Investing is often as much about emotions as it is about numbers. One emotion that might affect how you invest at times is fear. Learning how fear influences investment decisions and how to master it could support your long-term success. Fear could strike investors in multiple ways There’s more than one form that fear can take when you’re investing. You might experience a fear of: Losing money, which could lead to you being overly cautious. You might even avoid investing al

Most people will have multiple financial goals they want to achieve. A common challenge is balancing these competing goals and understanding how to use your assets to work towards them. It’s an area that a financial plan could help you with. Over the last few months, you’ve read about short-, medium-, and long-term goals that might be important to you and different financial strategies that suit each time frame. Now, read on to find out how a financial plan could help you str

This guest blog was written by Chris Budd, who wrote the original Financial Wellbeing Book as well as The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing. He founded the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and has written more than 130 episodes of the Financial Wellbeing Podcast. Once upon a time, there was a man who had come into a bit of money. Not a life-changing amount, but enough to pay off the mortgage and do some nice things. Now, this chap’s wife wouldn’t discuss the money. S

Having a reliable income in retirement could give you the freedom to create a lifestyle you enjoy and achieve those bucket-list goals you’ve dreamed about for years. In a 2023 survey by Legal & General, 94% of UK adults said their most important retirement dream is to feel financially secure for the rest of their lives. However, working out what your income might look like many years from now can be complex. As such, you may feel in the dark about how your pensions, savings,

Affluent families who delay estate planning could miss out on chances to reduce a potential Inheritance Tax (IHT) bill and pass more on to their families. Find out if you could benefit from considering IHT and how you might pass on assets tax-efficiently. According to a report covered by Today’s Wills and Probate (5 June 2026), delays in estate planning could cost UK families £12.3 billion when changes mean pensions will form part of your estate next year. Under the current r

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a global recession could occur if the conflict in Iran continued into 2027. The organisation warned that delays in agreeing a peace deal would affect global growth and cause energy shortages. Indeed, the OECD said in a scenario where the conflict continues into 2027, global GDP could fall to 2.1% in 2026, compared to 3.4% in 2025. Markets experienced volatility but recovered throughout June 2026 O

During April 2026, markets have continued to experience volatility as the conflict in the Middle East has developed. Find out what external factors may have affected the performance of your investments.

As a business owner, how you pay yourself matters. Doing so without considering the tax implications could mean you miss opportunities to make your income more efficient.

Millions of well-intentioned people in the UK are helping their loved ones manage their online financial accounts, but could risk having these accounts frozen because they don’t have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place.

As the value of your estate grows, your Inheritance Tax allowance could reduce. Learn how the size of your estate can impact your tax-efficient allowance.

The 2026/27 tax year started on 6 April 2026. While you have until 5 April 2027 to use tax-efficient allowances and exemptions, making a plan now could be valuable.

Building wealth without a financial plan may be like searching for a destination without a map. You might miss the most efficient route, take an unnecessary detour, or miss your intended target altogether. A clear plan could be essential for helping you reach your goals.

Financial literacy was first introduced into the national curriculum back in 2014, aimed at children aged between 11 and 16. However, the delivery was inconsistent, as the requirement wasn’t mandatory across all schools. Now, as part of a curriculum assessment, a stronger approach to financial literacy lessons is being adopted. From 2028, this education will be mandatory in primary schools, reinforced at secondary level, and recommended in post-16 education. Read on to fin

Geopolitical tensions and threats of trade tariffs continued to impact global investment markets at the start of 2026. Read on to find out what factors may have affected your investments at the start of 2026. Markets experienced highs, but geopolitical tensions continue to cause volatility On 2 January, the first day of trading in 2026, the FTSE 100 – an index of the largest 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange – hit a new high and exceeded 10,000 points for th

If you’re a business owner thinking about your long-term plans, you might have already considered the ways you could exit your company. Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) have become a common way to transfer ownership of your business to your valued employees. However, if you’ve been following the news lately, you might have seen that the 2025 Autumn Budget introduced significant changes to EOTs. While these shifts could affect your tax planning efforts, there are still compe

If you’re saving for retirement, you will want to get the most out of what you’re putting into your workplace or private pension. Fortunately, there are plenty of tax efficiencies when you save your wealth into a pension. Indeed, any investment returns generated within your fund are typically free from Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax. Better yet, you can also receive tax relief on your contributions, significantly bolstering the value of your pot over time. Despite these

Brits could face a worrying shortfall if they need care later in life. A report from the Just Group (8 December 2025) suggests that 6 in 10 over-45s are underestimating the cost of a care home by thousands of pounds. Industry figures suggest average residential care home fees are almost £66,500 a year. However, 60% of over-45s believe the annual cost would be less than £60,000, with 28% underestimating the true cost by more than half. Of those surveyed who had previously he

There’s more to being a successful investor than following the latest market trends and tips. Setting out a strategy that’s right for you could allow you to balance risk against your goals. Last month, you read about the importance of defining what success means for you. With your goals outlined, you can start to think about an investment strategy. Here are some of the factors you may need to consider. The guide to creating an investment strategy that suits your needs To b

When you’re building a business, you might have little time to think about other aspects of your long-term finances. However, overlooking your pension in favour of your business could leave you in a difficult situation when you want to retire. According to a survey carried out by think tank the Social Market Foundation (12 August 2025), just 20% of self-employed workers save into a pension, compared to 78% of employees. While not all self-employed workers will be business ow

From introducing a “mansion tax” to creating a separate tax for property income, the November 2025 Budget included several announcements that could affect landlords. Here’s what you need to know about four key changes. 1. Property income will be taxed at a higher rate from April 2026 The major change announced in the Budget that will affect landlords is that, from April 2026, property income will be taxed separately from other sources. Income derived from property will be t