Laura is Receptionist at FMB and also supports the accounts and admin teams. Laura is one of our best known face/voice as she is usually the one greeting you at our Kendal office or on the phone!

1. How many years have you worked at FMB? Four and a half years
2. Best part of working for FMB? The team spirit. Everyone is very supportive and caring.
3. Favourite drink? Got to be

Could your finances benefit from a spring clean? You could take some inspiration from the Swedes. They believe in ‘döstädning,’ or ‘death cleaning.’ Despite the name, it’s really about simplifying life, reducing clutter and making things easier for the people around you.

The concept became widely known after the 2018 book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by

• CPI fell to its lowest level since last March, retail sales rose by 1.8% in January, US threatens global tariffs of 15%
• Latest ONS data shows the Consumer Prices Index fell to its lowest level since last March
• ONS retail data shows sales volumes rose by 1.8% in January – the strongest monthly growth since May 2024
• President Trump said he intends to impose global

Money has a way of taking on new meaning as the years go by. In our earlier decades, it is often about getting by, paying the bills, building careers and finding our footing. Later in life, money becomes more closely tied to security, freedom, family and the choices still ahead of us.

For couples, money is rarely just a practical topic. It carries values, expectations and

Investors enter 2026 with cautious optimism as inflation, trade tensions and geopolitical uncertainties persist. Data centres may sustain growth opportunities despite concerns about an AI bubble. The IMF predicts uneven global growth, so diversification will remain key this year.

• Investors approach 2026 cautiously as inflation, trade tensions and geopolitical risks

Article by Larisa Dina who is a researcher finishing her PhD at King’s College London. Larisa is writing exclusively for the Purposeful Group companies of which we are a part, and is an expert on digital health.

"Going home for Christmas usually means one thing: catching up with people we haven’t seen since the Christmas before.

This year, a friend mentioned something

There are three key elements to the service we provide. Most people naturally focus on the first — financial planning and advice — which remains the most important part of what we do. The second is how and where your money is invested. The third element, which is often less visible and not something you may think about very often, is the investment platform on which your

"The Purposeful Group journey commenced back in 2011, when I started a new role as CFO for one of the first companies in the IFA sector, which planned to acquire and integrate financial planning businesses.

Having worked for an investment bank, I can attest that financial services is a broad church and I enjoyed a very steep learning curve, over nearly 4 years. Having