19th May 2009
If for some reason you were unable to work due to illness, an accident or unemployment how would you cope?
Nobody likes to think of the worst-case scenario but unfortunately, if for some reason you are unable to work then bills don't magically stop. Yo...
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19th May 2009
What is an independent financial adviser?
Independent financial advisers (IFAs) are professionals who provide financial advice to clients and recommend strategies and financial products in areas like wealth management, insurance, mortgages, loans, pens...
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19th May 2009
Everybody knows that we should start planning for our retirement as early as possible and the days of the state pension providing for us in old age are well and truly behind us (in 2008-2009, the full basic State Pension is just £90.70 a week for a singl...
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19th May 2009
There are plenty of places that you can go for financial advice - some better than others. By and large, the type of advice you should be looking for is based on what you're trying to achieve and your own personal circumstances.
That being said, it's w...
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09th April 2009
What kind of investor are you - defensive, cautious, balanced or aggressive?
Whether you are investing as part of a pension plan, investment ISA or simply buying stocks and shares, it's vital that you have a 'plan of attack' to help guide your investme...
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09th April 2009
State pensions, company pensions, stakeholder pensions, personal pensions and SIPPs - what are they and which one is right for me?
With so many different and varied choices (and plenty of jargon to go with them), it's a natural question to ask.
If y...
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09th April 2009
It might sound a little strange but children's pensions are becoming an increasingly popular way for parents and grandparents to give children the best possible start on road to good retirement planning.
In effect, a children's pension is not really an...
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09th April 2009
In simplest terms an annuity is an agreement to pay out a regular sum in return for a one-off investment. For example, if you could gave me £100 I could agree to give you back £10 a year for a set number of years.
In practice, annuities are a little ...
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08th April 2009
The Internet has made much of our daily lives simpler - from communications to shopping. At the same time it has also thrown up some new risks, not least of which is online fraud.
An increasing number of financial service providers are offering online ...
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07th April 2009
The economy is in trouble - but that doesn't mean your personal finances have to be. Asking the right questions is the first step in ensuring your finances are secure.
Here are just a few of the points you should be considering:
Your Mortgage
If ...
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24th March 2009
The idea of life insurance is to help look after your family when you die. The proceeds of a life insurance policy can clear your debts, mortgage and replace some of your income to support those who depend on you when they need it most.
Simply put, you...
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13th March 2009
The Bank of England further reduced the Base Rate to 0.5%. This is the lowest it has ever been but what is the next step to take as there doesn't seem to be much manoeuvring space left? This is where the monetary policy of quantitative easing comes in, in...
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17th February 2009
Copyright (c) 2009 Gareth Flanagan
Last week the Bank of England cut interest rates by another '% to a 300-year low of just 1%. It's the fifth month in a row that rates have been cut ' falling from 5% in October to just 1% now.
Good news for those o...
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16th February 2009
Copyright (c) 2009 Gareth Flanagan
Inheritance tax is not one of those topics that people like to talk about all that much. Which is understandable really.
However, changing rules on who and who is not affected by inheritance tax rules makes keeping...
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