Pensions

Most people look forward to retirement but have no realistic idea of whether they can afford to retire. Too many people discover too late that their retirement income is going to fall short of what they had hoped for. Relying on the value of a home as a substitute pension is leaving a lot to chance.

With our pension advice we start the process logically by establishing the answers to the following questions:

• How good are their existing schemes?
• What income do they need?
• What about inflation?
• Is there a gap between what they have already saved and where they need to be?
• What is the best way to make up any shortfall?

We sometimes encounter people who “don’t believe in pensions”. This opinion frequently arises when pension schemes are not understood and neglected for years on end. Not surprisingly, the final result can be very disappointing. As with annual car servicing and dental checkups, monitoring your retirement plans with a qualified professional on a regular basis is essential.
Saving for retirement can take many other forms such as ISAs, individual stocks and shares and buy-to-let properties. But for most people a pension scheme offers by far the most attractive tax advantages.

We guide clients through issues such as:

• Choosing the right investment structure, usually a pension scheme
• Selecting a scheme with a combination of excellent fund choices and reasonable charges.
• Ensuring that the investments inside that structure are chosen to match the client’s attitude to risk and the timescale of the investment.
• Saving the right amount per month, split tax-effectively between partners.
• Monitoring the investment performance on a regular basis and making adjustments where necessary.
• Reducing the risk of the investment portfolio as retirement approaches. No-one should ever be complaining that their pension scheme has reduced in value by 30% in the six months before their intended retirement.

Mortgages

We guide clients through the minefield of several thousand mortgages on the market and we evaluate them on the basis of least overall cost for the period envisaged.

Investments

Companies require specialist financial advice because of their importance to their staff and because of the corporate and tax laws which affect them.

Individuals

Our aim is to ensure that you have the best independent advice when planning your financial future. When was the last time your pensions, savings or life assurance plans were reviewed?