This is a guest blog from Andrea Choot from Niche Nooks. You can find out more both about Andrea and Niche Nooks here Downsizing from a larger to a smaller property is undertaken for a number reasons from selling to provide children with a deposit so they can purchase their first home, moving closer to […]
As the new tax year starts recent research has found that current cash ISA rates are at a record low. According to Moneyfacts (published back in February) the average interest rate is 1.74%. There could be many reasons for this, however one of the potential reasons cited as the fact that banks and building societies have more […]
I’m always and constantly interested in finding out what our clients look for in a financial planner. It allows us to improve and refine our service to them, provide our clients with additional value for the fees that our clients pay and ensure that we’re providing answers to the questions which are truly important. Interestingly […]
I admire many people. I look to these people for inspiration, new ideas and the opportunity to learn how to develop my skills, attitude and expertise by seeing seeing how they act, what they do and how they stay true to their values. These include fellow business owners, individuals who contribute to their local communities […]
The budget documents released last week contained a potential change to the rules regarding self invested personal pensions (SIPP) and what you can invest in through your SIPP scheme. These potential changes are currently only being explored as an option once ‘interested parties are consulted’ (I’m always curious about who these interest parties are?) and […]
I don’t know about you….but I’ve never been a fan of cocktails. I prefer a beer, a glass of wine or a gin & tonic depending on the weather, my mood and my surroundings. However when it comes to investing I firmly believe that the best approach is to take the ‘cocktail’ approach when thinking […]
Last week I wrote a blog entry about how I believe that Small and medium sized businesses need to start prepare for auto enrolment now. Today I want to talk about the 3 decisions SME employers need to take to ensure that they start and continue to meet the requirements under the new rules. It’s important to […]
It’s likely that very recently…you’ve planned for something. Whether it’s an upcoming birthday party for your children, getting in shape ready for your summer holidays or to prepare for an upcoming meeting. Sometimes we all underestimate how much time we spend planning for the events that occur in our lives. However we all focus on […]
If you’re in any management capacity within most businesses you need flexible eyes. If you completely focus on the future of your role in your business it’s likely that the day to day work doesn’t get done. However if you solely focus on today and not look at the potential opportunities or threats your business […]
In April it’s my three and a half year anniversary of starting my business. When I first started my business, and looking back with hindsight, I was overconfident and naive. “I’m a good financial planner and have some management experience” I thought “surely the skills I’ve learned over the years as a financial planner and […]