What are economic cycles and how do they affect me? One of the frequent themes that impacts upon the tactics and longer term strategy when investing, is identifying where we are in the economic cycle. Despite the turmoil and in some instances, capitulation over recent years, the economic cycles are a known and lucid part
Read MoreAs a new tax year rolls around, you should note that there are quite a few changes to the allowances you can claim to help improve the tax efficiency of your financial affairs. Of course, to our clients we are on hand to advise about these and ensure that in combination they work to the
Read MoreFollowing the recent announcements in the media, the news that employers will have to pay into a pension scheme for their employees may come as a bit of a shock. The Government has introduced auto-enrolment and the National Employment Savings Trust or NEST for short. Preparedness and planning is the key to ensuring that this
Read MoreI tuned in last night to Channel 4’s ‘Do you trust your Bank?’ In case you didn’t see it, the programme focussed on the recent activities of some of our high street banks that have recently come to light. We were acquainted with the story of a recently retired couple who had downsized their main residence
Read MoreSummer has arrived, I think. There’s plenty to be concerned about. Will Greece stay or go? What is the future of the Euro? Who will win the singles at Wimbledon? Or what is chrometophobia? Well despite most of us worrying about not having enough money, there also being a few of us who have a lot
Read MoreToday’s news that the UK has crept back into recession should be no surprise to anyone who has kept reasonably well informed about developing events connected to the global economic crisis. A technical recession is triggered after two quarters of negative GDP (Gross Domestic Product) within our economy. Stock Markets haven’t fallen today. Why not?
Read MoreWhen George Osborne delivered his Budget to Parliament recently, he made it clear that the overall aim was to reward work and support growth. To achieve this, several measures were introduced that may affect you, which are outlined below: PENSIONS Pension Funding Pension funding remained relatively untouched by this budget. The annual allowance remains £50,000
Read MoreFrom April 2012, Contracting Out will be abolished under a defined contribution pension plan. What is Contracting Out? It is where you opt out of the State Second Pension (S2P) previously known as State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and instead divert some of your National Insurance Contributions into an ‘Appropriate Pension Plan’. These ‘rebated’
Read MoreIncome Drawdown (also known as an unsecured pension) allows you to take income from your pension fund while the fund remains invested and continues to benefit from any fund growth. There is no minimum amount of income that must be drawn, irrespective of age. This means that you may be able to leave your pension
Read MoreYou know the time, when you would rather be doing anything else than attending to those boring financial matters. It’s normal to have a ‘head in the sand’ over matters financial. We all experience this to a lesser or greater extent. However, the chances are if you are reading this blog that you are already
Read More