Setting goals is part of creating an effective financial plan. They can motivate you, keep you on the right track, and help you define what “success” is for you. As your plan might cover decades, it can be difficult to know if your goals are realistic. Read on to discover five practical tips that could help make your financial objectives achievable. 1. Take steps to build a strong financial foundation One of the challenges of meeting financial goals is that the unexpected can happen and derail even the best-laid plans. You might set out to add an extra £200 each month to your pension so that you can retire early. But an emergency repair to your home or an illness... Read More

In recent years, the focus on personal wellness has been a growing trend. Indeed, data reported by Statista reveals that the forecasted size of the wellness market could reach as much as $8.47 trillion by 2027. While it may seem as though embracing mindfulness and striving to live a healthy life are modern trends, this isn’t the case. In fact, many philosophers and physicians from ancient civilisations had plenty of tips for improving the lives of their patients. Believe it or not, many of these ancient wellness tips are still relevant today – continue reading to discover five of these pieces of advice, and how you could apply them to your day-to-day life. 1. Drink the occasional glass of wine... Read More

Effective retirement planning often involves weaving together lots of different threads. As you think about your retirement, you might be unsure how to bring everything together, but a bespoke financial plan could put your mind at ease. Over the last few months, you’ve read about the importance of deciding how you’ll retire, why you should set out your goals, and your options for accessing your pension. Now, read on to discover the challenges of bringing together these different strands of retirement planning and why a tailored financial plan could provide a solution. The challenges of retirement planning you could face A common concern among those approaching retirement is whether they have enough money to retire. Even after the milestone, you... Read More

With one eye on a forthcoming general election, the chancellor has announced a Budget aimed at generating long-term growth, with “more investment, more jobs, better public services and lower taxes”. While the headlines will inevitably focus on Jeremy Hunt’s cut in National Insurance contributions (NICs), many less headline-grabbing messages will affect millions of families and businesses. Read on to find out who were the winners and losers from the 2024 Spring Budget. Winners Working people The chancellor said that his Budget gave “much-needed help in challenging times”, adding “if we want to encourage hard work, we should let people keep as much of their own money as possible”. Calling NICs a “penalty on work”, Hunt announced a cut in Class... Read More

The 2024/25 tax year is just a month away, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his 2024 Spring Budget, outlining the government’s plans for the next fiscal year and beyond. With a general election looming – prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he will call it before the end of the year – the chancellor claimed that the government had met the prime minister’s three economic priorities laid out at the start of 2023, having: Amid this backdrop, the chancellor called this a “Budget for long-term growth”, with goals to “deliver more jobs, better public services, and lower taxes”. Read on for a summary of some of the key measures and announcements from this year’s Spring Budget, and what they... Read More