Gathering information and developing your strategy Evaluating your financial and lifestyle goals in greater depth is essential if you want to get a picture of your future responsibilities and aspirations.

Take the time to think about what you really want from your investments You need to consider what you really want from your investments. Knowing yourself, your needs and financial and lifestyle goals, and your appetite for risk is a good start.

Identifying your investment objectives is a lifelong process A total wealth solution has no value unless it is properly implemented through an appropriate investment strategy. If you’ve got a sufficient amount of money in your cash savings account – enough to cover you for at least six months – and you want to see your … Continue reading “Protecting wealth”

Informed decisions to improve your chances of achieving your financial goals If you want to plan for your financial future, it helps to understand risk. If you understand the risks associated with investing and you know how much risk you are comfortable taking, you can make informed decisions and improve your chances of achieving your … Continue reading “Understanding investment risk”

Spreading risk among different kinds of investments When you start investing, or even if you are a sophisticated investor, one of the most important tools available is diversification. Whether the market is bullish or bearish, maintaining a diversified portfolio is essential to any long-term investment strategy.

Investing in different things, with different strategies Pooled investment funds – also known as ‘collective investment schemes’ – are a way of combining sums of money from many people into a large fund spread across many investments and managed by a professional fund manager.

Fewer ups and downs than investing directly in shares If you save regularly or invest a lump sum using a life insurance policy, you might choose to invest in a with-profits fund. These aim to give you a return linked to the stock market but with fewer ups and downs than investing directly in shares. … Continue reading “With-profits funds”

Investing in a wide range of different tax-efficient investments Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) can be used to hold stocks and shares or cash, or any combination of these, up to the current annual limit. An ISA is a tax-efficient ‘wrapper’ that can be used to help save you tax.

How you will “slice up your wealth pie?” There is no easy way to say it – anticipating one’s death is an uncomfortable topic. Yet it is often worth pushing past the initial discomfort to pursue the potential rewards of effective wealth transfer planning. There are three places your assets can go at your death: … Continue reading “Planning for succession”

What you need to know about the Chancellor’s announcement At the end of September, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a new Winter Economy Plan, with new measures to support businesses and individuals through the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as extensions of current measures.