Whether you’ve been in charge of a successful business for several years or have only recently started up your own enterprise, it’s important to understand the challenges and potential pitfalls and to think of ways of minimising their impact.

How much is a key employee worth to a business? And how would, or could, that business cope without them? Many private businesses rely on one key person. Financial protection is vital to allow your business to recover quickly and minimise the impact should the worst happen.

As we embark on the new tax year, it presents an opportune moment to review your pension savings strategy, setting a solid foundation for future financial stability. Early attention to your private pension at the onset of the fiscal year is not just about cultivating beneficial saving habits; it’s also about ensuring you fully exploit the benefits and allowances available to you.

Delaying until the end of the tax year might seem convenient, yet acting early and promptly in this new tax year allows your investments more time to grow. Leveraging the power of compound growth can significantly bolster your pension pot and, by extension, your retirement prospects.

We are committed to continually improving the way we do things as a business, and with each passing year, we’re always striving to meet our goals and find new ways to do better.

Investment scams are a rising concern, promising potential investors the allure of making a significant amount of money swiftly and effortlessly. These scams often involve minimal to no risk investments in various areas such as financial markets, property, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals and coins.

These schemes often masquerade as legitimate investments

with convincing websites, glowing testimonials and persuasive marketing material. However, it’s crucial to remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

One of the most notorious forms of investment fraud is the Ponzi Scheme. This method involves collecting money from new investors to pay off earlier ones. Eventually, the scheme crumbles when the debts exceed the incoming funds, leaving many investors penniless.

‘Proven’ Investment Strategies

Additionally, some scams start with offering complimentary investing seminars or training sessions. These free offerings usually serve as bait, leading to substantial charges for additional lessons or coaching that claim to enhance your chances of success.

The scammers may assert that their programme provides you with an easy-to-use system, complete with a team of experts who handle everything on your behalf. They may also give you the opportunity to learn about ‘proven’ investment strategies.

Evolution of scams in the digital age

In today’s digital age, investment scams have evolved into intricate webs of deceit. Some are so convincingly crafted that even seasoned investors fall prey to them. Scammers employ various tactics, such as cloning legitimate firms’ websites or luring potential victims into unregulated investments, promising returns far superior to savings accounts.

A comfortable retirement is a common financial goal, and contributing to a pension is essential to achieving it. Although retirement may appear distant at the moment, there's much to consider. Let us assist you in navigating this crucial life milestone. By planning ahead and making smart decisions about your savings, you can ensure a stable and enjoyable retirement.

Retirement planning can seem overwhelming, especially when you don’t know where to start. But the important thing is that no matter what age you are, it’s never too early or late to start Another benefit of starting early is compound earnings. This is when the money you’ve earned on money you’ve invested begins generating earnings too. Investing a small percentage of your income can really add up over time.

Having a savings plan for every stage of your life is vital in helping you work towards a retirement that you can look forward to. To help, here’s our decade-by-decade guide to saving for the future.

In an exciting leap towards sustainability, we are pleased to announce the latest addition to our offices, our newly installed solar panels which have been fitted to our rooftop. These solar panels mark a significant stride not only for our company but also for the environment, as we take further tangible steps to reduce our carbon footprint and transition towards cleaner, renewable energy sources.

The decision to integrate solar panels into our office infrastructure was born out of a commitment to both corporate responsibility and the global fight against climate change. By harnessing the power of the sun, we are tapping into an almost limitless resource that not only cuts our energy bills but also contributes to a greener planet.

Once you have an LPA in place, you can have peace of mind that there is someone you trust to look after your affairs if you became unable to do so yourself during your lifetime. This may occur, for example, because of an illness, old age or an accident.

Having an LPA in place can allow your attorney to have authority to deal with your finances and property as well as make decisions about your health and welfare. Your LPA can include binding instructions together with general preferences for your attorney to consider. Your LPA should reflect your particular wishes so you know that the things that matter most would be taken care of.

Ecologi may not be a name you are familiar with, but familiarising yourself with the company is highly recommended, as their marketplace within proactive climate action is developing at a rapid pace.

The company was initially founded by a group of environmentalists in Bristol, who were frustrated with the lack of accessible contributions normal people could make to the climate problem. This was late 2018, and since then in a relatively short period of time the company has allowed individuals, as well as companies like ourselves, the ability to offer a meaningful way to act to the problem.

With our collective home being turned upside down, we all know by now that the problem is potentially still preventable, but it’s not going to save itself. So, it is up to all of us to help solve it, by reducing our carbon footprint and restoring nature.

On Wednesday 15 March, Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, addressed the Commons to deliver the Spring Budget 2023, with an aim to bring people back into the workforce. Mr Hunt commented that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects inflation to fall from 10.7% to 2.9% by the end of 2023.

The Chancellor said the OBR now forecasts the UK will not enter a technical recession this year. But despite narrowly avoiding recession, living standards are still predicted to fall by 6% within this fiscal year and the next.

Key budget announcements included the abolishing of the Lifetime Allowance on tax-free pension contributions, which was previously set at £1,073,100. The tax-free annual pension allowance for pension pots will also rise from £40,000 to £60,000 from 6 April 2023.

A valid Will is an incredibly important part of estate preservation planning and will ensure that should the worst happen, your assets, whether they be financial wealth or possessions, are distributed in an orderly fashion to the right beneficiaries.

It’s important to make sure that after your death, your assets and possessions go to the people and organisations you choose, such as family members and charities you want to support.

Savers and investors have less than three months to use the £20,000 they can put into their tax-efficient Individual Savings Account (ISA) before the end of the financial year on 5 April. The current tax year started on 6 April 2021 and ends on 5 April 2022.

ISAs enable you to minimise the amount of tax you pay on your hard-earned cash. Some ISAs give you instant access to your money and can be used to plan your finances for the short term. On the other hand, if you have longer-term savings goals, you can invest in an ISA for your future.

During September, there are a number of new UK laws that are coming into affect that will effect most of us in some form. We have highlighted these below, with some having a positive effect on the way we purchase goods, to offering more environmentally friendly fuel. On the flip-side some highlight new price increases for utility use and the ending of government financial support through the furlough scheme.

Check out the seven new law changes to be aware of this September.