Markets have experienced a challenging few months. Following the downturn, investors will no doubt be pondering their portfolios. Interesting research3 explores the validity of the longstanding adage - time in the market, not timing the market. The numbers really do bear out In March 2000, at the height of the dot-com boom, if an [...]

The act of philanthropy can be defined as a desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the donation of money to good causes, such as charities or other deserving causes. It’s not straightforward to identify precisely what qualifies as philanthropy. You could count occasionally dropping some loose change into a collection [...]

Keeping your children occupied at home can prove challenging; it’s a real strain, trying to keep them engaged and interested. With the COVID-19 outbreak causing the majority of children to be home-schooled, parents are understandably concerned about their education and development. One perfect way to help your children, a skill which isn’t necessarily on [...]

As society fast becomes cashless, a recent review has called for extra safeguards to support the cash infrastructure in the UK8. A significant number of people and businesses are still reliant on cash transactions on a daily basis, and it is feared that the move towards an entirely digital future would negatively impact over [...]

Inheritance Tax (IHT) has come under the spotlight over the past few years; the Office of Tax Simplification have conducted a couple of reviews on the unpopular tax, which was left untouched in the Spring Budget. The good news is that, with expert planning, you can legitimately reduce the amount of IHT payable to [...]

New research2 has found that the typical adult spends £496 per month on regular commitments, but £39 of that accounts for services that aren’t used. The most wasted outgoing is for gym membership, with 12% saying they pay for it, despite not using it. Other unused services include redundant mobile phones and streaming services. [...]

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, global stock markets are suffering a major period of volatility. We all know that markets do not respond well to periods of uncertainty and that volatility goes hand in hand with stock market investment. Although undulations in the markets can be concerning, experience has taught us to [...]

The days are longer, the sun is shining, it’s time to embark on a good spring clean. A great opportunity to de-clutter, organise and refresh your home and life. When your environment is clean, it brings a sense of wellbeing and contentment. This concept to tidy and organise should also extend to your finances. [...]

How are your retirement plans coming along? Hopefully you’re well on track to lead a financially comfortable retirement. A recent Global Retirement Index has highlighted that the UK trails behind a plethora of global counterparts in terms of retirement security9. The Index assembles data from a variety of sources to produce a comparable score [...]

The benefits of taking financial advice have again been confirmed by research. The findings of a recent International Longevity Centre UK (ILC) study for insurer Royal London suggest that those who took advice around the turn of the century were on average over £47,000 better off a decade later, when compared with those who [...]