Visit us on Facebook Visit us on LinkedIn Visit us on Twitter Visit us on YouTube Visit us on Instagram

My Blog

 
Effective budgeting should be transformative, not draining

Effective budgeting should be transformative, not draining

November 10, 2023

A little effort can yield significant results. If you’re unsure about where to begin, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re starting your budgeting journey or seeking to enhance your financial management skills, these suggestions, along with our budget planner, will help you become a proficient money manager. Getting Started Organisation is crucial when it […]

Category: Financial News & Events

 
 
 
Change up your money habits in 2022

Change up your money habits in 2022

January 6, 2023

We all know January is the perfect time to try and do something different, so set yourself on the path to a better financial future by changing your relationship with money this year. Where you are and your current financial situation doesn’t need to continue. You can embrace new habits. They won’t always be perfect, but they will set you on the journey to financial freedom – by which I mean freedom from the worries of money.

Category: Goal Setting

 
 
 
A gift your grandchildren won’t forget

A gift your grandchildren won’t forget

December 18, 2022

If you want to give your children and grandchildren a gift they will never forget, consider opening or topping up a pension for them. I know how important the children and grandchildren of my clients are to them, and it’s only natural they want to do something to help them financially.  Although before investing for […]

Category: Retirement & Pensions, Saving & Investing

 
 
Saving up doesn’t mean you need to be Scrooge

Saving up doesn’t mean you need to be Scrooge

December 11, 2022

I’m often told, “I don’t want to live like a miser now just so I can retire rich – I may never make it!” To which I reply, “I don’t want you to be a miser either… be a conscious spender instead”. Being a conscious spender is being frugal, not like being Scrooge. It’s not about denying yourself all of life’s pleasures. It’s about being aware of your outgoings and focusing on a few financial priorities. So what do we mean by frugal?

Category: Financial Planning, Saving & Investing

 
 

2022 is nearly over so make it count

December 4, 2022

It’s hard to believe we are nearly at the end of another year. I often talk with my friends, over a drink, how the years seem to pass more quickly as I age, I am not sure if it’s because we’re so busy with life, or that as I age, a year is a less […]

Category: Goal Setting

 
 
Shhhh! Research reveals we keep money secrets

Shhhh! Research reveals we keep money secrets

November 27, 2022

Money is an emotional thing. I liken it to a diet or our weight: we don’t like to talk about what we earn, or how much we have saved, or what we weigh, because we worry others will judge us.

But not talking about money is causing problems in society, with a real psychological impact too. Mind, the mental health charity, puts it well – poor mental health means managing money is harder, and worrying about money makes mental health worse. The Money & Pensions Service (MaPS) recently ran a campaign which included new research revealing the lengths we go to in hiding our finances, even from those we love.

Category: Financial Planning

 
 
Black Friday is just the start of it

Black Friday is just the start of it

November 22, 2022

Whisper it quietly, but Christmas is almost here. Black Friday, which is on the 25 November is the start of the excessive Christmas spending period.  Will this year be different in your home?  The cost of Christmas can be a real strain, and with everything else more expensive this year, you risk bursting your bank!  […]

Category: Financial Planning

 
 
How to plan your retirement

How to plan your retirement

November 20, 2022

If you’re anything like me, you won’t like surprises. When you expect one thing, and another happens I get disappointed. So how do you feel when you think about pensions?  I know they’re not the most exciting thing in the world, they are one of life’s ‘needs’ not ‘wants’, people don’t wake up in the […]

Category: Retirement & Pensions

 
 
Making your savings work smarter

Making your savings work smarter

November 10, 2022

How to make the most of your savings is an essential part of getting ahead financially, and it is especially true at a time when inflation is high.  It can be difficult to maintain the real buying power of your pounds. I have made no secret that I believe if you want to get ahead […]

Category: Saving & Investing

 
 
So you want to become a millionaire!

So you want to become a millionaire!

November 1, 2022

Do you want to be a millionaire? That is a great goal, but maybe it seems too far off in the distance or too impossible for you to reach. You may have seen the success stories on TV and social media, but maybe those people inherited their money, had high-paying jobs, or hit it big with the lottery?

I have good news for you, you can become a millionaire and it has nothing to do with your family’s money or your education, it has everything to do with you. If you follow these principles, you will be on your way to becoming a millionaire.

Category: Financial Planning, Saving & Investing

 
 
Divorce & dealing with the pension splits

Divorce & dealing with the pension splits

October 21, 2022

There were 90,871 divorces in England & Wales in 2018 and 6,873 in Scotland, although divorce rates as a proportion of marriages are at their lowest rate in nearly 50 years. Of course, 2020 could buck that trend as we’re spending far more time together under one roof, working, playing and perhaps arguing. So if the worst happens in a marriage, what happens to our pensions? There are three methods by which pension benefits are taken into account on divorce, each with their own considerations.

Category: Financial Planning, Retirement & Pensions

 
 
 
What to do as we head into a recession

What to do as we head into a recession

October 2, 2022

I write this column to help you make better money decisions and to improve your financial position, this is especially so in difficult times like now.  After two years of a pandemic, we are likely to enter a recession which means the country is in a period of temporary economic decline, during which trade and […]

Category: Financial News & Events

 
 
Should I see a financial planner?

Should I see a financial planner?

September 28, 2022

  The emergence of financial information websites and social media platforms, such as YouTube and Tik Tok, offering money management tips are trends that I think are helpful in promoting financial awareness in the UK.  The more we are aware of our options, the better our decisions will be.  And, with the ability for consumers […]

Category: Financial Planning

 
 
Energy Plans are changing

Energy Plans are changing

September 22, 2022

With energy prices spiralling out of control and changes in Government it’s hard to keep track of what is going on and what you will be paying. Two Chancellors ago, in late May, the Government announced measures design to protect retail consumers from the October 2022 Ofgem price cap. At the time, the cap for […]

Category: Financial News & Events

 
 
What help is there when it’s tough!

What help is there when it’s tough!

September 2, 2022

With inflation at a 40-year high and with Ofgem’s announcement of a 178% increase in the energy price cap, to £3,549 per year for dual fuel from 1 October, it’s one of the toughest times I can remember for personal finances. So this week I want to focus on the help that’s available from the […]

Category: Financial News & Events

 
 
How to keep ahead in the game of money

How to keep ahead in the game of money

August 28, 2022

I am often asked, ‘Why is it so difficult to get ahead financially?’ After 25 years a financial planner, and thousands of hours with clients, I believe it comes down to psychology. The answer is to stack the odds in our favour, which means taking emotion out of the equation. If we can make a decision once and put our finances on autopilot, we’re on the right track.

Category: Financial Planning

 
 
Financial Education for the nation… and its children

Financial Education for the nation… and its children

August 21, 2022

It was A Level results week this week and it will be GCSE results day on Thursday, for schools and colleges around the UK, measuring children on their ability to pass exams. It can be a very tough time for many children, and it seems unfortunate to grade children at such a young age on […]

Category: Financial Planning