New Year; New You?

Debbie Harris
Dec 2024 • 1 min read

New year; New you?

I wanted to write about the value of New Year’s Resolutions, so obviously I took to ‘the Google’ to see what the internet thinks!

I was mildly surprised that the vast majority of articles that appeared in my search provided reasons why we should NOT make New Year’s Resolutions.

So I guess I’m in the minority on this; because I think they’re a great idea!

The 1^st of January represents a finite moment when you can set some goals for the coming twelve months … but then I also love Mondays (much to the disbelief of my colleagues), clean bed linen, a new notebook – all of which represent a fresh start; a new beginning.

So what do the naysayers say about ‘resolutions’?

They’re too broad and we are therefore bound to fail
We don’t consider ‘why’ and therefore we don’t address our real challenges/motivations
We aren’t ready for the change we vow to make
We include things that are beyond our control
We don’t tell anyone what they are (not verbalising them means they don’t really exist!)

Suffice to say – there are a myriad of other reasons why you shouldn’t bother with them, but there are a lot of folk who are in agreement with me that they are still worthwhile!

For me – my goals are small and achievable (yet challenging) and, importantly, some of them do not require me to ‘last a full year’! So there may be things I want to achieve in January or in July. I don’t verbalise any of them to anyone (I don’t imagine anyone is that interested!) but they are meaningful to me and I do write them down.

Whichever camp you sit in on this; all that matters is that it works for you!

Here at Solomon’s – we like being prepared and organised; we enjoy planning (obviously) in all its guises and we value having goals and objectives; something to aim for.

What will your plan for 2025 look like?

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New Year; New You?Jemima Thomas2024-12-19T13:23:59+00:00

In Your Dreams

Debbie Harris
August 2024 • 2 min read

In your dreams

There is a wealth of psychological and anecdotal research around the content of our dreams which I find really interesting. Back in the day I went to see the musical ‘Joseph’ and liked the fact that his dreams were so easy to interpret … in reality this isn’t generally the case!

Scientists and psychologists, old and new, tell us that dreams reveal critical aspects about ourselves. Dreams are supposedly a reflection of our recent state of mind and of future possibilities.

I am slightly curious therefore as to what those scientists and psychologists might read into a dream I had recently where I was attacked in my back garden by a peacock?!

Apparently these sorts of dreams tend to represent an internal battle that the dreamer is fighting (largely subconsciously) but more importantly is our reaction/response to those sorts of dreams. I didn’t wake up afraid and sweating; I was quite calm about it and even though I woke up in the middle of it – I didn’t have a fear response at all; I figured that had I stayed asleep and seen the dream through, I would have ‘won the fight’. So maybe those dream analysts are onto something!

Here at Solomon’s, we don’t peddle in dreams; but we do challenge our clients to consider carefully and mindfully what their ‘ideal’ looks like (so perhaps ‘dreams’ in another sense of the word?!). We never promise that we can turn those dreams into reality; but we work closely with you to give you the best possible chance.

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In Your DreamsJemima Thomas2024-08-30T11:07:06+01:00

New year, new me and all that

Jemima Thomas
Jan 2023 • 4 min read

New year, new me and all that…

This year I decided to do a ‘semi-dry’ January. I’m not one for resolutions usually, but after a Christmas spent both in London and Manchester filled with seeing lots of friends and family, there was a fair amount of celebratory gatherings I was a part of, and it would be nice to start the year feeling lighter both mentally and physically (as well as saving a bit of money this month!).

When it comes to changing habits, I’ve learnt that stopping anything abruptly and going ‘cold-turkey’ never works for me. It always feels like I’m punishing myself when I’m effectively trying to ‘better’ myself, which makes no sense at all. If I want to cut down on something, weening myself off is the most doable (for me at least).

That being said, by the second half of 2022 I was putting away larger amounts into my savings than usual. I had set myself a realistic goal, and even with all the fun winter festivities going on, I’m proud I kept at it. I’d be lying however, if I didn’t acknowledge that I did feel some guilt and a little sadness by doing it. I like to splurge on my loved ones, and I’m annoyingly a ‘yes person’ especially when it comes to an event that involves all my friends. But this Christmas … I resisted. I stuck to my budget on how much I’d spend on each person and I didn’t waver, I turned down (a few) more excessive meals or theatre shows, and I prioritised what was most important.

As someone who’s not a great saver, this is all a pretty huge deal, and I have no regrets on sticking to my guns. I won’t hide the fact that compromising my lifestyle can sometimes be harder than I would like. Of course I could make it easier by putting away less, but knowing that my future self will be in a better position has made the compromises a positive move. I hope I’ll feel the same in February after I’ve had fewer gins and tonic.

I value and respect those who are honest about their experiences when it comes to compromising, as we all do it often in life (in our relationships, our finances, our work etc). It’s making sure that these compromises are worth the long-term goal. If they’re not, a readjustment is needed. This is why here at Solomon’s we strive to ensure that our clients feel comfortable and positive in long-term planning, because the fruits of the compromise can be golden.

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

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New year, new me and all thatJemima Thomas2023-12-01T12:12:39+00:00

Experience of a Lifetime

Solomons-financial-advisor-wimbledon-blogger

Experience of a lifetime

Well, here we are in December. The world remains in a state of anxiety about a plethora of challenges and even here in Britain, many are suffering from the weather conditions which make for a difficult Christmas.

Christmas reminds me of many things, the nagging feeling that Christmas seems to have arrived quickly and that time is moving along all too rapidly. Whilst many are struggling simply to find shelter this Christmas, much like the central characters in the nativity story, I am reminded how harsh life can be for many people and how quickly circumstances can change. 2015 has certainly had more than its share of crisis and disaster.

Whilst our media and deep mid-Winter are full of bleakness, I remain thankful that I live in the relative safety of Britain, despite all our problems. Yet I am also reminded that life is indeed short and there are still many places that I’d like to see and things I wish to “witness”. Apart from the usual trappings, the Christmas break is also an opportunity to reflect on the coming year, for many this will include planning your next holiday, perhaps one from your bucket list?

Trip of a Lifetime

One of my clients runs a boutique travel business and it occurred to me that there are a number of similarities in what we do. There are certainly lots of questions about where you want to go and importantly an independent mindset that is able to put together suitable great experience. What I had not appreciated was that it actually costs the same amount whether you use the expertise or not. I have certainly used the web to book holidays in the past, spending hours, trawling through endless options, but simply had not appreciated that someone else could do this for me, an expert, and it wouldn’t cost any more!

Mercator Travel have several brands which they use to focus their expertise on specific regions of the world. For example, south or central America is currently a great destination for those seeking something memorable and rather different. If you are anything like me, I have forgotten what I gave and received last Christmas, yet I never forget holiday experiences.

As a boutique business, they place great emphasis on creating a wonderful experience and getting all the little details right. Apart from ensuring that your trip is planned perfectly, the business is built around providing a top drawer service, with the aim, like every good business of creating a great reputation and clients that return. So if you are considering a great trip in 2016 may I suggest that you check out a couple of their websites.

Just in case you think there’s something in it for me – there isn’t. I am interested in helping all of our clients, profiling those that run small independent businesses and of course those wishing to get more from life with a lot less hassle. Do give them a call on 01932 424252.

Postcards from the Edge…

Financial planning isn’t meant to be dull, its about your life and helping you to figure out what you want from it. This is often difficult for most people to verbalise, there’s something within our British-ness that makes most of us reluctant to express this. How you spend and give your money is one of our freedoms and invariably for the vast majority there is often an unspoken connection of shared experiences and a sense of purpose just beneath the surface. There is little point in building up wealth if you don’t get to use it.

One of my peers shared an idea with me that he finds works well with his clients. He asks them to send him a postcard from wherever they have been. He displays these in a book in his reception. The idea being that there is a huge variety of clients and the places they visit yet all share the freedom to enjoy some of the money that they have worked hard to save. He gets lots saying “enjoying spending the inheritance… pension” or whatever. The point being that financial planning when done well brings the freedom to make empowered financial decisions – many of them are a lot of fun. So perhaps I will ask you to do this in 2016 as well.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

Experience of a LifetimeDominic2025-01-28T14:35:49+00:00