We all know the formula E=MC2, but few of us can explain Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. You’ll be pleased to know that you don’t need to be Einstein to work out how much you can take out of your retirement savings. However, if you use the headline rule of thumb to determine how much […]

Everyone knows that Christmas is the season of giving. But with all the emphasis on presents, parties and festive fun, the central message that ‘tis better to give than receive’ can easily get lost in the Christmas wrapping paper. There’s good reason to instill a spirit of giving in kids whilst they’re young, though. A […]

How has your personal well-being changed over the course of the past year? It’s arguably a difficult thing to measure. After all, we have different views about what constitutes happiness, satisfaction and well-being. But the Office for National Statistics has devised a way to measure and track personal well-being. Their latest official figures on the […]

Following the Budget this afternoon, Martin has produced a free briefing note for our clients and professional contacts. Within this briefing note we have described the main Budget announcements as they relate to personal financial planning. Download the Informed Choice Budget Briefing Note for October 2018 Despite continued uncertainty around Brexit negotiations, there was some […]

Guildford is well known for a lot of things, including its Saxon roots, cobbled High Street and Lido swimming pool. The town is now known for being the inheritance tax capital of the UK. New research from Direct Line Life Insurance has revealed that more estates in Guildford paid inheritance tax than in any other […]

Informed Choice financial planning director Shelley McCarthy presented a seminar this morning on the subject of inheritance tax planning. We broadcast her presentation live on our Facebook Page and the video is now available to watch. Within the 40 minute presentation, Shelley described the foundations of inheritance tax planning along with how the new residence […]

Each week we’re contacted by people with a burning financial question; should I transfer my defined benefits pension plan, or not? It’s a tough one to answer and shows the importance of professional independent advice. Chances are that they have received a statement from the administrators of an ex-employer’s pension scheme, in which they used […]

Born in the autumn following Euro 96, only leaving full time education in 2015 and largely dodging the minefield of the ’08 financial crisis, I came into the profession at a very ‘rosy’ time. When I joined Informed Choice; regulation and scrutiny in the profession was firm and fair, the Retail Distribution Review of 2012 […]

Making a will doesn’t mean you are going to die! A large number of adults have not made valid wills when they really should do. Shelley McCarthy shares a few reasons why you should. A survey by Macmillian Cancer Support revealed that nearly two thirds of adults in the UK have not made a will. […]

This feature – Extraordinarily lucky – first appeared in the September 2018 edition of Informed magazine One part of my job I really enjoy is meeting with clients and finding out more about them. Tim and Barbara Albert are no exception. I recently met them at their home in Leatherhead, where we chatted around their […]