Income-boosting investments

Structuring your investment portfolio throughout life

If low interest rates continue to remain, it really matters where you invest your money. Investing for income means choosing assets that are able to provide you with a regular income. This is in contrast to investing for growth, which focuses on how much your assets could gain in value.

When investing, there’s no such thing as normal

Staying disciplined and sticking to your plan is key

The overall direction of developed stock markets is a relentless and continual rise in value over the very long term, punctuated by falls. It’s important not to let global uncertainties affect your financial planning for the years ahead. Individuals who stop their investment planning, particularly during market downturns, can often miss out on opportunities to invest at lower prices.

Maximising returns

Importance of mitigating key investment risks

Asset allocation depends on your goals, your attitude to risk, your capacity for loss and market conditions. Understanding investment risk and determining what level of risk you feel comfortable with before you invest is an important part of the investment-decision process. Potential returns available from different kinds of investment, and the risks involved, change over time as a result of economic, political and regulatory developments, as well as a host of other factors.

Cost of inflation

Eroding the purchasing power of your money

The impact of inflation on savings and investments, especially of those retirees living on a fixed income, is an important issue. But it’s also not good news for other savers and investors, as it can erode the purchasing power of money.

Festive gifts

Building wealth for a solid financial future

As a parent, guardian or grandparent, you’ll want to provide the best future for your children or grandchildren that you can. Christmas is an excellent time to encourage children to start thinking about the value of money. Many children have hundreds of pounds spent on them at Christmas. But could that money be put to better use? Rather than buying yet more toys for your children or grandchildren, why not consider setting up a tax-efficient Junior ISA for them?

You have one life, so invest wisely

Identifying multiple risk profiles for multiple goals

Throughout our lives, we will have many different lifestyle and financial goals that we would like to achieve. Although we all have different goals, there are some key goals that we’ll have in common, especially when it comes to retirement.

Relationship breakdowns

A pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship

What is likely to be a divorcing couple’s most valuable asset? The family home will spring to most people’s minds first. But the value of a pension could well be the biggest single asset in the relationship.

Wealth Navigator

Planning the BEST route for the next generation

You have worked hard to build your wealth. Passing it on to the next generation fairly, safely, effectively and efficiently takes skill and careful preparation. But some people find the idea of discussing inheritance uncomfortable and subsequently put off estate planning until, in some instances, it may be too late to make a difference.

Work pressures

The greatest strains on physical and mental health

There is an increasing trend for people to work for longer and delay their retirement, with some staying in work out of financial necessity. But one of the primary concerns people have about working beyond their 50s is the impact this could have on their health, or whether any health concerns might prevent them from working.