For many a man in a dressing gown, annoying aliens and the number 42 may not sound like the key components of a really good piece of writing. However with the help of the skilled penmanship of Mr Douglas Adams these three ideas (along with many more) were brought together to create one of the […]
The new pension freedoms provide greater choice, greater flexibility and more opportunities to access their funds in the way which suits their lives. For many of us, and especially if we’re over 55, the changes are pretty positive. However the new rules do mean that if you’re in a position where the rules impact you […]
Change, in most aspects of our lives, is inevitable. In the world of financial planning change is constant. We see changes in legislation on a regular basis which effectively mean that our knowledge needs to be constantly updated (a recent example is the massive changes around pension flexibility in George Osbourne’s latest budget). However in […]
As we approach the avalanche of firms having to comply with auto enrolment we’re seeing a number of firms coming into the market with brand new auto enrolment software designed to help employers meet their obligations under automatic enrolment. Whilst many of these pieces of software are well built and designed the individuals selling these […]
Yesterday (and I write this on the 20th of September 2013) the office of fair trading announced some new proposals on how individuals saving for their future financial security and using pensions to do so can be treated in a fairer way. It’s never been more important time for the Office of Fair Trading to […]
Let me ask you a question. What was the last thing you lost? If you’re anything like me you lose stuff on a pretty regular basis. In my house, and on a pretty regular basis, I can be found rushing around trying to remember the last time I had my car keys, where I’d put […]
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 […]
One place I’ve never been and would love to go is Australia. I’ve heard it’s mainly sunny, has great beaches and apparently it’s not unusual to have a BBQ at Christmas. However the aspect of Australia I’d like to consider in this entry is the changes they have made over the last few years in […]
I usually work from my home office on Mondays. It allows me to start early, have a quick lunch, and try to clear my to-do list. It also allows me to sit down for dinner with Cassie, Charlotte and Sophie and when time allows watch my favorite quiz show…pointless! This Monday was no different. However half way […]
This is part two of a three part Blog entry. You can find the part 1 here. There were some fantastic speakers at the IFP Conference. However there was one presentation which, for me, stood out. Carl Richards is an american financial planner who specialises in explaining potentially complex financial concepts with two things. A […]