Worldwide Financial Planning

The dream for most investors, whether that hard-earned cash goes into property, equities, premium bonds or pensions, is to see that money grow and provide increasing financially security. The nightmare scenario is that the investment loses value over the years, perhaps disappearing altogether. For many investors, losses often figure larger in the decision-making process than

There is a treasure trove of over £10 billion in the UK just sitting there waiting for us to claim it. That is the amount that is in dormant bank accounts, forgotten pensions, unclaimed inheritances and investments and even over payments to energy companies. The unclaimed sums are quite staggering – £41m in premium bonds,

Financial planning has probably never been as complicated as it is today. It makes the job of the Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) absolutely crucial, especially regarding long-term commitments. As well as the individual’s choice and preferences, the IFA has to keep a careful eye on social trends and their impact on the future. The disturbing

Home owners, especially those with mortgages, have “never had it so good” – to borrow Prime Minister Harold MacMillan’s famous phrase from a 1957 speech. The predictions from a year ago about an interest rate rise have retreated into the medium-term as the UK waits for May’s General Election and the possibility of UK deflation

Once again, the blurred edges of “tax avoidance” and “tax evasion” have been highlighted. The waters have been muddied to such an extent that making any effort to save tax might be regarded as “dodgy”. It started with the revelation that the bank, HSBC, had been assisting clients to put (hide) money in secret Swiss

The ‘baby boomers’ are sitting pretty, property-wise. Some have lived in the same house for over quarter of a century and seen its value rise many times, and that increase is all tax free. That’s not quite true.