May Newsletter

Welcome to our latest issue in which we look at the major talking points that could impact on your financial plans both today and in the future, especially as we enter a new financial year and take stock of the announcements from Budget 2016 – and then there’s the matter of ‘Brexit’.

With an increasing focus on ‘Brexit’, our investment clients will naturally be monitoring the impact on financial markets ahead of the referendum scheduled for Thursday 23 June. The nature of investment is long term. On page 06, we look at why constantly making changes to take into account short-term events often proves to be counterproductive in the long term. Movements in currencies and shares are often fairly short-lived, as the result of the Scottish referendum showed.

The State Pension changed on 6 April 2016. If you reach State Pension age on or after that date, you’ll now receive the new State Pension under the new rules. The aim of the new State Pension is to make it simpler to understand. But there are some complicated changeover arrangements which you need to know about if you’ve already made contributions under the previous system. Read the full article on page 03.

The introduction of the new Lifetime Individual Savings Account (LISA) next year is aimed at helping young people save flexibly for the long term throughout their lives, and simultaneously enabling them to save for a first home and for their retirement without having to choose one over the other. Find out more on page 04.

The full list of the articles featured in this issue appears on page 02 – enjoy your copy.

We strive to provide stories that are informative and inspire you to look at your financial plans in a proactive way. To discuss any of the articles featured in this issue, please contact us.