The Money Fog

Dominic Thomas
Oct 2024  •  4 min read

The Money Fog

I came across a clip of an interview with female comedian Shappi Khorsandi who was talking about her struggle with money and the particular additional challenges that she faces due to ADHD. She described an inability to understand and manage her finances and whenever someone has attempted to help with explanations, it feels as though she is back in a maths lesson, where understanding and explanation rarely meet. Her ADHD meant then and now that her mind is spinning with distraction which removes the chance of any understanding.

This has resulted in Shappi facing financial problems and the preferred solution is to avoid thinking about it. This results in unopened letters and emails which leads to County Court Judgements and significant difficulties with any financial institution thereafter.

I don’t have ADHD, but I understand that it is a spectrum (like many things) and of course I also struggle to understand a lot of things … I acknowledge that this isn’t the same thing, but I simply wish to state that I understand at least some of the feelings around not understanding.

Unfortunately, the time in which we live means that understanding money is really very important in terms of basic living in both the present and the future. In truth, many of us struggle with numbers and financial concepts. Certainly, there will be people who struggle more than others, but it would seem to me that the financial sector has often deliberately made life more complex and full of jargon than it needs to be.

Shappi made the point that for a long time she didn’t know how to articulate the problem and the help that she needed. She struggles with the administration of her finances and understanding what she sees on a statement. I would argue that this is not exclusively a problem for people with ADHD, but for many people; and indeed as we age, our ability to cope with evolving technology and concepts becomes ever more challenging.

So my question in the thread and here to you, is on one level rather simple, but of course not a simple answer. What can we do to make managing your finances easier? How can we make things more straightforward? Given that we don’t wish to overreach our responsibility and remove any sense of your own agency from the dynamic – we cannot simply ‘do it all for you’, but I am certain that we can improve on what has gone before.

The FCA are aware of the problem, in many respects it is evident in their approach. At one level, they do not believe that most people can calculate 1% of a number, so advisers have to clearly state fees in cash terms not simply percentages. At its heart, the latest initiative Consumer Duty (which builds on the prior initiative of Treating Customers Fairly) is about this, but it’s still all about numbers and not really about helping people to build resources for their financial independence.

I would suggest, politely, that a lack of understanding combined with inertia are the real reasons why people don’t move their savings accounts to better rates of interest or invest cash that they are really very unlikely to need for five years or more. This is not helped by the reality that ‘advice’ comes with lengthy documentation and the litigious world in which we live means that those of us dispensing advice are caught between simplicity and detail for fear of claims in the future about “not understanding”.

Money is complex, partly because it can involve a lot of maths and formulae, but also because the jargon and terminology used make most of us shut down! There is also the very real problem that we are human, most of us are not really interested in money, but in what it can do for us. Having the self-awareness to appreciate that you don’t need to be an expert but need one; but not completing delegating decisions is a journey that you are on. I know it works, but I certainly recognise the size of the emotional step that you have taken, which is easier for some than others.

In this process, trust is obviously an enormous factor and it’s my belief that trust, whilst I can earn it by keeping promises, is at its core instinctual.

The Money Fog2024-10-03T16:54:51+01:00

What do you need from us?

Debbie Harris 
July 2024  •  3 min read

What do you need from us?

I had a really interesting email conversation with a client today following their recent annual review meeting with one of our advisers here at Solomon’s.  I asked him some questions and encouraged him to give his opinions about our process and it was very helpful feedback indeed.

We have been working to improve our review process and will likely be implementing some changes in the coming months.  As I said to him; we want this to be client-led and frankly we only want to introduce new things if you (our clients) want/need them!

So I would encourage you to tell us –

~  do you like the fact that each annual review looks and feels the same in terms of structure and content?

~  would you like them to feel different each time (perhaps focussing on different / specific things)?

~  do you like the presentation you receive?

~  would you prefer to have more contact with us before the meeting so that we can update your figures and give you an opportunity to help us formulate the agenda based on your priorities and concerns?

~  do you wish the meetings were shorter? Longer? More frequent?

~  would you like the meetings to feel less structured or do you like that there is a clear plan of action in terms of what is covered?

We absolutely want to hear from you – it’s important that we know what YOU would like those meetings to look like; so that we can do better …

Why are review meetings so important?

In the realm of financial planning, review meetings serve as pivotal moments where financial advisers have the opportunity to understand client needs and develop meaningful relationships.  Our clients come with a variety of expectations, and we try and meet these effectively.

Research indicates that people primarily seek advisers who are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and good listeners (what I would call ‘no-brainers’).  Digging a little deeper however reveals that clients also look for personalised advice that caters to their unique financial situation.  They want the usual discussions around retirement and investments; but also they are looking to enhance their own financial literacy and develop good habits.

The evolving landscape of client-adviser interactions suggests a shift towards more holistic financial planning – which is what we have been offering for many years. This includes discussions on later life care, health, housing, and other aspects of life that directly impact your ‘financial wellbeing’.

People want a financial adviser who not only provides expert financial guidance but also takes the time to understand and incorporate personal values and life goals into the financial planning process.  For the team here at Solomon’s … we want to exceed your expectations on this – leading to better and more meaningful relationships with you.

So we urge you … please let us know your answer to the question “what do you need from us?” (or – if it’s easier … “what DON’T you need from us?”)

What do you need from us?2024-07-26T16:43:02+01:00

Your loss is your gain

Daniel Liddicott
July 2024  •  3 min read

Your loss is your gain

You may recall from my recent piece in Spotlight that capital gains tax exemptions have fallen yet again for the 2024/25 tax year. As a reminder, you can now realise gains of up to £3,000 before having to pay capital gains tax (CGT). This allowance was £6,000 last tax year and £12,500 the tax year before that. The reduced £3,000 capital gains exemption affects those of you with General Investment Accounts (GIAs) in particular, as these are not sheltered from CGT, unlike your ISAs and pensions.

It is now more likely than ever that moving funds from your GIAs into your ISAs and/or pensions may result in the need to pay some CGT, at 10% or 20% dependent upon whether you are a basic, higher or additional rate taxpayer. It is important to understand that you only “realise” a gain if investments in your GIA are sold, which is the case if the funds are being withdrawn or moved into an ISA, for example.

The reason for carrying out this strategy year upon year has been to gradually move funds out of the less tax-efficient GIAs into the tax-efficient ISAs and pensions, which are sheltered from paying tax on any future capital gains.

A key factor that we can use to help you to reduce or, in some cases, completely remove the need for you to pay CGT on gains within your GIAs is to register any losses made in previous tax years. You can actually register losses made in any of the previous four tax years, to be used to offset against any gains that you make in future. And you can carry these valuable losses forward indefinitely until used. Example incoming:

You can now “realise” gains of up to £7,000 without any CGT payable.

Unfortunately, these losses are not automatically registered with HMRC. You can do this either in your tax return for 2024/25 if you usually submit these, or you can write to HMRC instead. We are putting together a guide and letter template that you can use to send to HMRC to register losses to make the process as easy as possible.

We are currently looking back through the previous few tax years to determine who has made losses that can be registered and used moving forwards – if this is you, you should expect to hear from us in the next few months.

Whilst, generally speaking, falling valuations of your investments is a negative experience, we can help you to make the most of these. Your past loss can become your future gain.

Your loss is your gain2024-07-05T13:03:05+01:00

New client surge?

Dominic Thomas
June 2024  •  3 min read

New client surge?

We are expecting and ready to meet with lots of new clients. Our premises in Cobham are perfect for quiet, confidential and tranquil client meetings. There is ample parking and decent coffee!

This is perhaps just as well since a recent report by Investec Wealth has revealed that nearly 60% of investors are looking to get advice. This is for a variety of reasons, but nearly 30% are expecting to do so within the next 12 months and a significant proportion have over £250,000 of investments.

By and large, most are seeking advice about retirement, but a not-so-insignificant 20% reported that they simply don’t have time to manage their own investments. Whilst I welcome the opportunity to meet with them, I fear that many will be expecting to find a magician rather than a financial adviser as they may have left good planning somewhat late in the day.

Of late, I have growing experience and awareness of the problems that many face as they age. Memory isn’t quite what it was and we are seeing more people with concerns about Alzheimer’s. Many of us will have some experience of this already and sadly many will do so in the future. There are considerable issues for your finances and ensuring that you have your ‘ducks in a row’ is of key importance.  As is having the right team around you; providing what you need.

As we age, we invariably become increasingly aware of the importance of relationships, much more so than anything else; but these are loaded with a lifetime of baggage. Spending time on the things that are important (what you actually want and value) rather than attempting to impress people with your brilliance at managing your own money; is something that I would actively encourage. Managing investments, tax and regulations is a time-consuming exercise and not one that most people would want to waste their most valuable resource on (time). I suspect and believe that you have better things to do with yours.

We are here, ready to begin your journey with us and towards financial freedom – or maintaining it.

New client surge?2024-06-30T18:48:30+01:00

ISA ISA, Baby

Daniel Liddicott
April 2024  •  2 min read

ISA ISA, Baby

It came to our attention recently, after a number of queries, that there may be some confusion around when an ISA provides interest and when it provides investment returns. If you are unsure or have been wondering about this yourself, then I hope that this short blog is of interest to you (pun intended, of course).

Cash ISAs produce interest. Stocks & Shares ISAs provide investment returns.

Most Cash ISA providers are able to tell you ‘up front’ what your interest rate will be.  In contrast to this, the growth rate in a Stocks & Shares ISA is not known at the outset – it’s only by looking back at performance that you know what it has been over a period of time.

All ISAs that are held by our clients on the Nucleus or Fundment platforms are Stocks & Shares ISAs and, as the name suggests, the funds held within these are invested in stocks/equity. Therefore, these provide investment returns, unlike their Cash ISA counterparts.

We have also received some queries about the investment term for ISAs. For Stocks & Shares ISAs, it is essentially however long you are willing to leave the funds invested for. And the longer the better! This way, you give your investments time to recover from all of the expected fluctuations in value that the stock market is subject to, providing the prospect for real growth of your ISA funds over the longer term.

Cash ISAs do often come with a particular term attached and, as a general rule, the longer you are willing to leave your money ‘locked away’ in one of these ISAs, the better the interest rate that you will be able to obtain.

As an example, you might opt to place your funds into a Cash ISA with Nationwide for the fixed term of one year, with the agreement that Nationwide will pay you a certain amount of interest over that time period. The interest that you receive on the one-year fixed term is highly likely to be greater than if you were to opt for an ISA that you can dip in and out of as you please without any restrictions.

If you would like to read a more detailed blog on ISAs, you might find this helpful:

What is an ISA?

ISA ISA, Baby2024-04-24T17:02:23+01:00

How long are you investing?

Dominic Thomas
Feb 2023  •  8 min read

How long are you really investing?

As you know, we use a risk profiling tool, indeed if you have been a client for some years you will know that these have evolved over time.  These all tend to test how you feel about investment loss. It’s a bit like throwing a snake into someone’s lap and asking them how they feel about snakes.

In all my time as an adviser I have never met anyone that likes to see the value of their investments reduce. Yet of course they do from time to time – and time is the key word, or perhaps concept.

Investment returns come from companies providing “solutions” to society at large. This results in products and services being sold for a profit and investors in those companies share the rewards of the endeavour. Wherever you are now, take a moment to consider all the things in front of you, to your left and right, including your attire, and perhaps the medication and food you have already ingested today. It’s made, but almost none of it is made by you.

Risky business?

Almost all investment theory works on the assumption that whatever can reduce in value the most is more “risky”. Cash tends not to reduce in value much, except for the impact of inflation or the bank failing. Shares can alter in price dramatically in the course of a few hours. So to simplify, shares are classified as high risk and cash low risk, with Bonds (and there are numerous types) classified as a little higher risk than cash as they provide return of capital and fixed income, much like cash.

Getting the balance between how much you should hold in cash, bonds and shares will dictate your returns (we call this asset allocation). How long you invest for is also a key part of the results. Unfortunately we live in a world obsessed with the short-term and immediate, yet you will almost certainly be investing for the remainder of your life, which I hope is a rather long time.

The interactive chart below shows 1 year returns, 5, 10 and 20 year returns with increased allocation towards shares from Bonds. In this instance the chart uses purely UK data for UK shares and UK Bonds, our portfolios are actually global, but this will hopefully provide some help with long-term thinking and what “risk” really is.

Figures reflect back-tested data for the period 1926-2020. In cases where the minimum return is a positive number, the red bar still portrays the min return but with a positive percentage.

You can draw your own conclusions, using the intelligence bestowed upon you, or you can listen to the the latest ideas about what will happen in the next 12 months, I would advise and suggest taking a much longer-term approach. For the record, the UK stock market is only about 5%-7% of the world stock market, depending on the value of the pound, which is why our clients invest globally.

How long are you investing?2023-12-01T12:12:37+00:00

Taxing your savings

Dominic Thomas
Feb 2023  •  10 min read

Prize – Back to winning ways? Or simply more tax on your savings?

Despite the cold weather and general sense of grey, there are some silver linings. On 24th January 2023 NS&I increased the interest rates on various accounts.

If you are one of the 870,000 or so people who hold NS&I’s Direct Saver, Income Bonds or Direct Cash ISA, you will now get a little more interest. The interest rate paid on Direct Saver and Income Bonds will increase from 2.30% to 2.60%, whilst the interest rate on Direct ISA will increase from 1.75% tax-free to 2.15% tax-free.

Those of you who like Premium Bonds and remain optimistic of jackpot winnings (less likely than being struck by lightning), the prize fund rate will also increase from 3.00% to 3.15%, effective from the February 2023 prize draw. This follows the rate increasing from 2.20% to 3.00% on New Year’s Day.

NS&I has also increased the interest rate that it pays on its Junior Cash ISA from 2.70% tax-free to 3.40% tax-free, meaning that 80,000 under 18s will benefit from extra interest on their savings, though why anyone would want to hold cash for 18 years is beyond me …

Media spin means that we can confidently say that “today’s changes mean that Income Bonds are now paying their highest rate of interest since 2008” which is of course since the infamous credit crunch.  The prize fund on premium bonds is also at its highest level since the great crunch.

The odds of each £1 Bond winning any prize will remain fixed at 24,000 to 1, with the changes meaning that the number of prizes worth £50 to £100,000 will increase from next month’s draw (February 2023). In short, if you have at least £24,000 in Premium Bonds you would be unlucky not to win at least £25 (the smallest but most common prize, paid out on over 2.6m Premium Bonds).

There are an estimated 119 billion premium bonds in issuance. The £1m jackpot is paid out on two bonds every month. So there is roughly a 1 in 59 billion chance of winning the jackpot in any month. It will not surprise you that I don’t believe that reliance on such odds is a good strategy for your future, but I certainly would acknowledge that it’s a little bit of fun.

Current and new Premium Bonds prize fund rate and odds:

Current prize fund rate Current odds New prize fund rate (from February 2023) Odds from February 2023 (no change)
3.00% tax-free 24,000 to 1 3.15% tax-free 24,000 to 1

Number and value of Premium Bonds prizes:

Value of prizes in January 2023 Number of prizes in January 2023 Value of prizes in February 2023 (estimated) Number of prizes in February 2023 (estimated)
£1,000,000 2 £1,000,000 2
£100,000 56 £100,000 59
£50,000 111 £50,000 117
£25,000 224 £25,000 236
£10,000 559 £10,000 590
£5,000 1,116 £5,000 1,177
£1,000 11,968 £1,000 12,573
£500 35,904 £500 37,719
£100 1,159,432 £100 1,280,509
£50 1,159,432 £50 1,280,509
£25 2,617,902 £25 2,376,161
Total

£299,202,350

Total

4,986,706

Total

£314,347,875

Total

4,989,652

Variable rate savings products:

Product Previous interest rate Interest rate from today (24 January 2023)
Direct Saver 2.30% gross/AER 2.60% gross/AER
Income Bonds 2.30% gross/2.32% AER 2.60% gross/2.63% AER
Direct ISA 1.75% tax-free/AER 2.15% tax-free/AER
Junior ISA 2.70% tax-free/AER 3.40% tax-free/AER

Can you get better rates elsewhere? Of course you can! Remember that non-taxpayers and basic rate taxpayers have the personal savings allowance in 2022/23 of £1,000 of tax-free interest. At an interest rate of say 3%, you would need £33,333 on deposit before tax is triggered. Higher rate taxpayers only have £500 of the allowance, so at an interest rate of 3%, you would only need £16,660 on deposit before tax is triggered.  A year ago, you would have been hard pressed to be taxed on £100,000 of savings when interest rates were under 1%.

Taxing your savings2023-12-01T12:12:38+00:00

If Carlsberg made politicians

If Carlsberg made politicians

… they wouldn’t look much like the current bunch. As I write, it’s Monday morning, a new day, new week, new Chancellor and the continued conversation around whether the current Prime Minister is (or ever was) fit for purpose. The new Chancellor was handed the ultimate hospital pass and elected to pretty much shred his predecessor’s “mini budget”. Most people have an opinion on this and I’m going to make the wild assumption that you will have yours already.

So what has changed? The underlying problems that all countries have is income versus spending, this sounds familiar to anyone who has a financial plan. The only real difference is that a country doesn’t have an expiry date … at least in the normal course of life, and barring the ultimate catastrophe, we expect our nation to continue into the future, well beyond ourselves. As a result, money needs to last and debts ultimately need to be repaid or at least sustained.

So where are we in terms of your tax … essentially where we were a few months ago. Some rising taxes (full details yet to be released) and rising inflation, though hopefully this will begin to abate due to the recent interest rate rises, but we aren’t through the woods yet.

The supply chain problems caused by Brexit, the pandemic and a war in Ukraine have all pushed prices up and delayed delivery of many goods. The knock-on effects are significant and particularly to Britain, who deliberately decided to end global trade agreements and still do not have one with the United States.

Price rises lead to pressure on personal spending, savings levels tend to fall (hence interest rates are increased to encourage saving and reduce spending). Businesses face a cycle of holding off rises whilst trying to remain competitive but facing serious challenges on most fronts, from the very basic ‘heating the building’ to agreeing international contracts where the pound is ‘precarious’. We have been here before and there are always casualties. What has vexed (and angered) markets recently in particular has been the unwillingness to state assumptions in the plan.

Your financial plan always needs to be adaptable. We review this together every year. Perhaps some changes need to be made, but remember that your portfolio is global and not UK centric. The UK stock market is about 6% of the global market. So, let’s keep things in proportion. The problems are not unique to the UK (except Brexit).  Facing problems is always better than ignoring them.

It would seem likely that 2022 will be one of those negative years for markets. The brave see this as an opportunity to buy cheaply; the nervous panic and sell. Those with a long-term mindset know this truth but how it is felt is always a challenge to our nervous system. Those with the best financial planning are those that adapt in the short term but stick to the long-term plan, for probably the best planning in the world …

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

If Carlsberg made politicians2023-12-01T12:12:43+00:00

WHY YOU REALLY DON’T WANT A FAKE GUCCI

TODAY’S BLOG

WHY YOU REALLY DON’T WANT A FAKE GUCCI

I imagine you have been around long enough to know the name of fashion house Gucci; you are likely to have come across the occasional Gucci store in one of our big cities or at an airport, the familiar logo and green/burgundy stripes. I very much doubt that your first experience of Gucci is a poster for the new film by Ridley Scott, who once again proves an inability for editing a film under 2 hours, which is a little amusing when there isn’t a single stitch or fabric cut in the film either.

Anyway, I did not know the story of Gucci (sorry) and to be plain, I am not sure I do now. The Romans were responsible for many myths and yet it appears that successful families in Italia (and elsewhere) continue to ignore all the warnings about families, legacy and wealth.

Despite its length, I enjoyed the telling of a family determined to self-destruct, failing to communicate about anything important, all the while offering the appearance of family unity. The hills of Rome, Tuscany or Milan are insufficient to bury the deeply seated gripes that one branch has against the other. Like lonely Jupiter, judging from on high, nursing grievances about the trivial yet punishing with wrath.

No Fake Gucci

THE OBSESSION WITH CONTROL

It often all boils down to control. We are all probably tempted to believe that we have rather more control over things than we really do. Money corrupts most people, not everyone. I would suggest that it is more likely to corrupt those that seek to control (or power).

I believe that there is very little in life that we can control. I say this as a planner, presumably yours. Hopefully you have heard me say something like this before. I cannot control the markets (nobody really thinks that I can) I cannot control the future and I certainly cannot control who is elected and the policies that are introduced. We can all agree on this. Yet the truth is we cannot control very much of anything. We can try, we can plan, we can prepare, we can repeat, learn, gain experience but I cannot even really control how my body reacts or functions. I know its not popular to say so, but that doesn’t make it untrue.

Acknowledging how little I can actually control has been a lifelong journey for me, one that I suspect and hope is far from over. Obviously within a financial planning context we have “controls” and monitor these, responding appropriately based upon accumulated experience. Truthfully, we control costs as far as possible (I cannot control what others charge). We control asset allocation within a comfortable range. We control our own output, but not entirely devoid of externalities that dictate a degree of what makes up “advice”.

CATWALK VALUES

To my mind, we focus on what is important and attempt to encourage our clients to do the same – whatever “important” means to you. In the main, the common themes are relationships and a self-identity, not yachts, grand gestures or bank balances. Yet we cannot control relationships either, at least, not in any healthy way. The uncomfortable truth is that it has something to do with letting go. Something our clients have to sit with on occasion, letting go of control, trusting our advice and processes to ultimately come good. This is always easier to do when things are going well and tested when they do not.

Sadly, the Gucci family, at least in the film-story, forgot all that was important. The fake Gucci bags being a metaphor for their own lives. Quality comes from crafted time, not short-cuts. I’d suggest that the things that are truly important to you are products of time, probably many, many years.

The House of Gucci is streaming at a platform to your living room. The makeup is certainly impressive. Here is the trailer, the film stars Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayek and Jared Leto.

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?

WHY YOU REALLY DON’T WANT A FAKE GUCCI2023-12-01T12:12:53+00:00

HIGHER OR LOWER?

TODAY’S BLOG

BY WHAT MEASURE?

I am conscious that whatever we measure, it never really captures “life”. 2021 has been a good year for our clients and the business. We have taken on new clients, helped reduced debt and costs, improved asset allocations, interest from deposit rates, used tax allowances and reliefs. Some have been reassured of their retirement plans, others have brought forward theirs. We have moved you out of expensive arrangements, ring-fenced funds, protected families and businesses and reduced hassle. Markets have risen (this is not our doing) so valuations are up.

Yet these are reductive measurements. Many of us have had significant difficulty coping with pandemic life, the isolation and inability to do many of the things that we assumed normal. Family members, friends, colleagues have suffered with health, frightening diagnoses, and some, sadly life itself. Some have been furloughed, lost their business or job, those of you working within the NHS or teach have been under tremendous pressure. So yes, returns have been up, but few of us believe that this is the measure of life.

HIGHER OR LOWER

HIGHER OR LOWER? PLAY THE HAND YOU HAVE

Knowing this, every time this year we bear witness to the folly of making predictions. My in-box will be full of “Our Expectations For The Coming Year” or “What Portfolios Should Look Like For This Year”. As we take the long-term (decades) approach I can generally dismiss this as unhelpful noise, designed to evoke anxiety than allay fear. I’m reminded of the 1980s TV Show “Play Your Cards Right” where Bruce Forsyth would reveal cards to players simply shouting “higher” or “lower” than the value of the one previously. Often, I find myself wondering if the investment world is really any better – after all, its meant to be about deploying capital so that good businesses can innovate, improve and expand the goods or services that they provide.

Yet we will see headlines and bylines all attempting to generate anxiety, here are a few that I am expecting.

  • Are Markets About to Collapse?
  • Has the property market overheated?
  • Is cryptocurrency your sure bet to financial freedom?
  • Is the Bond market about to bomb?
  • Will the crisis in (fill in the blank) impact your portfolio?
  • Billions wiped off markets
  • Top Funds for (insert year)
  • Pension storm warning: tax relief is likely to change in the Budget
  • Chancellor plans to scrap (insert point of pain).

I don’t know how this new year will work out for each of us. Some of the above may happen, it may not, the Negative Event World Service (NEWS) wll certainly attempt to stoke anxiety and we can rely on something else always tempting the promise of “better”. I can safely say that we will age, taxes will become due and health, love and friendship are things to cherish and work on. None of us are immortal.

Thank you for paying some attention this year, you are a much better audience than last year. We will continue to call you to look up and look ahead, whilst being aware of the past and context of the present. To be blunt, let us worry about the noise, focus on what you are good at and what you get value from.

Welcome 2022 – we go again.

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?

HIGHER OR LOWER?2023-12-01T12:12:57+00:00
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