Good Afternoon One & All
There’s only one place I can start for what is now the 10th quarterly All Thing’s IFS mail, which is to announce the birth of my first Grandson! Young Marley was born on the 14th November 2025 weighing 4.55lbs, somewhat earlier than his due date as he was born at 34 weeks. I’m pleased to report that both Marley and Mum are doing well, albeit somewhat frustratingly now, they both remain in hospital. Added to the fact that since the last issue I am now able to draw on my own pension, I guess I could officially be classed as old!
As ever, a fair bit to get through, and I guess the only next place to begin at would be;
The Budget
I’ve actually read up on this more than usual. If anyone would like some good summaries then let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige. Thankfully, it would appear that there have been no foot in mouth decisions made, and the markets have remained fairly positive from an investment perspective. No detrimental decisions made with regard to pensions, tax free cash entitlement has remained, as has tax relief on contributions and annual allowance levels.
Headlines, it’s been referred to as a bit of a ‘back-end loaded’ Budget, by this I mean a lot of measures aren’t being implemented for quite some time yet, such as tax threshold levels. The ‘clever’ part of this is, there’s plenty of time to potentially change such measures. And although it appears as if this isn’t a direct tax measure, as salaries increase then more income becomes taxable. This is referred to as ‘fiscal drag’.
Could it be classed as a success? Jury out on that one, time will tell.
Royal London ISA
It seems like it’s been an eternity coming. As you’ll all know, I love the Royal London pension plans. It’s simple, low-cost and works. Pretty much everyone has seen forward movement over the last year with their plans, so it’s great that finally I can confirm Royal London have made an ISA available, and it works on pretty much the same principal as the pension plan. In fact, on occasions even more favourable.
It’s also a stocks and shares ISA, so the annual limits haven’t reduced (Unlike it’s Cash counterpart). I would be more than happy to discuss the merits of investing within this plan, whether it be new money, or indeed considering transferring your current ISA plans. Again, I have plenty of literature available so feel free to ask me to supply.
Pensions
First and foremost, a pension is a deferred income, a savings vehicle to provide an income when you decide to retire, or in part retire. But there are also so many benefits and efficiencies to this investment, which is why I am such a massive advocate of this investment tool. Whether you’re an Employer or an Employee, it is so vital to understand where you will be in later life. It’s never too late to receive that education, so if there’s anything you don’t understand, or think you’re missing out on, please let me know and do my job.
Merry Christmas
Yep, I’ve said it. We are in December now so I may not get an opportunity to say this before shutting down for the festive period. It’s been a topsy turvy sort of Year, and I’m looking forward to a break. Needless to say, I will be refreshed and looking forward to what 2026 has to bring. It’s going to be a good year!
Thank you for listening, as always, and for your continued loyalty and time over the last year. IFS over and out.
Marcus Woolley
Certified Financial Adviser
Ideal Financial Solutions Limited
Tel 01202 916488