Investing has been around for centuries and the basics haven’t changed as much as you might think. Technology has changed how we invest, but some of the investment lessons from the past are just as relevant today as they were in the 1600s.

Our latest guide looks at the foundations of modern investing, and what you can learn from the past, including:

• How the first stock markets came to be
• Why you should focus on the long term
• Why it’s important to diversify
• Why it’s impossible to consistently predict market movements
• How following t...

Since Pension Freedoms were introduced in 2015, retirees have had more choice when they access their pension. However, it also means you have more responsibility for generating an income later in life and it’s important to understand what your options are.

Our latest guide explains the basics you need to know, including:

• Why it’s important to have a retirement plan in place
• Your different options, such as buying an annuity or taking a flexible income
• The pros and cons of the different options available to you.

Download “Your retir...

There are more than five million self-employed workers in the UK, according to government statistics. This figure is rising, with around one in six people now working for themselves. There are advantages to being self-employed, but some workers could be missing out on benefits worth thousands of pounds compared to their traditionally employed contemporaries.

The average annual replacement cost of typical employee benefits is £9,586, according to calculations from Royal London. This means self-employed workers must earn almost £28 extra pe...

When discussing investments or reading the news, you may have heard the phrase “rebalancing”. It’s an important part of making sure your portfolio continues to reflect your goals, but it can be overlooked or misunderstood. Read on to learn what rebalancing involves and why it’s part of investment strategies.

Investing: A long-term game

Before we start looking at rebalancing, it’s important to understand how and why we invest with a long-term strategy.

It can be tempting to buy and sell stocks to try and maximise profits, especially duri...

It really is never too soon to start investing through a pension. You may not be thinking about the retirement lifestyle that your children or grandchildren will enjoy quite yet, but opening a pension before they even start school can be worthwhile.

If you’re looking for a way to help secure a child’s financial future, a pension can ensure their later life is far more comfortable and provide them with a valuable foundation for later life.

Here are three reasons why investing through a pension on behalf of a child can lead to powerful gro...

The cost of funding care and delivering support to the elderly has become a national priority. However, research suggests it’s still not something individuals are thinking about when they make retirement plans.

As average life expectancy has risen, the demand for care has soared and more people are living with complex needs. A report from Frank Knight shows the number of beds in care homes increased by 2,500 in 2020. However, the number is still falling in relative terms – there are now 28.7 care-home beds per 100 people over the age of 8...

While the chancellor didn’t announce personal tax rises in this year’s budget, a freeze on allowances could mean your tax bill unexpectedly increases. High earners and those with defined benefit (DB) pensions could now find they exceed the Lifetime Allowance, as it will remain frozen until 2026.

The Lifetime Allowance is the amount you can tax-efficiently save into a pension. It was expected to rise in line with inflation, but the allowance will now remain at £1,073,100 for the next five years.

That sum sounds like a lot, but it can be e...

In March, chancellor Rishi Sunak delivered his second Budget. After a lot of speculation that taxes would rise to pay for the cost of Covid-19, you may have been relieved to discover your tax bill won’t be going up. However, you could still be worse off.

Rather than increasing taxes, the chancellor said he would be freezing allowances. On the face of it, this seems like it won’t have an impact on your personal finances. However, it does once you consider the rising cost of living.

The effect on your income

The Personal Allowance (the a...

A year ago, Rishi Sunak delivered his first Budget just as the pandemic began to take hold. While his £30 billion package sounded significant, it’s a sum that has paled into insignificance over the last 12 months as the chancellor has spent £280 billion shoring up the UK economy.

As the chancellor acknowledged in his speech: “The damage coronavirus has done to our economy has been acute”.

So, who are the winners and losers of the 2021 Budget?

Winners

Retail, leisure, and hospitality businesses

It’s been a tough year for many sectors, ...