Whether you are saving for your future or your children’s future, a major life event or simply for a rainy day, it is important to ensure that your investments will continue to help you reach that goal, particularly as your personal circumstances change.
We’ll work with you to build a financial portfolio designed to achieve your goals, with ongoing advice and reviews. Your financial goals are as individual as you are, and we can help you make the right choices about savings and investments with professional advice tailored to your circumstances, objectives and attitude to risk.
Some of the areas we can advise on include:
Cash deposits and National Savings & Investment (NS&I)
Cash deposits, provided by banks and building societies, are a low risk investment because they are protected by the UK Government up to a certain threshold. While the NS&I is similar to savings products offered by banks and building societies there are other investments available, such as Premium Bonds or Income Bonds. There are many different cash deposit accounts and NS&I products available and we can help you find those which suit your individual needs.
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate deposit accounts and National Savings products.
Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
An ISA allows you to save money without paying tax on the interest you receive. There are various types of ISA, including cash ISA, stocks and shares ISA (which acts as a tax efficient wrapper for your investments), Junior ISAs (to enable investors to save for their child’s future) and a new Lifetime ISA designed for those saving for retirement or their first home.
The amount that an individual can invest in an ISA depends on the tax year in which the investment is registered. We can help you choose the best ISA account for your needs based on your own personal needs.
Collective investments
Collective investments enable a number of investors to pool their assets. These are then professionally managed by an independent manager through investments that typically include gilts, bonds and quoted equities but may also involve unquoted investments. Such schemes are popular with investors who wish to reduce risk by spreading their investments more widely than if they were investing in the assets directly.
Based on your individual circumstances, we can recommend collective investment vehicles, including investment trusts, unit trusts and Open Ended Investment Companies.
Investment bonds
An investment bond (also known as an insurance or life assurance bond) is a single premium life insurance policy, which can act as a tax-efficient investment, including for higher rate taxpayers.
We can advise on your options for both onshore and offshore investment bond investments designed to maximise tax-efficient income (as regular withdrawals can be taken) and potential capital growth.
School fees planning
Many parents would like to give their children a private education, but school fees can prove to be a huge financial commitment and forward planning is therefore essential.
We can advise on the most cost-effective methods to fund future school fees – taking into account factors including how long you have before you start to pay fees, the number of children involved, estimated fees and likely increases, and your income, assets and any possible inheritance – and on savings options including lump sum and regular savings.
The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate school fees planning.
Specialist investments
Specialist investments can make exciting propositions and provide a tax-efficient way to invest in smaller companies or the stock market. However, they typically involve a higher degree of risk and can tie up your money so a longer term view must be taken. We can advise you on the most appropriate specialist investment schemes to suit your financial goals, attitude to risk and individual circumstances.
Contact us to arrange a no obligation introductory meeting to discuss your financial planning needs and how we can help you in more detail.
The value of your investment may go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount invested.
Levels and bases of, and reliefs from taxation are subject to change and their value depends on the individual circumstances of the investor.