This week we are supporting the CISI Financial Planning Week and will be giving free advice on family budgeting, financial planning and how you can begin. Don’t miss the opportunity to book a free 1-hour online chat with one of our qualified financial planners. You can email me, Neil Cowie […]
Category Archives: Pensions
Blog, Financial Planning, Investments, Later Life, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Tax, Taxable Benefits, Wealth
Don’t ignore your pension savings statement
22
Sep
Sep
It’s rare nowadays to be in, what used to be called, a “Final Salary” pension. We now call these “Defined Benefit” pensions because they are now not typically based on your final salary but on your service and income levels throughout the period of membership. If you work for the […]
Blog, Budget, Business, Financial Planning, Investments, Pensions, Personal Finance, Wealth
Do you know what your financial goals are?
09
Sep
Sep
As financial planners, we ask a lot of questions about goals – you might think we are being nosy?! The reason for asking so many questions is to try and establish what’s most important to you. It’s not as simple as just asking you what your goals are. If you […]
Blog, Financial Planning, Later Life, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Tax, Wealth
Happy 5th Birthday Pensions Freedoms
20
Jul
Jul
Can anyone remember when Pensions Freedom came in? Just me? Apparently not. The Financial Conduct Authority have just conducted an outcome review to see how pension providers have adapted to all the changes. This has been delayed because of the “awfulness” until February 2021. As a financial planner (and a […]
Blog, Financial Planning, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Tax, Wealth
Pension death benefits – right pension, right nomination, right now?
16
Jul
Jul
A reported surge* in people wanting to write or amend their wills at the start of COVID-19 (with some legal firms claiming a jump in demand of up to 76%), tells us that the pandemic has sharply focused peoples’ minds on making sure their affairs are in order and that […]
Blog, Budget, Financial Planning, Investments, Later Life, Pensions, Personal Finance, Protection, Retirement, Wealth
Budget 2020 – Personal Finance Summary
11
Mar
Mar
The new chancellor has just sat down after delivering his first budget statement. The issue of the government’s response to coronavirus dominated the first part of his speech. Of more interest to us and our clients were the measures that directly affect personal finances. Our summary of the key issues: […]
Blog, Financial Planning, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Wealth
North East Women – are you financially resilient?
21
Nov
Nov
Recently we hosted an event in conjunction with a national initiative introduced by the Chartered Insurance Institute. The theme was “Insuring Women’s Futures” and it deliberately coincided with National Talk Money Week on the basis that if you get women talking about issues through raising awareness then things might start […]
Blog, Financial Planning, Pensions, Personal Finance, Protection, Wealth
Retirement Planning – 5 things to think about!
23
Oct
Oct
Planning for retirement might seem like a long road ahead and we know how hard it is to prioritise saving over spending. When you’ve saved your entire working life, you just want to know that you will be “ok” financially when you eventually stop. We think it’s important to have […]
Blog, Financial Planning, Later Life, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Wealth
Pensions in your twenties and thirties?!
26
Sep
Sep
As a thirty something (and hurtling towards the big 40) I often find myself thinking about retirement and what it’s going to look like. Not necessarily what I’ll be doing or the fact I’ll be finished work forever (yippee), I’m thinking about money, my pension, and will I have enough […]
Blog, Family, Financial Planning, Pensions, Personal Finance, Retirement, Tax, Taxable Benefits, Wealth
What happens to my pension when I die?
20
Sep
Sep
One of the most regularly asked questions I get from clients is “what happens to my pension when I die”. Your pension can be your largest asset, often exceeding the value of your home. The rules governing pensions can be complex and have changed significantly in recent years. What happens […]