Smart ideas about wealth
News and resources
In the press
Read what the papers have to say about Bloomsbury Financial Planning in the following press cuttings.
17/06/2010
The Sunday Times press comments
We provide links to the latest Bloomsbury press coverage in The Sunday Times via The Times online
15/06/2010
Financial Times press comments
We provide links to latest Bloomsbury press coverage in the Financial Times online here.
19/10/2009
Make the most of your Isa top-up
INVESTORS are preparing to pile into equity Isas after the FTSE 100 index posted the best quarter in its 25-year history, with a gain of nearly 21% from June to the end of September. The rebound comes just as the over-fifties are set to take advantage of the higher Isa allowance, which will rise from £7,200 to £10,200 on Tuesday. They can either put the entire amount into shares, or up to half — £5,100 — in cash.
20/09/2009
Shun the big names to secure the best deals
New and small providers are winning a growing following with increasingly competitive offers compared to the big names
06/09/2009
Where to invest in the mini Isa season
Millions of over-fifties will be able to shelter another £33 billion from the taxman in a month’s time when the Isa limit goes up by £3,000 to £10,200.
06/09/2009
Tracker fee rises go against tide
Big name trackers from Fidelity and Legal & General are increasing fees just as interest in funds rises
14/08/2009
Cautious welcome for protected investments
As shares march higher, more structured products offering capital protection are being launched – but some advisers are refusing to recommend them. The reason is that advisers and investors are haunted by the battering these investment vehicles endured following last September’s collapse of Lehman Brothers.
11/07/2009
No relief for self-employed pension savers
Business owners, the self-employed and partners in law and accountancy firms will still be prevented from making large annual contributions to their pensions with full tax relief, under government amendments to the Finance Bill. Limits on “irregular” pension contributions are to remain in place, and a new maximum of £30,000 a year will be available only to those who have paid in higher sums in the past.
07/07/2009
Slow but inexorable move to cyberspace banking
The oversupply of Lloyds, Natwest, HSBC and Barclays branches on the high street, not to mention the plethora of building societies, suggests we still prefer chatting with tellers over logging on to the internet to pay bills, check balances and deposit funds.
05/07/2009
Wealth matters - 5 July 2009
What happens if you mistakenly open two Isas at once?
21/06/2009
Why an economist will pick a tracker
You’d be hard-pushed to get a better endorsement of the benefits of index trackers over active funds than Nouriel Roubini, the professor of economics at New York’s Stern School of Business who foresaw the credit crunch and housing crash back in 2006.
21/06/2009
Wealth Matters - 21.06.09
Interest rates are at an all-time low and it seems there is very little anyone can do to obtain reasonable returns from traditional investments. Investing in wines appeals to me and I would appreciate advice on this or other alternative investments, such as horses or land. — AA, West Sussex
19/06/2009
Fund costs fall as Vanguard arrives in UK
UK investors are set to enjoy the lowest ever costs for fund investing, following the launch of 11 index trackers from US low-cost manager Vanguard.
12/06/2009
Sterling jumps against the dollar
Sterling’s recovery against the US dollar and the euro is causing investors to reconsider how fluctuations in exchange rates affect their investment portfolios.
09/06/2009
Wealth Matters - 24 May 2009
My wife and I have a Ssas (small self-administered scheme) pension with two-thirds of the fund on fixed-term cash deposit that expires at the end of May. Most institutions are currently offering extremely low rates on trust-type accounts. Where can I place this money to obtain higher interest? PT, Berkshire
24/05/2009
Everyone is jumping on the bond wagon
Fixed-rate investments carry a risk but they could provide a good return in these days of low interest rates, says Alessia Horwich.
15/03/2009
Hidden charges of costly fund managers
You can save hundreds by looking at turnover, commission, any mis-sold products, old-style pensions and Sipps
08/03/2009
How the experts invest money in a downturn
The FTSE 100 index of leading shares hit its lowest level since March 2003 last week, prompting more pain for investors just as many were gearing up to invest this year’s Isa allowance. The Footsie closed the week at 3,531, down 39% on the year and just 244 points above the low of 3,287 it hit ahead of the Iraq war in March 2003. However, there is evidence some investors see the lows as a buying opportunity and are moving money out of cash Isas into stocks and shares plans. Building societies said savers pulled a net £127m from cash Isas in January, against net receipts of £65m a year earlier.
21/02/2009
Formal deals can defuse family rows
The scarcity of mortgages available to first-time buyers has forced many potential buyers to seek help elsewhere - and many are turning to their parents.
14/02/2009
Savers advised to find better uses for cash
With many savings accounts now offering pitiful returns, financial advisers say they have been besieged by clients asking if their money can be put to better use elsewhere.
08/02/2009
Beat the stock market’s lost decade
After a dismal 10 years for equity returns, are shares really the best bet for long-term investors?
07/02/2009
The real scam is the risk of taking advice
Do you own a lot of cheap jewellery and health products? Does your post consist entirely of junk mail? Are you reluctant to discuss your finances with your family? Of course not - you're an FT reader. But you should find this state of affairs reassuring for more than just sartorial, social and financial reasons. According to the Office of Fair Trading and Consumer Direct, these are the tell-tale characteristics of people with a propensity to fall for "mass-market scams".
06/02/2009
Vanguard’s UK foray to spark price war
News that Vanguard, the low-cost US fund manager, is to offer its products in the UK is set to spark a pricing war – forcing other fund managers to compete by cutting their fees on index and actively-managed funds.
25/01/2009
Savers being charged by providers
Returns on cash have now tumbled to such low levels, many are in effect paying fund managers of Sipps and Isas to hold money
14/01/2009
How pensioners can get a guaranteed return of 12pc
Older investors can still get a guaranteed return of up to 12pc a year.
02/11/2008
Is it still safe to invest offshore?
With compensation schemes varying widely, buyers should be wary.
20/10/2008
Banks pressed over AIG fund
Banks are facing criticism over possible losses suffered by thousands of their wealthy private banking clients on a supposedly low-risk investment fund run by AIG, the stricken US insurer.
16/10/2008
The Oscars of personal finance
With stock markets in turmoil and banks collapsing, a good financial adviser might be worth his or her weight in gold – but how do you know which expert to turn to?
14/10/2008
How safe is your stockbroker?
As if it's not enough to be worried about the state of your portfolio, the economic crisis is making investors worried about what happens if a stockbroker goes bust. In particular, customers of stockbrokers place great trust in the broker when depositing their cash or their portfolio in one of the broker's accounts. But there is also the question of what happens to your investments in nominee accounts if the broker goes bust.
12/10/2008
The art world is no longer a safe haven
The art world is no longer a safe haven
10/10/2008
FTSE share prices fall: How it will affect house prices?
House prices are not directly affected by a drop in shares prices, but they are still connected with what is happening on the stock market.
04/10/2008
Asset allocation is key to retirement plans
Investment advisers are telling personal pension holders not to panic as falling equity markets reduce the value of their retirement funds.
30/09/2008
Stockbroking Guide: Pick your own for the tax-free basket
Self-select individual savings accounts (Isas) appeal to traders who have the time to manage their own portfolios and are confident about making their own investment decisions.
19/09/2008
Green light for investing in energy efficient companies
Gordon Brown’s recent pledge to invest £1bn in making thousands of homes more energy efficient provided some relief for householders struggling with soaring gas and electricity bills. But they are not the only ones who could benefit from this initiative. Investors are also being encouraged to plug into the potential of the energy efficiency sector.
02/07/2008
Retiring abroad? Don't forget your QROPS
A scheme that allows UK citizens who emigrate to transfer their pension schemes to their new country of residence has come under fire from financial advisers.
09/06/2008
Benefit of a holiday home becomes less taxing
Britons who own second homes through limited companies, to get around restrictive property laws in overseas countries, will no longer face a UK tax bill just for staying in them, under new legislation in the Finance Bill that is currently going through parliament.
28/05/2008
Wine Investment 2008: Funds that may be worth tasting
With headline-grabbing prices and a story that features wine-mad Russian oligarchs and free-spending Chinese billionaires, wine, it seems, is where the money is. But investors should be prepared not to see a single bottle themselves.
20/05/2008
'Safe' funds that have lost money
Schemes sold as low risk have failed to live up to their promise - with double digit falls in some cases
13/05/2008
Make it less of a blow when you're told to go
With 40,000 jobs being cut in the City, employees are being advised to scrutinise their contracts, to see where they stand.
07/05/2008
Chance of returns from 130/30 funds is less than 50/50
An investment theme hailed as the flavour of the month is now leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of investors.
28/04/2008
How to cut your tax bill just like the rich
Alistair Darling’s tax changes in the budget have created some great opportunities for well-off investors. We show you how to follow in the footsteps of the wealthy
25/03/2008
What it means to you
The wild swings in equity markets put private investors on the defensive this week.
25/03/2008
Headache over high-earner pensions
Many scheme members of executive pension plans (EPPs) have faced heavy administrative burdens since pension rules were changed two years ago, and financial advisers say more of them should exercise their option to switch schemes.
19/03/2008
Pensions provide life policies
A new scheme to allow employees to buy life assurance in a tax-efficient manner through their pensions has been launched, and financial advisers say they expect more to come.
09/02/2008
On the right trackers to reap dividends
Investors who subscribe to the efficient markets theory - that prices reflect all available information and any fluctuations around this are essentially random - will also believe that "active" fund management is a waste of time.
09/02/2008
And now for something completely different
A number of quirky investment schemes made their debut last week, as firms took advantage of uncertainty in the markets to encourage investors to look at asset classes which do not have much connection to the rise and fall of stocks.
05/02/2008
Telegraph Makeover
Harriet Meyer talks to John Totton, who wants to fund a comfortable - and 'more relaxing' - retirement to the Philippines
05/02/2008
Beat Labour’s new stealth taxes
Investors who thought they would be better off from April could end up paying thousands more. And it’s not the only undercover tax in store
18/12/2007
Reaping the rewards . . .
Good news for those who ditched stocks and shares, for wheat and corn. Tony Levene reports
08/10/2007
The allure of natural resources
Investors previously happy with a domestic portfolio of traditional stocks and bonds are seeking advice on more obscure products such as Asian real estate funds and soft commodities, forcing private bankers to rapidly familiarise themselves with these new products.
08/10/2007
An assured position in the hereafter
Clive George, 56, is a school chaplain hoping to retire at 60 with an adequate pension and no mortgage. He would like advice on choosing the right savings options.
26/09/2007
Master of Your Own Financial Destiny?
Bloomsbury's Carolyn Gowen writes for 'The Chief Executive' a magazine and website dedicated to the needs of CEOs.
13/09/2007
Look around for the one-stop shop
Wealth management and financial advice have traditionally been sub-divided according to specialisations. Accordingly, many investors appoint a stockbroker for portfolio management, a solicitor for trusts, a chartered accountant for tax planning and an independent financial adviser for insurance. The problem with this approach, however, is that these advisers rarely speak to each other, let alone co-ordinate their approach to create a holistic long-term financial plan.
13/09/2007
UK awaits retail access to funds of hedge funds
The UK regulator shook things up a few months back when it proposed the introduction of regulated funds of hedge funds that would give small investors easier access to hedge fund strategies. But thus far the good news is that private investors received from the Financial Services Authority in March has not had much impact on hedge fund inflows.
13/09/2007
FT Makeover - See the world before you settle down
Siobhan O'Neil plans to travel around the world at the end of next year but before leaving her job and picking up her backpack would like to make sure her finances at home are secure. She anticipates that a world trip will cost between £5,000 and £7,000 and has saved £3,500 towards this so far. Her job as a manager in a media centre earns her an annual salary of £35,000 gross. Out of this she spends around £20,000 on living expenses, enabling her to put some money aside each month. In the future she intends to change her career path and move to the charity sector, which she anticipates will be more personally rewarding, if less lucrative.
05/06/2007
FT Makeover - Reflecting on that 'negative investment'
Alexander Davidson and his wife would like to retire in 10 years' time, on an annual pension of £60,000, but are currently juggling this goal with school fees and repaying their mortgage.
05/06/2007
Private banks gain ground in high net worth zone
Financial planners who target high net worth clients face big competition from private banks, which attract over 52% of the wealthiest customers, according to Tulip Financial Research.
28/04/2007
Be wise to a variety of outcomes
Choosing how to take your pension savings is likely to be one of the most difficult financial decisions anyone will face in later life.
21/04/2007
Don't sit worrying over the figures
Claire Sutton is a 28-year-old working in London as a PR manager and is hoping to use her recent pay rise to gain more financial security. After graduating, Sutton worked in low-paid jobs and accumulated credit card debts of £2,000. Recently she was awarded a pay rise and now has an annual take-home salary of £30,000, with possible bonuses of up to £2,000. Sutton moved her credit card debts to a bank loan six months ago. Since then she has reduced the loan to £1,600 and has built up Isa savings of £1,400.
23/03/2007
New products: Smart ways to keep your money
As the pool of wealthy people in the world gets larger so does the number of private banks lining up to launch services aimed at these high net worth customers. But it is no longer enough simply to offer a personalised service and a wealth manager at the end of a phone 24 hours a day: the super rich are now seeking out new and sophisticated products in which to invest.
14/03/2007
Investment trusts: Best-kept tax-efficient secret
Real estate investment trusts are the biggest phenomenon to hit the UK property industry in years. Many of the sector’s biggest companies transformed to Reit status on or shortly after January 1 this year, when the necessary legislation came into force. At a stroke, assets worth tens of billions of pounds took on a much more tax-efficient structure.
03/03/2007
Financial Times Readers' Questions
I understand that, subject to certain restrictions, it is possible, in any given tax year, to put the equivalent of one's entire earnings into a personal pension plan and get full income tax relief. Where does this leave any investment into a venture capital trust at launch? Investment into VCTs also attracts tax relief, but is subject to the tax actually having been paid in the relevant year. Can a tax rebate be claimed on a VCT investment even if all of one's gross earnings have been invested into a pension, and therefore, technically, no income tax has been paid in that year?
17/02/2007
Price war forecast as US fund manager plans UK launch
One of the cheapest ways to access the stock market could get even cheaper if plans by Vanguard, the second largest fund manager in the US, to launch in the UK come to fruition.
27/01/2007
Out of the frying pan into low transfer value
Any employees considering leaving their company's final salary pension scheme might want to think again now the government has overruled industry proposals to offer scheme members more attractive transfer values. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ruled last week that employers offering lump sum payments to members wishing to transfer out of defined benefit pension schemes - which promise a set level of income in retirement - will not be required to give cash payouts large enough to buy the equivalent level of benefits with a private insurer.
22/01/2007
Forced to go on a tighter leash
As the ex-sales director of a financial services company, Sean Ryder knows how to manage money. But a diagnosis of bipolar disorder two years ago has dramatically altered his financial circumstances.
02/12/2006
Follow the trail towards a worthwhile rebate
It can be lucrative being an independent financial adviser. Tens of millions of pounds is paid to advisers every year from the money they look after on behalf of clients.
25/11/2006
High earners find April is kindest month
The new A-Day pension rules have opened up an opportunity for high earners to make tax savings by linking up the efficiencies of venture capital trusts (VCT), tax advantaged funds that invest in small companies and start-ups, with self-invested personal pensions (Sipp).
20/11/2006
Can you beat the 'poor value' annuities?
New study criticises insurers, reports Tony Levene
28/10/2006
How to make a big hit in one tax year
The new pension rules introduced earlier this year significantly lifted the bar on contribution thresholds. But a small group of high-flying executives and City workers are taking advantage of a loophole that allows them to pay even more into their schemes, at least for one tax year.
21/10/2006
Picking a winner at the financial advice 'Oscars'
Bloomsbury's Carolyn Corless, winner of a demanding IFA contest, tells Janet Walford the client comes first.
10/10/2006
'Clever' trackers cut the cost of investing
Cheap computer-run funds can now mimic the techniques of top fund managers
10/10/2006
Wealthy investors urged to consider affordable flats
Disused banks and flats above shops might not be as glamorous an investment prospect as a villa on the Côte d'Azure but buying into the development of these types of buildings has attractive tax perks for wealthy investors.
07/10/2006
Plan to buy time for music and wine
Peter Schmidt is a 34-year-old business analyst who owns his own company, and would like to be financially independent within the next 10 years.
02/09/2006
How to get into exchange-traded funds
I would like to buy into an exchange-traded fund but I think I will have to use a broker to do this. Are there any guides on how to go about this? In addition, the broker presumably holds the funds in nominee accounts. Does this present any potential problems?
26/08/2006
A conservationist approach to wealth
Jennifer and Piers Williams recently received an unexpected offer for the software company they had built up over the past 15 years. They sold the business for £2.1m cash earlier this year and now have to restructure their investments to provide sufficient income to see them through a potentially long retirement.
21/08/2006
Fixing a fair fee for finance advice
Figuring out whether the fees and commissions your independent financial adviser charges are fair can be difficult. Are the charges you are paying to invest in an annuity or unit trust appropriate? Could you find a more appealing deal?
17/07/2006
Spotlight fails to increase transparency
A growing number of holders of with-profits policies with Standard Life are looking to cash them in now they have qualified to receive demutualisation windfalls averaging £1,540.
23/06/2006
No match between income and spend
Megan Williams is a 55-year-old mother of two adult children whose financial worries stem from being asset rich and cash poor. Megan, who is divorced, has assets worth £1.3m, including the £800,000 family home, two flats worth £270,000 and a £200,000 equity portfolio.
03/06/2006
Splits investors in line for payout of half of their losses
The body which is administering payouts for aggrieved investors confirmed this week that it would proceed with a second compensation payment after receiving a "pleasing" response to its initial offer of 40p in the pound per qualifying investment.
06/05/2006
Dangers of giving a little too much
Angela and Robert Waters have been married for nearly half a century and have built up assets worth nearly £2m. The key issue for the couple is how to preserve their estate as their children could face an inheritance tax bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
31/03/2006
Millionaires can find better fields
David and Marianne Baker are entrepreneurs who live in southern England. They are UK domiciled and resident and have a son and daughter who are privately educated.
22/03/2006
Wealthy investors await clarification on pension rules
With only a few weeks to go until the new tax year, key rules are still to be issued by Revenue and Customs
12/02/2006
Investors pour into fine wine, art and horses
Auction houses are reporting a boom in alternative investments as City bonuses kick in
18/11/2005
Protection of assets is worth a try
Michael Little is nearing the end of his working life, but keeping up his standard of living in retirement is the least of his worries.
19/08/2005
Cars and boats, wine and whisky, and ... racehorses
New investment opportunities include boats, classic cars, wine, fine art and overseas residential property. You can make use of the assets while your pension fund benefits from the investment growth and, with property, you can borrow against your pension plan to help fund the purchase.
12/07/2005
A strong desire to do their family credit
Sean and Meredith Douglas, who have been married for 31 years and live in Leeds, are about to become empty nesters. Their second child, 19-year-old David, is about to head off to university this autumn. “My wife and I are wondering what we’ll talk about and how we’ll cope in each other’s company,” jokes Sean, 53. “It will certainly be a change.”
13/05/2005
Blueprint for a comfortable retirement
Ian and Zoe Johnson have been married for 25 years and have amassed assets of more than £1.4m. Ian, 48, works three days a week at a small architecture firm, of which he is a partner. His share of profits from the business comes to £120,000 a year. In addition, he and Zoe, 47, run an interior design company out of their Norwich home. Last year, they shared profits of £75,000.
08/04/2005
So how do I find a good investment adviser?
If you really want a private asset manager, have a look at the industry awards at www.pamonline.com, which aim to gather market data about the relative performance of different companies. As part of the awards, industry specialists – for example, trustees who pick investment managers on behalf of clients – judge private banks, stockbrokers and fund managers, taking into account the risks they take with investors’ money. In the latest awards, in the balanced portfolios category, Ruffer Investment Management came top. In the alternative investment classes field, the winner was Global Asset Management.Roddy Balfour, a judge on the PAM panel and director at Rothschild Trust group, advises potential clients of private asset managers to watch the performance of these companies’ unit trusts and other funds as a gauge of the performance of their private client arms.
02/04/2005
Less of a bang and more of a whimper
With just a few days to go until the final pieces of the government's low-cost savings jigsaw are assembled, it seems likely that the grand vision to encourage wider saving will be little more than a pipedream.
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