Things to do when you retire – a bucket list of ideas.

WINNING TICKET

TODAY’S BLOG

WINNING TICKET…

You may have seen that an enormous record-breaking amount was recently won on the EuroMillions lottery. That would certainly help with the inflation on your utility bills!  It would seem that Joe and Jess Thwaite have picked up an oversized cheque for an oversized amount of £184,262,899.

Obviously suddenly winning a large sum of money is going to be life-changing despite what some may think, say or perhaps wish; there’s no doubt in my mind that life would change dramatically. The adjustment to sudden wealth is not easy. We see it in literature, history and contemporary culture. Few people are able to cope with the changes as well as they may have imagined.

I’m not convinced that it’s a good idea to even reveal in public that you have won. Life will certainly not be able to continue as it was. I don’t mean just the jobs that winners had, but many of their relationships will be altered.

Winning a large amount of money will provide a very large number of choices. Things that yesterday seemed very relevant are suddenly surpassed by a plethora of options. These, as ever, are reduced to spending, giving, saving and investing. How would YOU use £184m? As a financial planner, it’s a bit of fun to work out strategies for what could be achieved within the added complexity of tax rules and allowances.

It’s nice to dream a little about this sort of choice, but I suspect that you and I will not have the problem that the Thwaites’ now face. It’s unlikely that you’ll be worrying about the colour of your Learjet or your third Ferrari. There are countless luxury brands that would be all too keen to swap trinkets and toys for cash.

Yet we all have choices about how to use the funds that we DO have. In comparison to most of the world, here in the UK most of the population are ‘rich’. Our choices, however insignificant they may seem, are likely to be envied by billions of people around the world. We may bemoan the standard of service, waiting times or general ineptitude we receive from various organisations, but we are in fact rather lucky to be living at a point in history when we can do so.

The truth is that we all have choices about how we spend, give, save and invest, though it may not feel like we do because living in the UK is expensive. The average house in the UK was £278,000 in March 2022 according to the ONS, up 9.8% over 12 months (but slowing). London averages are an awful lot higher than this … and if you google SW20 8BT you will see that the approximate price of a residential property in Edna Road (where our office is currently located), is about three times the national average!

Our choices are therefore often governed by our location.  We have clients around the country and it is remarkable just how differently property is valued. Many have to live and work in a specific area, some do so to maintain relationships more easily, there’s a plethora of reasons, but these are choices.  Whilst you and I may never have the choice of how to use £184m, we do get to make choices each day. Money should serve, not be served; so to my mind – how it is used, deployed and shared, is rather more important than the toys I can buy with it, as nice as some of them may be.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

WINNING TICKET2023-12-01T12:12:49+00:00

PROTECT A WOODLAND

BUCKET LIST

PROTECT A WOODLAND

As you have driven around the country on occasion you have probably seen signs saying “Woodland for Sale”. There are many reasons for buying and selling woodland. The most obvious is that woodland is exempt from inheritance tax. The problem being that woodland isn’t that easy to sell.

Another reason is simply to protect the countryside. We now know that trees are somewhat vital to the sustainability of the planet and there are some that call for new planting of trees and allowing nature to return to a more natural wild state. Whatever your view about this, buying a woodland is helpful to the local environment.

Here is quite a good little video about the benefits of owning a woodland.

One of the recent surveys made of woodland owners implies that they tend to be people who…

  • Actively promote and improve conditions for wildlife within the wood
  • Passionate about conservation and wildlife
  • Want to know more
  • Have huge personal satisfaction from involvement

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

PROTECT A WOODLAND2023-12-01T12:17:15+00:00

TOP CHEF

BUCKET LIST

TAKE A COOKERY COURSE WITH A TOP CHEF

How about a weekend course – or longer with a residential course. Learn to get the perfect steak or perfect your pastry with chefs like Michel Roux. Get going with Gordon Ramsay or take an altogether authentic experience at the River Cottage with Hugh.

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

TOP CHEF2023-12-01T12:17:15+00:00

LEARN AN INSTRUMENT

BUCKET LIST

LEARN TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT

Perhaps you stopped playing an instrument in your childhood, or perhaps never took one up. How about committing to learn to play or perhaps master an instrument that has always appealed to you. There are musicians all over the country, lessons for singing or playing, perhaps one day you will give a performance in front of a crowd.

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

LEARN AN INSTRUMENT2023-12-01T12:17:16+00:00

WRITE YOUR STORY

BUCKET LIST

WRITE YOUR STORY

It is said that everyone has a book in them, that may be true, but how about simply committing to paper the story of you. We all know that life is brief, we have all lost someone that we love. Sometimes funerals are awkward because most of those left attending didn’t know that much about the person. Rather than a random list of things you may have done in the last 3 years of your lifetime, how about a proper recollection?

These days it is very easy and inexpensive to have a single book printed. Software is readily available to help you create a really interesting, creative book of words of wisdom, experiences, recollections and images. Create your own “Life Book” – your story, told your way, of your successes and failures, lessons learned and those you would wish to pass on. Who inspired you, who you loved, who drove you nuts and who you would always turn to for support.

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

WRITE YOUR STORY2023-12-01T12:17:17+00:00

THE NEED FOR SPEED

BUCKET LIST

FEEL THE THRUST WITH A THRILLING DRIVE AT THRUXTON

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to drive on a racing circuit, how about a taking a single-seater formula ford for a blast around the track at Thruxton. Alternatively, jump into a performance marque car – the type that you really should never buy with your pension fund. Take a group of friends, set up time trials or just beat the clock on your own.

THRUXTON RACING EXPERIENCES

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

THE NEED FOR SPEED2023-12-01T12:17:17+00:00

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

BUCKET LIST

NORTHERN EXPOSURE

How about a trip to see the northern lights and having a soak in the blue lagoon. Iceland is a dream destination, gracing the top of many a traveller’s wishlist thanks to its wealth of staggering natural beauty. This is a fantastical land, with natural hot springs bubbling below the surface, eye-wateringly beautiful scenery above ground, and a sky that dances with the Northern Lights when it’s not basking in the midnight sun.

Experience some of the country’s most iconic sights, starting with a unique Northern Lights cruise and a whale and dolphin-watching experience. You could also opt to visit the marvellous Golden Circle, home to Gullfoss, Geysir and Thingvellir National Park, plus bathe in the thermal waters of the Blue Lagoon. Witness the heart and essence of Iceland by journeying deep into a man-made ice cave – coupled with a visit of the largest lava cave in the country – on an incredible Ice & Lava tour.

EXCITING ICELAND ESCAPE

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

NORTHERN EXPOSURE2023-12-01T12:17:18+00:00

MOSCOW CALLING

BUCKET LIST

MOSCOW CALLING

Most of us grew up with a very different understanding of life in Russia. Since the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the USSR, perhaps Moscow might make it onto your list of places to visit. A flight from London is about 4 hours 30 minutes.

You could try vodka and beluga at Café Pushkin or any of its fine dining restaurants. Take in the sights of Red Square, see a show at the Bolshoi, investigate the Kremlin and seek refuge in St Basil’s. Wonder at the Metro and take a stroll in Gorky Park. There are museums to Soviet history, the politics, astronauts and the plenty of art. 

MOSCOW TOP 1O ATTRACTIONS

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Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk 
Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

GET IN TOUCH

Solomon’s Independent Financial Advisers
The Old Mill Cobham Park Road, COBHAM Surrey, KT11 3NE

Email – info@solomonsifa.co.uk    Call – 020 8542 8084

7 QUESTIONS, NO WAFFLE

Are we a good fit for you?

MOSCOW CALLING2023-12-01T12:17:18+00:00
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