Every year brings new possibilities – and at the start of the 2024/25 tax year, it’s time to maximise your financial options and opportunities. If you’re an investor or saver then there are plenty of tax perks you can take advantage of. But the clock is ticking before the tax year door slams shuts and our team of experts are on hand to ensure that you receive the information you need to make the best decisions for you and your finances.  

So, what should my priorities be?

Well, there’s little benefit to having an ISA allowance if you ...

The financial world can seem a complex place to navigate at times, particularly when it comes to areas like inheritance and estate planning. But that’s where our trusted and skilled teams of specialists come into their own – helping you through the process and handing you that most priceless of commodities; peace of mind. 

Don’t wait until the last minute – get advice as early as possible

If retirement is looming or if you’ve already stopped working, then your mind may be turning to the best way of ensuring that your financial leg...

How to improve your chances of passing a mortgage affordability assessment

Getting on the housing ladder can feel like one of the hardest and longest processes in the world and the cost of living crisis is probably not helping. You need to come across as attractive as possible for lenders to consider you but there are many factors that can reduce how much lenders are willing to let you borrow for your home, from debt to low household income.

So how do lenders decide whether to offer you a mortgage? 

If you’re applying for a new mortgage...

When preparing to buy your first home, saving for a deposit can be a difficult process. As house prices, inflation, cost of living and mortgage rates increase, it can mean that some mortgage lenders may require larger deposits of the property value. This can be challenging trying to save a large sum of money and for some within a limited time. It’s also important to consider all the other costs that are involved in buying a property – conveyancing, legal fees, insurance policies and moving costs to name a few.

How much do I need to save?...

Life is busy, we get it. But is anything more important than being in control of your future? Recent research* suggests that only 44% of UK adults have made a will, which means that you’re far from alone if you haven’t yet got around to completing what, for some, appears to be a daunting task.

It’s always worth bearing in mind that if you die without a will, the law decides who inherits everything you own (your assets) according to certain criteria called ‘intestacy rules’. So your assets may not be divided up as you would like, meaning you...

What is a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and do I need one?

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that allows you to appoint one or more people to make decisions on your behalf during your lifetime. The people you appoint to manage your affairs are called the attorneys. An LPA is a completely separate legal document to your will although many people put them in place at the same time as getting their will written, as part of planning for their future.

What does a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) cover?

There are two types ...

Hardly a day goes by without the cost of living hitting the headlines. For many homeowners the increasing costs of owning and running a home is having a huge impact on household budgets. Even if you are near the top end of your monthly budget, or are expecting a ‘payment shock’ when you come to remortgage next, you may be wondering whether it’s worthwhile paying more than the minimum repayment each month, with the aim to save money in the long run.

So, what are the benefits of making mortgage overpayments?

1      Mortgage-free sooner

Over...

You should base financial decisions on logic and facts. But psychology can have a much larger effect than you think, and it can lead to you making decisions that aren’t right for you. Read on to find out more about what behavioural finance is and how it could affect you.

“Behavioural finance” was first coined in the 1970s by economist Robert Shiller and psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky. They used the term to refer

to how unconscious biases and previous experiences affect the way people make financial decisions.

It can be use...

Jenny is a 47-year-old Account Manager with a long and varied CV.

She hasn’t quite had more jobs than hot dinners but, when she thinks about the various pensions she’s acquired over the years, sometimes it feels that way.

Jenny has recently been considering consolidating pensions. But is combining her pensions necessarily the best way forward?

There are several potential advantages of consolidating your pensions.

Easier to manage - One of the main advantages Jenny might gain by combining her pensions is it should be easier for her to man...