Posts Tagged ‘Financial Planning’

03.09
2011

Seminar: Take Advantage of the Tax Changes

The tax year-end is always important due to the various tax allowances and reliefs that are available. This year in particular there are serious changes to the pension landscape you need to be aware of.

The headline change is that tax relief at your highest marginal rate will be allowed up to £50,000 p.a. from April 6th however if you’re a higher-rate tax payer and take appropriate action before tax year-end, you can benefit even more.

The complications of the current year ‘anti-forestalling’ £20,000 contribution limitation, as well as the removal of the personal allowance above £100,000 and a 50% tax rate above £150,000 mean that it would be wise to find out what you can do sooner rather than later. Obtaining 50% tax relief is akin to receiving a 50% discount on your investments!

To explain the changes and what they mean for you, we’re hosting two tax and investment seminars at The Gherkin on Tuesday 15th March and Thursday 17th March. At each event we will share a number of planning opportunities for higher rate tax payers, as well as investment ideas and a superior insurance proposition for your properties.  

Places are strictly limited. Please RSVP to a.roberts@abusinessinnovation.com at your earliest to secure your place.

Below is a copy of the invite:

Our last event about the budget changes and implications for your tax bill was a hit. The feedback from attendees was really positive:

“Increase the frequency of your events…”

“Great venue!”

“Perfectly timed and informative…”

Abbie, our Head of Marketing, snapped a couple of shots of the event and the view from The Gherkin.

 

We hope to see you there!

Posted by Ian on 03.09.2011

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03.03
2011

Wiping the Slate

Followers of natural history may be familiar with the K-T boundary. Around 65.5m years ago some 75% of all species on earth disappeared. Amongst them were some of the largest and most highly specialised (not to mention successful) creatures ever to have existed - the dinosaurs. They had evolved over 160 million years to fill every conceivable biological niche and by comparison, our own antecedents were tiny creatures scurrying about in the dark and doing their best to avoid becoming someone else’s dinner!

Source: flickr - desdeaqui

The cause of the extinction? Well, current evidence suggests that a huge asteroid - so large that the top of it was still in outer space when the bottom struck the earth - was responsible. It was travelling at roughly 20 times the speed of a rifle bullet and released more than 1 billion times the energy of the bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Enough to ruin your whole day.

Since then our tiny ancestors have evolved into every type of mammal we see today from the dormouse to the blue whale (and of course, us) to fill once again, every biological niche.

And the relevance of all this? Well, two things:

  1. The UK Financial Services Industry may well come to look upon 31st December 2012 as its own K-T Boundary Extinction Level Event. A good number of highly specialised firms (large and small) are not going to survive the impact of the FSA’s Retail Distribution Review. They have evolved to thrive in the sales/commission driven world of the past 30 years and they lack the adaptability to survive in the new environment that is coming.
  2. Initially this will have a negative impact - first on the number of people qualified and authorised to give financial advice to the public and second on that very public who are faced with a more bewildering than ever array of financial decisions to make. The need for good quality advice has never been greater.

However, the K-T extinction event shows that where nature creates a vacuum something new will evolve to fill the gap. In this case, the FSA seems intent to wipe the slate clean. Many are taking this personally but it does begin to look and feel like an act of nature! There are already a number of great firms out there ready to take on the challenge. For those firms, their current and future clients, the future seems brighter than ever. For the rest? Maybe a footnote in the financial palaeontologist’s yearbook?

Posted by Clifford on 03.03.2011

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01.06
2011

Play for Now, Plan for the Future

We have recently started working with a number of professional sports people, helping them to maximise their current earnings and successfully plan for the future. This post outlines exactly how we are helping them. If you find yourself in a similar situation, or need advice, please get in touch.

Source: flickr Tim Goodill

Whether you favour the round or oval ball, a pair of whites or indeed a whip, a professional sports career is an exciting one where dreams can come true and fortunes made. You may already be on your way to being the next Wayne, Jonny, Freddie or Frankie, but more realistically you are likely to enjoy a 10-15 year career in or around the top flight of your sport. 

Either route will realise some financial truths;

1)      You will be earning significant sums of money, in excess of your daily living needs

2)      Your extreme earning potential will last for a relatively short period of time

3)      Unless you develop other skills, you will be retired for 50 years!

In simple terms, how much should you save now to secure your financial future once you stop playing? Do you have a financial plan? Many of your predecessors did not, and frittered away money in the good days and/or over-estimated their ability to earn decent money in their second career.

The term “break a leg” may be a good luck message for aspiring actors, but for professional sportsmen it can be a nightmare scenario. Forget even being a journeyman professional, a bad injury can easily end your career prematurely – next week, next year, in 5 years’ time? Of course no one wants to contemplate such a scenario, but it is our job to help you plan for every eventuality.

Let’s be frank; it need not be a career threatening injury. You may be invincible at the moment but a loss of form, a new manager, an influx of foreign talent, or just the next generation of whiz kids, can mean you no longer making the 1st team or not getting the top rides. Such a scenario happens all the time unfortunately, and will also have an adverse impact on your earning potential.

Good quality financial advice is not about ‘selling’ you high risk investments for big commissions. We believe you take enough risk in your day job. We wish to develop long term relationships to help you secure your financial future – imagine the peace of mind knowing that you have a plan that will provide sufficient income for you and your family for life.

Please contact us for a ‘no cost, no obligation’ initial meeting.

Posted by Clifford on 01.06.2011

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08.11
2010

Insurance Should Play a Key Part in Your Asset Planning

We give a lot of thought to protecting the value of our financial assets.   But do we give as much attention to our tangible assets – homes, cars, collections – which are often worth far more.

Possibly we assume that standard insurance will be enough, without realising the pitfalls.

Unfortunately, most home and car insurance is based on a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy with small print restricting the claims and sums the insurer will pay.  So, if you own a higher-value home or car, you could find – usually when you make a claim – that you’re not fully covered.

 

To heap insult on injury – regardless of the service they provide – standard brokers not only take a standard commission, but also often obtain further hidden income from your premium.

But, owning a higher-value home or car doesn’t have to mean resigning yourself to insufficient cover and excessive premiums.  Symmetry is a private broker that specialises in the personal insurance needs of discerning clients with more to protect. We have recently strategically partnered with Symmetry to provide insurance services to our wealthy clients.

Their guiding belief is that good insurance is about balance, fairness and equity … symmetry.   They offer a truly personal service with:
Fairer cover – their initial home appraisal means they match your cover to your precise needs, with almost no restrictive conditions.  They will also advise on loss prevention, security and collection management.  So you can be certain you are properly protected, but paying only for what you really need. 
Fairer claims – their claim service is consistently rated the best in the UK.   After a loss, they ensure you have the choice of cash or replacement/ repair using a supplier you nominate.  Non-complex claims are usually paid within two days of notification.
Fairer charges – they return the commission other brokers keep and charge you only for the service level you have chosen.
Talk to Chris Tully on 01252 560 550 or email chris.tully@symmetrypi.com. 

Posted by Fish on 08.11.2010

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06.22
2010

What Does The Budget Mean For You?

Gherkin Invite 30th

What are the implications of today’s budget for high net worth individuals in the City? We are hosting a series of tax seminars to help you mitigate tax. The first one is next Wednesday 30th at The Gherkin.

Posted by Ian on 06.22.2010

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