Our recent advertisement on the screens at the David Lloyd fitness centre in Cambridge has got me thinking about where our priorities lie when it comes to paying for things in life. In a recent article in the Telegraph it was suggested that the cost of membership to a high end Health Club like David [...]
Our investment specialist, Philip Bailey, contributed to a recent Interactive Investor article, explaining how smart beta funds can be used in portfolio construction. Smart beta funds are a relatively new kid on the investment block and are gaining their fair share of attention because they’re quite different to the type of funds we’ve grown used [...]
The Chancellor has announced a major overhaul of the way in which individuals can draw their funds from defined contribution (DC) arrangements. With effect from April 2015, individuals will be able to put their DC funds into payment much more flexibly than now. The 25% tax-free cash limit will continue to apply, but individuals will [...]
Significant changes in the financial services industry came into play at midnight on 31 December 2012. These changes meant that financial advisors are now required to be much clearer in the detail of how their services are paid for. The days of hidden commissions and surprise, unclear charging structures are now thankfully gone. What this [...]
The Retail Distribution Review (RDR), which was published by the Financial Services Authority, came into effect on 31 December 2012. A new attempt to make charging for financial advice more transparent, the review was met with fear and skepticism within the financial advisor circle at the same time as being recognised as a real attempt [...]
Rarely out of the headlines, the financial services sector has had its fair share of difficulties of late. Irrespective of fines and changes in regulation, the stories of mis-selling and misbehavior abound. The Financial Services Authority (FSA), which was introduced in 1997, was the brainchild of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and [...]
