The UK Government currently places no restrictions on the number of different pension schemes you can be a member of. So, even if you already have a workplace pension, you can have a personal pension too, or even multiple personal pensions. These can be a useful alternative to workplace pensions if you’re self-employed or

Make it a date Keeping your target retirement plans on track Over half (56%) don’t have a clear idea when they want to retire, and only one in ten (10%) have worked out how much income they’ll need when they decide to stop working. The study also reveals it doesn’t get much clearer as you go up the generations: less than a fifth (17%) of those aged between 55 and 64 have recently checked to see if the retirement date

Market matters Don’t let current global uncertainties affect your financial planning It’s important to stick to your strategy and keep moving ahead consistently by spreading risk and growing your wealth for the long term. Higher inflation and faster interest rate rises At the time of writing this article in February, markets had reacted to the signs of faster wage growth and a strengthening US economy that may lead to higher inflation and faster interest rate rises. The global sell-off began

How to make the most of your retirement Steps you could take to increase your eventual income We’ve provided some areas to consider that you may wish to discuss with us to help you to meet your retirement goals. Make sure you have details for all your pension pots Locate pension pots that you may have forgotten about. The Pension Advisory Service and the Pension Tracing Service can help you to trace forgotten pension pots. Remember to take your State

Financial freedom Creating and maintaining the right investment strategy There are always going to be bumps in the road on every journey, which is why it’s essential to be flexible enough to adjust your plans when the unexpected happens. Your wealth creation objectives need to be able to adapt to whatever’s going on in your life. Nothing should stand between you and your long-term goals. Creating and maintaining the right investment strategy plays a vital role in helping to secure

Why being over 40 is the new mid-20s Why being over 40 is the new mid-20s Healthier lifestyles and feeling happier about financial planning for retirement Nearly one in five (17%) of working over-40s say they are physically fitter than they were in their mid-20s, the nationwide study shows. And the fitness bug even applies to older age groups, with 11% of over-65s reckoning they are physically fitter than in their mid-20s. Career, finances and relationships The study asked over-40s

Wealth preservation Wealth preservation Reducing Inheritance Tax means taking action now A recent survey about Inheritance Tax (IHT)[1] shows that wealthy Britons over the age of 45 are either ignoring estate planning solutions or they have forgotten about the benefits these can provide. Only 27% of those surveyed have taken financial advice on IHT planning, despite all of them having a potential IHT liability. 60% of people surveyed want to leave assets to their spouse or registered civil partner, and

New lease of life Pensioners embracing the benefits of retirement and new-found time According to new research[1], retirement has meant a new lease of life for millions of people who have given up work in the last ten years, with more than one in four (26%) saying they are fitter and healthier since they stopped working. Far from winding down, nearly half of those who have retired since the height of the financial crisis (48%) say they are busier and

Financial Fitness Financial Fitness Time to track and celebrate your wealth goals? A poll of more than 3,500 UK adults[2] found the most common money goals are: putting more money into their savings accounts (21%); paying off their credit cards or loans (17%); and starting a regular savings habit (15%). Some people also plan to reduce their household expenses by switching energy suppliers and insurers (9%). Clear goals in mind Many are planning to save or invest this year, with

Crypto currencies Crypto currencies Don’t believe the hype Transactions are made with no middle men – this means there’s no bank, regardless of the hype around getting rich by trading it. The frenzy was sparked by bitcoin soaring to more than 1,900% in 2017 to around $20,000, before falling to around $14,000 in February this year at the time of writing this article. Separate components There are two separate components. You have bitcoin-the-token, a snippet of code that represents ownership

Beware of the scammers Fraudsters employ increasingly advanced psychological tactics to persuade victims to invest An estimated £1.2bn is lost to investment scams each year, with share sales, wine investments, land banking and carbon credits commonly used by fraudsters to target potential investors. A recent study by Citizen’s Advice found nine out of ten people would fail to spot common warning signs of a pension scam, such as unusually high investment returns, cold calling and offers of free financial advice.