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Your money, your choice

June 19, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / IFA, pensions, Retirement / 0 comments

Supporting your future financial requirements You can pay into as many pension schemes as you want; it depends on how much money you can set aside. There are several different types of private pension to choose from, but in light of recent government changes the tax aspects can require careful planning. So what do you […]

This time next year we’ll be ‘million-heirs’

June 11, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Latest News / 0 comments

Larger individual wealth and expectation of substantial inheritances With estate planning, you can decide what happens to your money and possessions – even your pets – if something happens to you. But estate planning is useful in other ways too: it can help you minimise any Inheritance Tax liability and ensure your wishes are carried […]

Can you really stomach the risk you’re taking?

June 7, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

The intellectual argument between evidence-based investing and the big fund management companies is an embarrassingly uneven contest. They have their in-house “research” teams (often closely connected to the marketing department), while we, on our side, have some of the greatest minds in academic finance. Paul Samuelson, Harry Markowitz, William Sharpe, Eugene Fama… How many Nobel […]

One in eight will retire with no pension in 2018

June 5, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions, Retirement / 0 comments

Excuses to avoid facing the difficult work of saving for retirement Retirement is one of our biggest financial challenges. As with any daunting challenges we face, we tend to think up excuses so we can avoid facing the difficult work of saving for retirement. Worryingly, nearly one in eight people retiring this year (12%) have […]

Investing isn’t easy. That’s why you should have an adviser

May 31, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

I’m often asked whether people actually need to use a financial adviser. The simple answer, strictly speaking, is no. But it comes with an important caveat: they may well come to regret it if they don’t. Before we get on to that, we should also point out that financial advice is not just about investing. […]

2018/19 Tax Changes

May 30, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial advice / 0 comments

Here’s what you need to know about the 2018/19 tax year changes and new initiatives. It’s important to consider the tax implications of making financial decisions. The 2018/19 tax year is now upon us, and a raft of new changes have come into force. The good news is that the overall tax burden is little […]

What RockWealth clients value most

May 22, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

According to a new survey, only ten per cent of Britons currently have a financial adviser. Aegon polled more than 900 people and found that 47% make financial decisions on their own and 40% make decisions with their partner or spouse. The survey also found that even among those who are about to starting drawing […]

Climate change, fund management and the suppression of evidence

May 17, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

I finally got round to watching Before the Flood the other day. For those who aren’t aware, it’s a documentary film about climate change, released in 2016. Commissioned by National Geographic, it was directed by Fisher Stevens and presented by the actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking film, and what […]

Avoiding hidden dangers in retirement

May 14, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

Make sure you don’t run out of money or face a reduced standard of living Increasingly, more and more pensioners are keeping much of their pension invested after they retire. This means they’re faced with two very different risks when deciding what to do with their savings in retirement in a world of ‘pension freedoms’. […]

How prepared are you for any financial shocks?

May 8, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning / 0 comments

The typical household today looks very different from the traditional image of a working family made up of one primary breadwinner and one homemaker. Instead, nowadays many households rely on two incomes to maintain their lifestyle, or even just to get by. Of the two thirds of Britons who are living as part of a […]

Half of fund managers perform better on holiday

May 1, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

With active fund management in crisis, the financial media is teeming with suggestions as to how to rescue it. Indeed I’ve chipped in with some suggestions of my own. Interestingly, a recurring theme coming from active managers is that they need to try harder. With alpha so hard to unearth, some have vowed to redouble […]

Financial Fitness

April 30, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning, IFA / 0 comments

Time to track and celebrate your wealth goals? With the Christmas festivities now a distant memory, money matters are firmly on people’s minds this year according to recent research[1]. A poll of more than 3,500 UK adults[2] found the most common money goals are: putting more money into their savings accounts (21%); paying off their […]

How to invest ethically

April 25, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

There has been a huge growth in interest in recent years in ethical investing. Ethical investors want to see a good financial return, but they also want to invest in a way that, in some small way, helps to make the world a better place. Several different terms are used to describe, and they all […]

Why being over 40 is the new mid-20s

April 23, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning, Retirement / 0 comments

Healthier lifestyles and feeling happier about financial planning for retirement An increasing number of middle-aged Britons are getting healthier as they exercise more and eat better than they did when they were younger. Over-40s are turning to healthier lifestyles, with more than half rating themselves as more health-conscious than they were in their mid-20s, according […]

Stocks & Shares ISAs

April 16, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / ISA, new isa / 0 comments

Investing in a wide range of different tax-efficient investments From July 2014, Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) can now be used to hold stocks and shares or cash, or any combination of these, up to the current annual limit. An ISA is a ‘wrapper’ that can be used to help save you tax. A Stocks & […]

The wisdom of Warren Buffett

April 14, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

Warren Buffett is generally recognised as the most successful, and highly respected, investor in the world. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has provided excellent returns for its shareholders over many decades. So, what advice has Buffett given over the years to ordinary investors? Well, he’s certainly passed on plenty of it, both in interviews and, in […]

What will influence your retirement income needs?

April 9, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

What will influence your retirement income needs? Retirement is a time for you to do the things you’ve always wanted. When considering your retirement income needs, you need to consider the types of events you would like to happen after you retire that may impact your budget. Thinking about these early could help you when […]

Glaciers move faster than the UK fund industry

April 6, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

It can be very frustrating for those, like me, who’ve been campaigning for improvements to the UK fund industry, to see things changing quite so slowly. Successive reports by regulators over the last two decades have highlighted a whole host of problems which militate against good consumer outcomes. These include a lack of transparency around […]

Investment objectives – a lifestyle financial plan

April 3, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / IFA, Investing / 0 comments

Protecting your wealth from market ups and downs A lifestyle financial plan has no value unless it is properly implemented through an appropriate investment strategy. If you’ve got a sufficient amount of money in your cash savings account – enough to cover you for at least six months – and you want to see your […]

How to make the most of your retirement

March 27, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

Steps you could take to increase your eventual income Even if retirement isn’t far away, there are steps you could take to increase your eventual retirement income. This applies both to your State Pension entitlement as well as to any personal or workplace pension pots. We’ve provided some areas to consider that you may wish […]

What’s the best way to plan your retirement spending?

March 19, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Latest News / 0 comments

As any experienced mountaineer will tell you, there’s more to climbing a mountain than getting to the top. Statistically, there are in fact more accidents on the descent. It’s a similar story with wealth management. Most of what we read about it focuses on the so-called accumulation phase — in other words, building a sufficiently […]

6 Reasons to Review your financial needs and goals

March 19, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning / 0 comments

Take the time to think about what you really want from your investments You need to consider what you really want from your investments. Knowing yourself, your needs and goals, and your appetite for risk is a good start. 1. Consider your reasons for investing It’s important to know why you’re investing. The first step is to […]

Things to take into account once you’ve retired

March 12, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

How our spending might change in retirement Living longer is a good thing, right? Most people would probably agree with that. Living longer means more time to enjoy all the world has to offer and more time to spend with cherished family and friends – and everyone wants at some point to stop working and […]

What’s a journalist doing at a financial planning firm?

March 9, 2018 / by Robin Powell / Investing / 0 comments

This is such an exciting moment for me — the start of my very first post for the RockWealth blog, having just joined Tim, Matt, Mark and the team as Head of Investor Education. It’s a huge honour to be here. You may already be familiar with me from the documentary that my company, Ember Regis […]

Funding your future lifestyle

March 5, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning, IFA / 0 comments

Think about the level of risk you might be willing to take with your hard-earned cash We all dream of a more prosperous financial future, but how do you turn this into a reality? With interest rates on savings accounts stuck at low levels, it’s difficult to get any real growth on your money over the […]

Are you sleepwalking into retirement poverty?

February 26, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions, Retirement / 0 comments

Lack of pension knowledge among UK adults The UK’s middle-aged workers could be sleepwalking into retirement poverty. Four in ten people aged between 40 and 65 cannot accurately estimate their total pension savings for retirement. Just over a third of 60 to 65-year-olds who took part in a questionnaire by the JLT Employee Benefits research […]

‘Miss List’

February 19, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

With retirement in your sights, what do you think you’ll miss? Spending time with family, easily having a shower or bath and driving a car are the top day-to-day moments that most people would miss if they could no longer do them. However, seven in ten (69%) people – over 36 million[1] people – fail […]

7 pension tips for nurturing your nest egg in 2018

February 12, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions, Retirement / 0 comments

Helping you realise your financial goals We’ve now entered a new age of retirement planning with the introduction of pension freedoms. Your retirement is likely to be the most important time in your life you’ll even plan for – you could be retired for 20 years or more. Thinking about pensions sooner rather than later […]

The bank that likes to say ‘yes’

February 5, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning, Retirement / 0 comments

Repeated payouts to children could have a detrimental impact on your own long-term saving Many parents who are in a position to do so would want to provide financial help to their children. However, in many cases, this financial support ends up being gifts from Mum and Dad rather than the loans from the Bank […]

Millennial outlook

January 29, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions / 0 comments

Pension saving high up on the list of workplace priorities Workers from the so-called ‘millennial generation’ are putting pension saving high up their list of workplace priorities. Nearly six in ten (57%) people in their first ten years of work considered the quality of their current employer’s pension scheme before deciding whether to take the […]

ISA returns of the year

January 22, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial advice, Financial Planning / 0 comments

Taking control over where your money is invested tax-efficiently A new tax year is nearly upon us – and that means, for all diligent savers and investors, you should make sure that you take full advantage of your current Individual Savings Account (ISA) tax-efficient allowance. What is an ISA? An ISA is a tax-efficient investment […]

Making solid financial resolutions

January 16, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Investing / 0 comments

Grow your money and live the life you want The New Year is the perfect time to overhaul your life for the better, and one excellent place to start is by making solid financial resolutions that can help get you closer to your money goals, whether it’s increasing your retirement savings or setting enough money […]

Savings black hole

January 8, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Investing, Latest News / 0 comments

Inflation set to erode Britain’s £60 billion cash savings Millions of Britons could see their savings shrink, as they don’t know how to shield them from the threat of rising inflation. Currently, UK savers are hoarding over £60 billion[1] in cash for long-term savings and investments, which stands to be eroded by £1.5 billion this […]

5 reasons to open a Stocks & Shares ISA

January 2, 2018 / by Tim Horrocks / Investing / 0 comments

Whatever you’re putting money aside for, there’s likely to be a role for Individual Saving Accounts (or ‘ISAs’). Low interest rates on cash savings since the financial crisis have meant that many savers have turned to the markets in the hope of achieving a better return. Although investing means taking risks with your money, this […]

Get ‘wrapped’ up

December 18, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Investing, pensions / 0 comments

Autonomy to make your own investment decisions Some people don’t want a pension company deciding how their pension savings are invested – they want to control where their money goes and how it grows. For people wanting to have autonomy to make their own investment decisions with their retirement savings, a Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) […]

Autumn Budget 2017 | What the Chancellor had to say

November 28, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / IFA, Latest News / 0 comments

Your wealth. Your legacy

November 20, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Inheritance tax / 0 comments

Will IHT affect me? Families shying away from difficult conversations If you have significant assets, you may be wondering whether Inheritance Tax (IHT) affects you. Worryingly, some families appear to be shying away from difficult conversations, as almost half (47%) of UK adults say they have never discussed inheritance matters, according to new research[1]. IHT receipts […]

Turbocharge your pension

November 13, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions / 0 comments

Will you be able to afford the retirement lifestyle you want? If you’re still working, what kind of life would you like to lead when you’ve said goodbye to the 9-to-5? Saving for your retirement is essential if you want the financial freedom to enjoy your later years. After all, you’ll still want to do […]

UK pension savings gap

November 6, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions / 0 comments

The need for a greater awareness of what must be saved today If savers want a particular standard of living at retirement, then they will need a greater awareness of what must be saved today. Despite efforts by the Government to tackle the savings gap through auto-enrolment and raising the pensions age, challenges still exist. […]

Shopping around for a better pension deal

October 30, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions, Retirement / 0 comments

Consumers lost £130 million by sticking with the same pension provider in 2016 New research finds consumers could be missing out on thousands of pounds in retirement by not shopping around for a better pension deal/product. This means their pension pot may not stretch as far as they hope it will, yet a significant proportion […]

Average age of divorce at an all-time-high

October 23, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial advice / 0 comments

Forecasting the long-term effects of the settlement The financial ramifications of a divorce can be devastating. The average age of divorce has reached an all-time high at 45 years and 11 months for men and 43 years and six months for women, according to data released from ONS[1]. Obtaining professional financial advice is essential during […]

Planning for your retirement

October 16, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

Getting ready to slow things down One of the critical aspects of retirement planning is how you structure your financial affairs to make sure you have sufficient money if and when you stop working. Making sure you have enough money in retirement to enable you to spend your time the way you want to, doing those […]

Financially unprotected

October 9, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / IFA / 0 comments

Dads putting their family’s financial security at risk if the unexpected were to happen What would happen to you and your family in the event of unforeseen circumstances, such as the diagnosis of a serious illness or premature death? Worryingly, research from Scottish Widows reveals that more than half (53%) of men in the UK […]

Family Succession planning

October 2, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Financial Planning / 0 comments

Taking advice early and developing a personal financial plan is crucial to meeting long-term goals Succession planning may be one of the most challenging experiences facing any leader, especially an entrepreneurial business person who has built a family business from scratch, so it is crucial to get right. For a family business, transition is a […]

Gender income gap

September 25, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

Minimising the impact on your retirement income The gap between women’s and men’s annual average expected retirement incomes in 2017 has grown by £1,000 in the last year, according to new research[1]. Future financial plans The unique annual research has, over the last ten years, tracked the future financial plans and aspirations of people planning […]

Retirement taxation

September 18, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Retirement / 0 comments

Understanding the bottom line – tax in retirement Retired households handed over an average of £7,400 each in tax last year – the equivalent of nearly 30% of their annual income, according to analysis of newly released data[1] by Prudential. The total annual tax bill for the UK’s 7.1 million retired households was £52.7 billion […]

Sleepwalking into a pension shortfall

September 12, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Auto-enrolment / 0 comments

Auto-enrolment shouldn’t be seen as a silver bullet How much money you should be saving for your retirement is a key question when visualising the type of retirement lifestyle you want. However, the 13th annual Scottish Widows Retirement Report reveals that, despite the success of auto-enrolment – 80% of 22 to 29-year-olds are paying something […]

Pensions revolution

September 4, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / pensions / 0 comments

Awareness and understanding amongst the public still remains low 6 April 2017 marked the anniversary of both the new State Pension and the new pension freedoms. These major overhauls have revolutionised the UK pensions landscape, but research from Aviva[1] suggests work to improve pension saving is far from done as awareness and understanding amongst the […]

Brexit triggers saving

August 29, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / Brexit / 0 comments

Current affairs have a significant impact on how people feel about the economy People who feel pessimistic about the UK economy or their own personal finances are more likely to plan to save more over the next 12 months to ensure they have a financial safety net, according to a Zurich survey of over 4,000 […]

Investment trusts

August 21, 2017 / by Tim Horrocks / IFA, Investing / 0 comments

Public company aiming to make money by investing in other companies An investment trust is a public company that raises money by selling shares to investors, and then pools that money to buy and sell a wide range of shares and assets. Different investment trusts will have different aims and different mixes of investments. Investment […]

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