In addition to organising your finances to ensure your assets are protected for your loved ones on your death, estate planning also encompasses ensuring you have enough money to live on; it is a tenuous balance for many. A good starting point is obtaining a comprehensive view of your assets, to assess the value of your estate and ensuring you have the right documentation

Recent data* on flexible payments from pensions shows that in Q1 2020, almost £2.5bn was withdrawn from pensions – a 19% increase on Q1 2019 withdrawals, and the highest recorded Q1 of any year since pensions freedoms began. Although the average amount withdrawn per person was £7,100 (down 3% from Q1 2019 £7,300), the total value of flexible withdrawals from pensions since

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...

UK fraud prevention groups are warning individuals to be extra vigilant following a huge increase in the number of scams seeking to exploit the pandemic; as these scams increase in sophistication, we are all vulnerable.

Your best tactic is to equip yourself to stay ScamSmart; you can do this through checking the FCA

Investors will understandably be pondering their portfolios as economic challenges endure. You may have heard the age-old investment dictum – time in the market, not timing the market. If so, recent research* has explored the concept, with some very compelling results.

In March 2000, during the height of the dot-com boom, if an investor made an investment of £1,000 in the

In the spring, a surge was reported in the number of people enquiring about and opening savings accounts, as they sought to secure the best rates, before interest rate cuts fed through to savings rates and to benefit from a secure home for their money.

For UK savers, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) can provide a safeguard adding a valuable level of

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a widespread impact on all aspects of our finances, including retirement planning. However, while recent stock market volatility undoubtedly poses a challenge, particularly for those close to retirement, it is important not to allow the outbreak to derail your plans.

A resilient retirement plan

One thing the pandemic has vividly