In September 2026, markets experienced some volatility due to conflict in the Middle East and the impact it had on energy prices. Discover other factors that may have affected the performance of your portfolio. Markets got off to a weak start on 1 September. A global government bond sell-off, caused [...]

It’s entirely normal for your personal circumstances and priorities to change over time. A will created a decade ago – or even just a few years ago – may no longer accurately reflect your current family structure, financial goals, or life situation. As these priorities evolve, it’s important to ensure [...]

With property prices rising across the UK, the home represents the single largest asset in the estate for many families. Indeed, research reported by Zoopla (17 July 2025) shows that the average UK home increased in value by 20% between 2020 and 2025. That being the case, it’s easy to [...]

Running a successful business can be incredibly rewarding, but ensuring your hard-earned profits translate into personal wealth can be challenging. Indeed, this exercise requires careful, ongoing planning, and some entrepreneurs spend so much time managing their firm’s operational cash flow that they overlook their personal tax position. This could leave [...]

Passing assets to your loved ones during your lifetime could have many benefits. Yet, that doesn’t mean it’s simple, and you might experience emotional challenges even if you’re sure it’s the right thing to do in your circumstances. According to an FTAdviser article (29 July 2026), 7 in 10 people [...]

Unfortunately, when you’re being targeted by a scam, it doesn’t come with a huge warning sign that’s impossible to miss, and it could mean you unwittingly fall for a fraudster’s tactics. Indeed, according to a Nationwide (25 September 2026) survey, the average Brit is targeted by scammers multiple times a [...]

If you “open your eyes, look up to the skies and see…”, you can find financial planning lessons in the most unexpected places. You’ve no doubt heard many of Queen’s greatest hits countless times. You might have danced to ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ at weddings, sung along to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ [...]

After months of volatility, markets were relatively calm in August, though economic data was mixed. Discover what factors may have affected your investment portfolio throughout August 2026. When markets opened on 3 August, it was a good start to the month. Falling oil prices led to the Stoxx Europe 600 [...]

How are you setting your life goals? Are you following a well-trodden path or choosing aspirations that are meaningful to you? Everyone is different and spending some time thinking about what you want to achieve could lead to greater wellbeing and a sense of purpose. Imagine you're preparing for retirement. [...]

In just a few years, AI has transformed how we approach tasks both at work and in our personal lives. While using AI could save you valuable time in some areas, it could pose risks in others, including when you’re writing or updating your will. Your will sets out who [...]

The amount HMRC is forecast to collect through Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is set to more than double between 2024/25 and 2030/31, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR, 9 February 2026). The good news is that there might be steps you could take to reduce a potential bill. [...]

The government will set out its tax, spending and economic plans for the year ahead and beyond on 28 October 2026 in the Autumn Budget. The weeks leading up to an Autumn Budget always feature rumours about what might change and how it could affect personal finances. With this Budget [...]