The Informed Choice team is commiserating this morning after failing to win Best Retirement Adviser at the Money Marketing Financial Services Awards 2015 in London last night.
Our congratulations though to LEBC Group who won the title for a third year; it always softens the blow a little to miss out on award wins to much (much!) larger competition.
This week at Informed Choice, we’ve been writing about the cost of being a wedding guest, a return to inflation, getting children onto the property ladder, how a nasty bike crash gave Andrew some perspective, and why our regulator has banned the distribution of a complex investment.
This weekend is the 69th annual Cranleigh Show so we are hoping for some good weather. Whatever you have planned for the rest of Friday and the weekend, we wish you the very best.
Blogs
How much will you spend on attending weddings this year?
Wedding season is nearly here and the average guest will spend £640 on each wedding they attend this year.
The UK has avoided a second month of deflation, with the news this week that price inflation turned positive in the year to May.
Giving children a helping hand onto the property ladder
There’s a big disconnect between parents and children when it comes to views about the first-time buyer market.
Andrew crashed his bike on Saturday and broke his collarbone. The experience has given him some perspective about the important things in life.
Retail distribution ban on CoCo bonds
The FCA has made permanent their temporary ban on the retail sale of CoCo bonds. What are these financial instruments and what makes them unsuitable for retail investors?
Podcast
ICP028 – Experiences make you happier than material possessions
In our latest weekly podcast episode, Martin explains why experiences make you happier than owning material possessions. He also looks at interest rate expectations in the US and what they could mean for investment markets.
Articles
Older entrepreneurs: meet the new start-up generation
Martin comments for The Telegraph on the rise of older people starting new businesses and some important points to consider.
Comparing skyscrapers and economic down-turns
Martin is interviewed for Share Radio about the Skyscraper Index; a phenomenon which seeks to link the building of new skyscrapers with an impending economic recession.
Mary is quoted in this article in The Telegraph which is a case study of a couple considering downsizing their property to supplement their income in retirement.
APFA mulls PI insurance as long-stop alternative
Martin comments in FT Adviser about the potential of a group professional indemnity insurance to reduce the cost burden of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
IFA Nick Bamford accepts Rory Percival’s challenge over FOS rulings
Writing for Professional Adviser magazine, Nick describes a client case where the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) ruling differed from regulatory views.
