A friend’s recent blog post resonated with my own thinking on how we spend our accumulated wealth. Often I meet wealthy clients with a very healthy and easy relationship with their money – it doesn’t have a hold on them. Other clients are afflicted by worry and a desire for more even though they want […]
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I was interviewed last week by the Independent on Sunday on whether or not clients are best advised to defer taking benefits from their pension. Every case should be considered individually but the following article which includes some of my comments should be useful: Independent on Sunday: Should I take my pension benefits now? By […]
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Read a great article the other day by Ian Cowie of the Daily Telegraph. It touches on a very real issue for most of us. Many people assume that retirement is so far down the line that they’ll be alright in the end and their state pensions will suffice. Really? Not that easy to maintain […]
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I meet many people approaching retirement and together we have to decide when is best for them to take benefits from their pension plans. There are a number of different options available – buying an annuity is one of them. Annuity rates are at an all time low so it would be easy to think […]
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I am increasingly convinced that the majority, if not all of us, have choices to make as to what we do with our money. Money can bring tremendous pressure to bear on a household and a lot of it is self-induced. People are not aware of what’s going to happen when they want to retire […]
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I’ve advised a number of teaching professionals over the past 18 months who are approaching their normal retirement date, considering retiring early or accepting a voluntary redundancy. Their main concern tends to be uncertainty about the future and the impact of their decision to leave employment on their financial future. That’s where we come […]
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I am increasingly convinced that the majority, if not all of us, have choices to make as to what we do with our money. Money can bring tremendous pressure to bear on a household and a lot of it is self-induced. People are not aware of what’s going to happen when they want to retire […]
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People who make bad money decisions can often rationalise them. Here are 10 common excuses. Human beings have an astounding facility for self-deception when it comes to their own money. We tend to rationalise our own fears. So instead of just recognising how we feel and reflecting on the thoughts that creates, we cut out […]
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You may be wondering what is happening with the new single-tier state pension. There is no doubt that the UK has a bewilderingly complex state pension that is trying to achieve something very simple. As with all government changes, some will win and some will lose… So what is being proposed? It’s simple – a […]
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We have become increasingly aware of companies marketing directly to the public and claiming that they can take money out of their pension before the usual retirement age of 55. Please please please exercise extreme caution – early access to pensions is rarely in anyone’s best interests. The FSA (Financial Services Authority) are paying close […]
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