Hello All
I trust everyone is well, been a while for some, other’s caught up recently. Looks like Summer has now passed. Welcome to one and All from IFS.
You may recall, last quarter’s mail was all about IFS, somewhat selfishly, so to make amends, this issue is going to be all about you ‘orrible lot!! Yes that’s right, your turn. And to kick us off, here’s a list of trades that I have the privilege of advising and looking after;
Hot Tubs
- Bed Manufacturer
- Kitchens/Bedrooms/Bathrooms
- Gardener
- Piling & Foundations
- Photography
- Hairdressers (Popular one that!)
- Funeral Director
- PA Services
- Coffee Manufacturers
- Lash Technician
- Structured Engineer
- Plastic Engineering Systems
- Solicitor
- Industrial Heaters
- Insurance Brokerage
- Car Mechanic
- Children’s Nursery
- Accountant
- Yoga Instructor
As you can see, a good range of services there. In hard times, we all need to look after one another, so if anyone has a need for any of these services, drop me a line and I can put you in touch with the relevant person.
A contribution from one of you
I thought it would be fun to get some thought’s from a planholder. No names of course, but you know who you are. And he’s smarter than the average bear!!
‘The 25% tax free lump sum. So far as in previous budgets and the very nature of a non-committal to any change, this has caused panic with billions being pulled from pension pots and not being allowed to be replaced. The very nature of such withdrawals immediately attracts tax on reinvestment so you could say the government has part achieved what it set out to do without making any committed decision knowing the policy holders would react in the way they have.
Like any financial commitment there are rules and regulations to protect us but you could say not from the government. Any changes will only have a negative effect on the pension world especially the younger generations who just won’t have the incentive to save. Living with the promises that were made to us many years ago, but now nothing seems to be guaranteed. So we could all start drawing our pensions early but what happens when we the money runs out?
There should be a ring fence protecting all existing policies. If changes are to be made this should be for new policies only as we cannot change the rules when we sign up for fixed term investments without major penalties or if at all.’
Wise words indeed. I haven’t changed or amended these in any way whatsoever, as I think this is a great opinion and it’s fantastic to hear the thought’s of everyone. I’m never short of content for these mails, but if anyone else would like to comment for next time (Pre-Christmas, post Budget) then please fill your boots.
Double Growth
What do I mean by this? Well let me tell you, amongst all the doom and gloom out there, a success story. The first time I’ve encountered this I think. Again no names, but an annual review I carried out this week, turned out the growth had outstripped the contributions. Over a 9 year period, £60k had gone into a pension, which yielded growth in excess of £70k. So over a 100% growth. That’s what we want to see. Continue to the bottom for a strategy view.
Self-Employed Mortgages
I always mention this at this time of year. For any self-employed people looking to borrow by way of a mortgage any time soon, Lender’s will post 6th October 2026 will no longer accept your 2024/25 returns as evidence of income, as they’ll be over 18 month’s old. As such, you will need to have your 2025/26 returns filed and confirmed at HMRC. If this is you, I’d be in touch with your (or the one above) Accountant asap.
Track down your lost or old Pensions
Might be useful. Click on this link for useful information in regard to any lost or old pensions you may have;
How to find a lost or old pension – Royal London
Big Mac Index
Have I lost the plot! No, I love this, came across it recently in one of the many industry related emails I received which keeps me updated. Never heard of it before, but think about it, makes perfect sense to have this;
‘A light-hearted way of illustrating the theory of purchasing-power parity, comparing the price of a specific burger across different countries. The Big Mac Index, created by The Economist, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, and aims to determine whether currencies are overvalued or undervalued in relation to the US dollar. The index indicates that Switzerland is currently the most expensive country to purchase a Big Mac, at approximately $9.00, while Indonesia the cheapest at around $2.40. However, critics have noted that average burger prices could be expected to be cheaper in countries with lower labour costs’
Keep the Faith
To finish off, and as I alluded to earlier with double growth, some words of wisdom I’m going to quote, to leave with you;
‘No matter what happens on a week-to-week basis, the importance of maintaining a well-diversified long-term investment approach, rather than reacting to short-term market swings continues to be key: By staying committed to carefully considered plans, investors can navigate through periods of volatility and uncertainty.’
For those of you who have stuck to this until now, thank you as always. I’ve really enjoyed putting this issue together and hope you enjoy reading, and clicking on some of these links. As I’ve said before, I consider myself so fortunate to have such a great bunch of people as each and every one of you. Have a great weekend everyone, and look forward to catching up again soon.