Huggins Wealth Management Ltd

The government has announced intentions to press ahead with plans to add 20% VAT on private school fees. Marking a significant change to how private education is financed in the UK, the Chancellor has confirmed that this will take place from 1 January 2025.

Parents have limited time to review their financial plans and seek advice on how they might best navigate a fee increase. We can help you understand your options for raising the additional money required to keep your child on the educational path you’ve mapped out for them

Having a carefully considered financial plan could make all the difference. Good financial outcomes are obviously important, but the true value of financial advice can be measured in different ways. Everyone has their own goals in mind, so it’s important to obtain sound financial advice tailored specifically to your individual needs. Looking for tailor-made advice which helps to add value? We can help, get in touch.

Do long summer days prompt thoughts of retiring abroad? It’s an enticing prospect! Whether you’re 20 or 50, consistent saving, smart investing and thorough planning could turn your dream of retiring abroad into a reality. Building a strong financial plan can help you to secure a fulfilling retirement, whatever your goals and timescale are. We can help you with retirement planning.

By making small behavioural adjustments to your spending habits, you could enjoy an additional financial boost that can be used for retirement. The key lies in imagining yourself in the future, rather than viewing your ‘future self’ as a different person.
Treat your pension like a gift you’re giving yourself – you just can’t open it yet! If you need help with retirement planning, we can help you. Get in touch.

Rather than a job for life, people often combine multiple different types of employment. While exciting, it can wreak havoc on your pension provision. Time for a summer review? Get in touch.

Life insurance is more than just a safety net for you, it can help ensure your family's financial stability in the future. Have you considered writing your life insurance policy in trust? This could help to pass on wealth efficiently and quickly to the people you want to benefit. Get in touch and take a step towards safeguarding your family's future.

Planning for your retirement may not be a current priority. While it’s important to have a plan for the short term, it’s equally important to plan for the future. Speaking with a financial adviser could help you ensure you plan for both.

Our aim is to help you achieve your goals, by understanding the potential benefits and options available to you. We’ll work together to understand your financial requirements and look at how we could improve your current financial situation. We’ll then delve into the importance of retirement planning, highlight common misconceptions, discuss the key factors to consider and develop a financial plan, that suits your personal needs.

Our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and support you need to take control of the here and now, as well as your future. Get in touch, if you want us to help you with your retirement planning.

With the Olympic Games in full swing, you can’t help but admire the sheer strength, skill and determination on display – it’s inspiring. It’s great to see a new sport for 2024 appearing in the Olympics, break dancing, which will be attracting a younger audience no doubt.

It’s important to engage younger generations, this extends to finances too. As you pass the financial baton down the generations, it’s beneficial to involve your family in the financial planning process, and to have conversations about money. By thoughtfully managing and transitioning wealth across generations, the quality of life for current and future generations could be improved. Get in touch to talk about intergenerational financial planning.

With exam results due this month, you may have an anxious teen in the house. Exam results are a key moment, some will celebrate, others may be disappointed, but whatever lies ahead, it’s a lesson in resilience. Like financial planning, it’s the hard work and preparation that can help to set the foundation for future success. Think ahead and define your long-term objectives. Understand that there will be bumps in the road, that’s life. The key is having a plan for when things don’t go as expected. Consistent effort and a clear strategy could lead to long-term achievements. We can help you with financial planning, get in touch.

With so many financial priorities to juggle, it can be hard to put your pension first. Whatever type of pension plan you have, you’ll normally get tax relief when you pay into it. This is generally based on your earnings (e.g. salary/bonus), how much you pay and the type of scheme you’re a member of and effectively means that some of the tax you would otherwise pay to His Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is diverted to your pension.

We can provide advice and help with all aspects of pensions and retirement planning. Whether you’re just starting out and want help choosing the most appropriate pension products, or you’re approaching the stage of life when you need to utilise your pension pot and want to know the most efficient way to access your funds. Give us a call.

Have you been enjoying Euro 2024? While cheering on your favourite team this summer, take a moment to champion your finances too. Have your financial goals or circumstances changed? Are you paying enough into your pension? Have you considered any financial provision for any children or grandchildren? Is your life insurance still suitable for you? A winning strategy off the field is just as important! So, get in touch.

It’s July and we’re already halfway through the year! As we enjoy the brighter weather and longer days, it’s also a great time to reflect on the past six months and check in on any financial resolutions you may have made earlier in the year. When it comes to your finances, now is the perfect time for a mid-year review. Take a moment to tidy up and ensure you're on track to meet your goals. Small adjustments now could make a real difference for the remainder of the year. Let's finish 2024 strong! Get in touch for a financial review

No matter the weather this Great British Summer, experienced festivalgoers know to pack for all weather conditions. Similarly, experienced investors know there will be good and bad spells in the market, but to weather any storms, hunker down and keep calm.

Investment requires a disciplined approach and an element of holding your nerve. Experienced long-term investors know that the worst investment strategy you can adopt is to jump in and out of the stock market, panic when prices fall and sell investments at the bottom of the market. Get in touch, we can help you with your investment strategy.

We all know financial commitments are a fact of life. Mortgage repayments and household bills aren’t glamorous expenses, but they’re unavoidable in spending our hard-earned cash. Protection insurance should be seen as a certainty in your financial plans too. Having appropriate protection in place means you and your loved ones would be covered, should the worst happen. When daily life is running smoothly, financial commitments can fade into the background, but unexpected life events occur all too often and unexpectedly. Having the right protection insurance could provide you with peace of mind. I can help find the suitable protection for your needs.

The exam season can be a stressful time for everyone and the pressure can really build when your child’s future path is dependent on the results. After all, we all want the best for our kids. We can’t control everything in our children’s lives but one thing we can do is set them up financially so whatever path they take, they have a solid financial starting point. Starting early is a good idea, think savings and using tax-efficient allowances. Get in touch.

Your pension isn’t just sitting there, waiting for you to reach your retirement. Take an interest in how your money is invested for the future. With the help and guidance of an adviser, you can have a say in how your money is invested in line with your objectives and risk tolerance, both of which change over time.

By taking an active role in managing your pension and investments, you can help maximise their potential to support your retirement dreams. We can help.

Over the years, life ramps up a notch and it’s easy to lose track of financial matters. Taking stock of your finances and appreciating what you already have, could give you a sense of financial control.
If you feel like you need to tighten your grip on your finances, a review could help you make the most of what you already have and set you up to plan ahead. Contact me to get reacquainted with your finances.

Approaching your finances can require resilience and a long-term approach. Endurance is key in both investing and financial planning – it all starts with a solid strategy. Stay the course and make informed decisions to reach your goals. A rally driver relies on map reading skills and strategic decisions from their navigator, with the driver and map reader working as a team to execute a winning race plan. Let us help you build and maintain a strategic financial plan. Contact me if you need help with your financial planning.

Investing can be a complex, but it can be key to financial independence and a more comfortable future. While it might seem intimidating, investing is essentially the process of determining where you want to go on your financial journey and matching those goals to the right investments. This includes creating your objectives, considering your timeline, understanding your attitude to risk, capacity for loss and managing it over time, factoring in regular reviews and rebalancing. Ready to start your financial journey? We can help.

Good financial outcomes are obviously important when it comes to your plans and goals. But this is only one way of assessing the value that financial advice can provide.

Taking financial advice can have other benefits, such as having an adviser listen and understand your circumstances, explain complex matters, give ongoing support and guidance, helping you achieve peace of mind.

As an investor, are you becoming more vigilant about where your money is being invested? Perhaps you’re more conscious of capital allocation in the wake of geopolitical events, and are looking at investments that more align with your moral values?

Are you now considering investments through a more ethical lens? This is understandable given the world we’re living in, often prompting us to reflect on many aspects of our life, including our investments.
If you have any questions about your investments or underlying assets, I’m here to help. Get in touch.

Have you been focused on your retirement date for a while? Working towards that time frame and looking forward to the next chapter of your life? It’s an exciting and daunting prospect all wrapped up in one. No more early morning alarms, total freedom awaits! But is there a stumbling block in the road? Has your long-awaited timeline had to alter due to changing circumstances? Maybe the cost of living has impacted you or your family’s requirements, perhaps causing some financial disruption. Do your plans need adjusting? If so, get in touch and we can review your plans together

As Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 approaches (13-19 May), it’s key to acknowledge the impact that financial stress can have on mental wellbeing. Money worries can significantly weigh individuals down, causing anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. It’s important to recognise the importance of open dialogue about financial struggles.

Talking about money concerns could lighten the burden. Let’s prioritise mental health, not just this week, but beyond – fostering a culture of understanding and support. Don’t hesitate to seek advice on managing your finances – it’s a key step towards mental wellbeing.

With the next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) fast approaching on 9 May, will the nine-member strong committee vote to retain Bank Rate at 5.25% or, as speculation builds, will this meeting conclude in a long-awaited reduction?

At the March meeting, the MPC held firm, voting to retain Bank Rate at 5.25% by a majority of eight to one. One member of the committee preferred to reduce the rate by 0.25 percentage points to 5%. Interestingly, it was the first meeting since September 2021, that no one on the committee voted for an increase and two members who voted to raise rates at the last meeting in February, shifted to a ‘hold’ vote this time. At the time, BoE Governor Andrew Bailey is reported as having said, the economy is “not yet at the point” where rates can be lowered, but that things are “moving in the right direction.” Have we reached that point? We’ll find out on 9 May

Life is for living! Coming off the back of a global pandemic has taught us all to get out there and live. Are you in a dilemma about living now and saving for your future? It can be difficult with that sensible head on to ensure you’re saving enough for your retirement, whilst also wanting to enjoy life now. Perhaps you’re looking to book some new experiences for you and your family – you work hard, you deserve it.

This is one area financial advice can really help - by achieving a balance between ensuring you have enough money to live the way you want now, whilst still planning for your future. Get in touch, we can talk it through

HMRC data shows Inheritance Tax (IHT) receipts have hit record highs. In the first ten months of the 2023/24 financial year, HMRC collected £6.3bn in IHT receipts, £0.4bn higher than the same period in the previous fiscal year.

The increase continues an upward trajectory that has been evident in recent years, largely as a result of the nil-rate threshold being frozen at £325,000 for over a decade. This, combined with growth in property prices, has effectively pushed more households into the IHT net.

The rules surrounding IHT are complex, and people therefore often require professional advice in order to find the most efficient solution for their personal circumstances. If you have any concerns or need advice in this area, get in touch

We all want a good start in life for the children in our family. After providing for the immediate needs of younger children, thoughts turn towards the future and consideration of longer-term goals.

You may want to consider investing for your child’s or grandchild’s future to potentially build something significant which they can call on in later life. Do you want to help a child or grandchild onto the property ladder, support them through higher education, help with a major expense, such as a wedding, or even start a pension pot for them?

To make plans to secure the financial security of the children in your family, get in touch and we can help you explore the options for your specific circumstances.

The ‘great wealth transfer’ is firmly underway, which inevitably heightens the need for carefully considered intergenerational financial planning, as wealth continues to flow down the generations.

Each generation will clearly have their own views on legacy and planning for the benefit of future generations. Quite often, beneficiaries are conscious of the need to reshape and reposition their wealth in order to continue the family legacy, while taking a more holistic approach to the role accumulation of wealth plays in their lives.

Careful planning will be required if families are to successfully transfer wealth in a way that makes fair provision for all generations. Let’s navigate the transition smoothly

Have you developed a retirement strategy yet? Whether you're nearing retirement, or you still have years of your working life ahead, careful planning is essential to help secure financial stability and peace of mind when you stop working.

Younger individuals have a longer investment horizon, whereas those nearer to retirement need to try and protect their pension pot from any market unpredictability.

It’s important to ensure your financial plans continue to be aligned to your risk tolerance and personal financial goals. That’s why regular reviews of your financial plans are vital for a sound retirement strategy.

Did you know that investing in ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) funds can help direct capital to companies making positive contributions to the planet and society? Call me for information.