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A new tax year brings a brand new ISA allowance, which makes now a great time to consider your options, says Chris Egmore of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Consolidating your investments with one adviser or financial manager brings a number of advantages, says Stephen Metcalf of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Lovewell Blake Financial Planning, the financial planning division of Lovewell Blake, has announced that Stephen Metcalf and Scott Hansell have been appointed directors.

In the world of finance and investment, the concept of portfolio diversification plays a pivotal role. It is a strategy that forms the bedrock of prudent financial management and is often touted as one of the most effective ways to manage risk and maximise returns. In this article, we'll delve into the significance of portfolio diversification, the advantages it offers, and how a well-managed portfolio ensures a diversified set of investments.

Being nervous about market volatility shouldn’t be a reason not to invest, says Sharon Mattheus.

Whilst each stage of our case study tackles a specific issue in Joe and Jessie’s lives, each is intrinsically linked, as a financial decision made early in life will affect every aspect of a person’s financial wellbeing throughout their life.

Workplace pensions are a crucial aspect of financial planning in the United Kingdom, providing individuals with a means to secure their financial future during retirement. For employers and employees alike, understanding how workplace pensions work is essential. In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive overview of workplace pensions, answering common questions and addressing key topics related to employers' and employees' pension contributions.

If you're a healthcare professional working in the United Kingdom, one of the most valuable benefits you receive is your NHS pension. It's crucial to understand how NHS pensions work, the contribution rates, and the potential financial value they hold.

In the first three parts we have introduced the concept of personal cashflow planning, and seen how it has helped Joe and his wife Jessie face unforeseen events, pay for their son Johnnie’s education, and stay on track for a comfortable retirement. In this part we see how the online planning tool can help them achieve that goal.

In parts one and two, we saw the value of personal cashflow planning for our case study, Joe. In this part, we find him married with a baby.

The death of a key person can be a dangerous time for a business, so it pays to protect against it, says Robin Carnaby of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Starting the year with a new job? It’s a great time to be reviewing your personal finances, says Trazer Farnese of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

In part one, we looked at the concept of personal cashflow planning, and how it can help people map out their financial futures In this part, we look at what happens when an unforeseen event disrupts the plan.

The rise of personal cashflow planning

The new year is the perfect time to spring clean your finances, says David Haughton of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

For owner-managers of incorporated businesses, making employer pension contributions can be an extremely tax-efficient way of withdrawing cash from a business, says Scott Hansell of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Yesterday, you were busy working and today you are retired, what’s next?

Taking a midlife gap year can transform your life, but it needs careful planning.

During the Spring Budget 2023 the Government announced the removal of the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) and in the 2023/2024 tax year we have seen the LTA Tax Charge being abolished.

We are living in a world where it is not unusual for both individuals and groups to actively look for ways to reduce our impact on the environment. For example, ‘Just Stop Oil’ has carried out a series of high-profile protests, including recently disrupting play at Wimbledon and Lords.

The Charity Commission’s document aimed at charity trustees which gives guidance on investing charity money has been significantly updated.

A leading firm of financial planners is giving people the chance to take a closer look at their retirement plans as part of Pension Awareness Week, which runs from 11^th-15^th September.

For some, retirement might feel miles off, but the sooner you can start saving for it, the better.

Retirement has a habit of creeping up on you whilst you are busy getting on with your life, to the extent that we barely give it consideration until it is almost upon us.

High-profile protests by Just Stop Oil activists are making the headlines – but are they influencing investors, asks Andrew Spaxman of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Soaring rates are bringing annuities back into fashion, says Richard Ince of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

The 2023 Spring Budget introduced a number of key changes to pension legislation, and in particular changes to the Lifetime Allowance.

With the rising cost of living, protecting your income has become increasingly important. So, what would you do if you were unable to work due to a long-term illness or injury and your income dropped, or worse, stopped?

The pensions measures in the recent Budget is good news for high earners, but there are still some uncertainties.

In the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022, he announced that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) allowances will be reduced from April 2023 and then further reduced from April 2024.

As part of the Autumn Statement 2022, the government is freezing Inheritance Tax (IHT) thresholds for an extra 2 years, until April 2028. This means that you could risk losing up to 40% of your estate.

In recent correspondence to members, the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA) has set out details of proposed changes to the NHS Pension Scheme, aimed at introducing additional flexibility for members at retirement

With rising investment returns and diminishing tax-free allowances, taking advantage of annual ISA allowances is more important than ever.

Yesterday, The Bank of England (BoE) raised UK interest rates by a further half percentage point to 4%.

When planning for retirement, it is all about trying to set aside sufficient funds to use in retirement whilst still leaving sufficient funds available to pay for everyday life and specific events that could occur. The 4% rule is a simple way to help you to manage your accumulated pension funds.

Protecting your financial wellbeing is every bit as important as taking measures to improve your physical health, says Robin Carnaby of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

After more than a decade of record low interest rates – 2022 was marked by rapidly rising rates as the Bank of England (BoE) intervened to tackle soaring inflation.

Yesterday, The Bank of England (BoE) revealed a 0.50% point interest rate rise – its ninth consecutive increase, as it looks to maintain its battle against inflation. The decision to raise the bank rate to 3.5% means it is at its highest level for 14 years.

National Savings and Investments (NS&I) have announced another increase to their Premium Bond customers, who are set to get a welcome New Year boost, with an increase to the prize fund rate from 2.20% to 3.00%.

Those approaching retirement and worried about market volatility affecting their pension pots don’t need to panic, says Chris Egmore of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

The Bank of England has raised the base rate of interest by 0.75%, to 3% - the single biggest hike in 33 years, and have said that the UK is already in recession.

National Pension Tracing Day, 30th October 2022.

National Savings and Investments (NS&I) have announced that from 1 October 2022 there will be millions of pounds added to Premium Bond prizes. NS&I will increase the prize fund rate from 1.40% to 2.20%, adding an expected £76million to the prize fund.

We are seeing a lot of negative headlines regarding the financial markets, and it is natural to worry about your investments; however, history tells us that it is better to stay invested during these times, and not to sell out.

Cash savers are quietly celebrating, as a ‘rates war’ has broken out in the savings market - meaning savers are now getting a much better return on their money than what they were a year ago.

For most, the State Pension forms the foundation of their retirement planning.

Last week, the Bank of England raised interest rates by 0.50% to 1.75%, the biggest hike in 27 years, as it tries to battle rising inflation.

2022 will be an important year for members of the NHS Pension Scheme to complete a ‘health-check’ of their membership.

Firstly, that’s a great question. The simple answer is that you can retire when you have adequate wealth to do so. This can be a mixture of pensions, savings, investments, and property.

After two years of uncertainty due to Covid, most of us hoped that 2022 would bring a little calm and stability to the world. As we now know, world events have rather overtaken this wish, and once again we are plunged into a time of uncertainty and turmoil.

Following our articles in December and February, the Bank of England (BoE) has responded to the likelihood that the war in Ukraine will push inflation to around 10% in autumn by raising interest rates to a level last seen in March 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

It’s never too early to start teaching young people about money, says Trazer Farnese of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

For pensions, the Lifetime Allowance (LTA) is the overall limit of pension funds a member can accrue during their lifetime, and which will benefit from favourable tax treatment before an LTA tax charge applies.

Over the last few days, tension has intensified between Russia and Ukraine. We wanted to take some time to position what’s happening between the two countries and what this could mean for investors.

In conjunction with Matthew Harrington, financial adviser for Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

Following our article in December the Bank of England (BoE) has tightened the squeeze on household finances with its first back-to-back interest rate rise since 2004, as the central bank forecast inflation will increase to north of 7% in April.

Diversification is of paramount importance in investment success, and one way to achieve it is by buying ‘Exchange Traded Funds’, or ETFs

Recently published figures showed that the cost of living rose by 5.1% in the 12 months to November, its highest rate in 10 years.

The Bank of England (BoE) has raised interest rates for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, despite growing concern over the ‘Omicron’ variant.

The results of the Charity Commission 2021 Covid-19 Survey indicated that 49% of charities have lost income from fundraising activities, whilst 35% have lost income from trading and other income sources.

In 2012, due to concern that the UK population weren’t taking adequate measures to save for their retirement, the Government took the radical measure of introducing auto-enrolment.

As the COP26 summit gets underway, the world’s attention is focussed on what action we must all take to secure the planet for future generations.

Following the implementation of the EU Fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD), there is a requirement for certain trusts to be registered on a central government list. This is called the Trust Registration Service (TRS), and when it was initially introduced in 2018, many non-tax paying trusts were exempt from registering.

Pension Freedoms was introduced in April 2015 and significantly changed the landscape of pensions and retirement. Ever since its introduction, there remains some misconceptions about what this really means, and the practical implications it has for individuals.

A growing number of investors are seeking ways to invest tax-efficiently in places other than their pensions and ISAs, usually because they have already fully used their ISA allowances, and significant pension contributions have compounded over the years.

Taxpayers in the UK face an increase in taxation from April 2022 to fund long awaited reforms in social care and additional support for the NHS.

Many of us could be caught out by Inheritance Tax (IHT). Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be mega-rich to owe HMRC a chunk of money when you die. I think most of us would prefer as much as possible to go to our loved ones, rather than HMRC.

In 2020, the state pension age officially increased to 66; however, recently there has been several news articles and commentary around the government’s triple lock promise and that this could mean an 8% increase in the state pension from April 2022.

Pension tax relief can seem like an alien concept, but it pays to understand what it is and how you can make the most of it, up to certain limits.

A growing number of investors are seeking ways to invest tax-efficiently other than through their pensions and Individual Savings Accounts (ISA). The reason being that those investors have fully used their ISA allowances and have significant pension contributions have compounded over the years. Pensions have a tax-efficient lifetime allowance, above which clients question why they should keep adding if they are going to get taxed later at a higher rate!

Changes to pension annual allowance rates that were announced in this years budget, those who previously opted-out may now consider opting back in.

Losses from pension fraud rose to £1.8 million in the first three months of this year, according to figures from Action Fraud.

Employers that push staff into making unsuitable defined benefit transfers should beware the “Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA’s) gaze”, a director at the regulator warns.

As we enter a new tax year, many people will be wondering how they can make their savings work harder for them, with interest rates at historically low levels.

A pension scheme is a savings plan to help you put money aside for later life. It has favourable tax treatments when compared to other forms of savings.

I don’t know how many of us thought that we’d still be adhering to so many restrictions after all this time, but here we are, over a year on and the pandemic is still having a big impact on all of us.

Would you like to know more about the ways in which Lovewell Blake Financial Planning could help your charity?

Covid savers should be making the most of their pensions allowances, says Sharon Mattheus of Lovewell Blake Financial Planning.

The Government have now published their consultation outcome in regards to the public sector pension scheme reforms outlining their proposals for changes to schemes over the coming years.

We have seen some turbulent markets in the last 12 months, with the repercussions of COVID having a significant impact. Generally speaking, markets have partially recovered but remain extremely volatile.

It has been recently highlighted that many women may be missing out on their full State Pension.

The simple answer is that you can retire when you have adequate wealth to do so.

The Wealth Tax Commission was established in Spring 2020 to provide an in-depth analysis on proposals to introduce a UK wealth tax for the first time in almost half a century. The last was considered in the UK in 1974.

It’s that time of year again when our thoughts come to gifting to our nearest and dearest. When it comes to the children in our lives this often means a new toy, or a new outfit. But what about those who already have everything they need?

Following our article in October, where we advised that the State Pension had officially increased to age 66, we wanted to take this opportunity to position further changes announced around private pension access – that were shared in September.

A Bury St Edmunds based financial adviser has been named as one of the UK’s most influential businesswomen by a leading business publication, carrying off the title of UK Financial Adviser of the Year.

Financial planners and advisers Lovewell Blake Financial Planning, which for the past three years has been listed as one of the Top 100 Financial Planners in the UK by the Financial Times, has appointed Sharon Mattheus as a Financial Adviser.

The difference between a perceived attitude to risk and actual capacity for loss can often be confused.

The extraordinary fundraising achievements by the 100-year-old Captain Tom Moore have shown just how long some of us will lead active lives, and also how much the quality of such a long and active life will depend on how well we have planned for it.

It is important that those facing redundancy understand how a pension contribution can have a positive effect on their overall wealth.

An East Anglian firm of financial planners has been named as one of the UK’s Top financial advisers by the Financial Times for the third year running – achieving a rating of 28^th in the country, up from 72^nd in 2019.

Returns for those holding money in cash savings accounts took another fall a fortnight ago, when the government-backed savings provider slashed their interest rates.

The age you can start drawing your state pension has now officially increased to 66, for most people.

Long-term care in a care home is very expensive, and can quickly erode your savings (including the equity in your property).

For those approaching retirement, timing when to take their pension has never been so important.

In short, it depends where and how you are invested. Since the markets saw a dramatic fall in March, it has been a bit of a choppy ride in general.

A tracker fund is a simple way of investing your money in company shares, bonds, and other assets.

In April 2015, the Government dramatically changed the taxation rules applying to pension scheme death benefits.

Stock markets have been volatile to say the least over the last few months, and in our opinion, will remain so until the Coronavirus pandemic is brought under control and the economic fallout assessed.

It is fair to say that 2020 has been quite an extraordinary year in many ways, presenting new challenges for people from all walks of life.

In recent weeks’, we have seen an upward trend in media activity regarding pension scams in the UK. Fraudsters are using sophisticated ways to deceive savers to part with their retirement savings using various means of communication.

You may have already seen in the financial press, news of the recent rise of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and Ethical Investing.

In March, the Bank of England unveiled its second interest rate cut in under two weeks, as part of a number of measures the central bank and UK government rolled out to help mitigate the economic impact of the Coronavirus.

Without careful financial planning, you may find that much of the wealth you spent your lifetime creating may be taken in tax rather than being passed to your loved ones.

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a number of challenges for business owners to deal with to ensure the survival of their companies.

Over the last few months, many of us have had the change to reflect on our lifestyles and financial circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you are investing in funds purely for growth, or if your portfolio consists of funds which pay out a natural income to you, it is likely that dividends will play a big part in performance.

Starting a family is undeniably, a life changing event. Every aspect of life will change, as you know it, and this means that your financial priorities will too. Children have a unique way of draining your energy, and indeed, your finances. Luckily, there are ways to plan for this.

Despite headlines over the past few days about global stock markets suffering big daily falls, it is important not to panic.

The SRA’s new rules aim to make it easier for the public to access legal services, and easier for solicitors and firms to do business.

As people begin to approach retirement, there are many things that they start to consider.

If you are a non-taxpayer and your spouse/civil partner is a basic rate tax payer then the taxman may well answer, “Just contact me and we’ll sort it out”.

With an expensive holiday season now over, it is time to consider what the new priorities for your money should be

If you watch the news, you’ll be aware that the world is going through a period of economic uncertainty. From President Trump waging a global trade war, through to a potential economic slowdown and of course Brexit, there are plenty of reasons for investors to be wary.

With the season of goodwill nearing, now could be the perfect opportunity to consider the level of life insurance you have in place.

An East Anglian firm of financial planners has been named as one of the UK’s Top financial advisers by the Financial Times for the second year running.

In an ever more competitive employment market, employers are looking closer at the overall benefits they offer, beyond just salary.

A common question amongst investors is 'should I invest in a pension or an ISA?' Here we run through the main features of each product.