What you can do to reduce a future financial shortfall
A lot has been made of the gender pay gap, but what’s not so well known is how this can affect women in retirement. Unsurprisingly, women don’t fare as well as men when it comes to the savings they’ve built up for a healthy and economically stable retirement.
Bank of Mum and Dad is playing an ever-present role in the housing market
Across the UK, parents, grandparents, family and friends have been reaching into their pockets to help young, hopeful buyers and even growing families to make their housing plans a reality. These generous lenders are often funding most or all of the deposit buyers need to step onto or up the ladder.
Any goal, let alone financial, without a clear objective is nothing more than a pipe dream
The New Year is a great time to make financial resolutions but, unfortunately, achieving financial goals isn’t quite that simple. Habits become ingrained and hard to overcome. For some of us, the resolutions we set, financial or otherwise, can quickly become overwhelming.
How much of your wealth do you currently hold in cash?
One paradox of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is that even as businesses have shut down and jobs have disappeared, some British households have on average been saving more money than they usually do, due to lower spending, according to new research[1].
Just about everybody wants to become financially secure and independent – so why do so few people get there? One thing is for certain: it very rarely ‘just happens’.
If you do not know where you are going on your life journey, how will you know when you arrive? This is very true about the importance of having financial goals. You need to set financial goals to help you make wise financial decisions, and also as a reward for your efforts. Goals should be clear, concise, detailed and written down. Remember, an unwritten goal is just a wish.
Financial wellbeing ultimately comes from achieving financial security and independence. When you’ve reached a state of financial wellbeing, you’ve got to a point where you have a sufficient level of income for your lifestyle needs, enough capital to give you peace of mind and the knowledge that whatever happens you, your family and business are fully protected.
Gathering information and developing your strategy
Evaluating your financial and lifestyle goals in greater depth is essential if you want to get a picture of your future responsibilities and aspirations.
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 financial and lifestyle goals, and your appetite for risk is a good start.
Identifying your investment objectives is a lifelong process
A total wealth solution 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 money grow over the long term, then you should consider investing some of it.
