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Welcome to the Towry blog. We provide truly impartial wealth advice that is in the best interest of our clients. We have an Advice Policy team who offer specialist expertise to support our advisers and an Investment Management team whose sole responsibility is to manage our clients’ investments. You can read the thoughts of some of our experts in our blog or contact us for more information.
John Richardson
Head of Advice Policy
06 February 2012
The Year End Tax Planning Challenge
The approach of the tax year end is an ideal time to review tax situations and lifetime financial plans. So, what should you be thinking about at this time of year? Individual Savings Accounts (ISA) The current annual subscription limit of £10,680 p.a. into a stocks and shares ISA doesn’t sound that much but with regular savings this can build to a sizeable savings pot. Make arrangements to use the £11,280 2012/13 allowance as early as possible in the new tax year – to maximise the benefits throughout the tax year. Investments for children/grandchildren National Savings Children’s Bonus Bonds are still available for children under age 16. The limit is £3,...
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Andrew Wilson
Head of Investment Management
25 January 2012
The dangers of forecasting
We are not quite at the end of January, and yet already equity markets have blown past most commentators’ year end targets, and some illustrious investment banks have been stopped out (at a loss) of some of their top trades for the year. What has gone so right/wrong? Well, the first point to make is that this level of forecasting, to specific dates, or where trades have binary outcomes, is incredibly difficult (if not impossible) to get right, and certainly on any kind of consistent basis. This is not to say that markets will not roll over dramatically, tomorrow, next week, or next month; or to suggest where they may end the year. But that is the point, no o...
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Andrew James
Manager - Advice Policy
08 November 2011
Drawing pension benefits
With the removal of the default retirement age ensuring that employers cannot now impose a specific retirement age, retirement does not now always take place on a specific birthday. For some, the day you receive that gold watch from your employer and start your retirement is still a one-off event, but for many it now tends to be a more gradual transition as you scale back your working hours and focus on other things. Whilst this can be useful in lessening the shock of ceasing work all of a sudden it does mean you need to be more flexible in achieving a balance between earned income and retirement income. Generally you need to slowly increase the sums you take from...
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Andrew Wilson
Head of Investment Management
27 October 2011
Reaction to eurozone debt deal announcement
There is some good news today, in that the Eurozone leaders have made progress on what to us are the three key issues. They have further written down Greek debt, instructed banks to recapitalise, and increased the size of the Stability Facility.We now, and at last, know where some of the pain is going to hit. There has been perhaps as much as a trillion euro (so far) of misallocated and destroyed capital in the Eurozone, and 100 billion of it is now being forced onto the imprudent private sector creditors of Greece, which is to say the banks. They have taken a 50% loss, for a guarantee on some of their remaining investment. It is appropriate that they tak...
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Andrew James
Manager - Advice Policy
14 October 2011
State pension: What is it good for?
With State pension ages increasing over the next few decades for everyone, and rather more swiftly for females, I am sure many people will be considering deferring their retirement. Being able to retire is merely down to having enough money to live on for the rest of your days so when you retire should not necessarily be governed by when State pensions start to be paid. Some of your income will certainly be provided by the State but if you make the right plans retirement at earlier ages can be an achievable goal.For those lucky enough to still have final salary pensions, do you know what income they will provide and at what age you can start to take benefits? Wil...
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Disclaimer
The information on this website is not intended to be, and should not be construed as investment advice. Whilst considerable care has been taken to ensure the information contained within the commentaries and articles is accurate and up-to-date, no warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of any information and no liability is accepted for any errors or omissions in such information or any action taken on the basis of this information. The opinions expressed are made in good faith, but are subject to change without notice.