In June, the Bank of England (BoE) decided to raise the base rate for the thirteenth consecutive time to five per cent. A higher base rate has been introduced to combat inflation, which has recently fallen to 8.7 per cent but remains stubbornly higher than previous predictions. This rate of inflation is well above the […]

When it comes to retirement planning, one group that often finds itself at a disadvantage is the self-employed. Unlike their counterparts in traditional employment, self-employed individuals face unique challenges in setting up adequate pension arrangements. During the cost-of-living crisis, many are choosing to reduce private pension savings to meet everyday expenses. With more people choosing […]

The level of risk you are willing to take on when saving and investing can have a significant impact on the returns you achieve. While common sense would suggest that challenging periods, such as the kind that we face now, are the right time to de-risk your portfolio, many choose not to. Inflation and economic […]

The Government has recently announced an extension to the deadline for individuals to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions (NICs), in a move that will benefit thousands of people across the country. The original deadline of 31 July 2023 has now been pushed back to 5 April 2025 by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), ensuring that […]

New research by fund managers has shown that up to £233 billion of savings are currently held in zero-interest bank accounts. In previous years, the historically low-interest rates brought on by the Bank of England’s decision to keep the base rate low have meant that many savers have had little option but to put their […]

Any sustainable retirement plan should have redundancies built into it. That is why many savers choose to not only invest money into their pension but also property as well. Recent research shows that the number of people intending to use property to provide a retirement income is on the rise. However, many of the advantages […]

While debt is often seen in negative terms there can be times in life when it is not only a necessity but can lead to a better financial position. That is if is done in the right way. Broadly speaking some debts can be termed as ‘good’. These are ones where the outlay either brings […]

Disappointing interest rates on everyday savings accounts and other investments mean investors and everyday savers are looking for alternative places to put their money. One of these is long-term savings accounts. Long-term savings accounts have several advantages. The primary advantage is they usually offer a higher rate of interest albeit that the money invested is […]

Planning for retirement is no easy task as this is related to lifetime earnings and anticipated needs in later life. People’s needs, or their perceived needs, vary widely. However, there are some facts and figures which can be used to ascertain the minimum amount of money you would need to be able to retire in […]

To obtain a full state pension upon retiring, individuals need to have built up a required 35 years of NI contributions. Those missing the full 35 years of contributions face receiving a reduced State Pension when retiring. For those who have not got this number of years in full, it is possible to purchase NI […]