Smart Money – September/October

Welcome to our latest edition. Inside, we look at how having a financial plan in place early on can make it easier to manage your money further down the line. It’s never too early to make a financial plan. The sooner you work out your goals and start following a plan to achieve them, the more likely you are to succeed.

On page 06 there are three key questions to ask yourself when building your financial plan. Don’t forget: vision without action is merely a dream. We spend our working lives building towards retirement. Choices we make today will have a big impact on the quality of our lives later on. On page 04 we explain the changes made to UK pensions in 2015 and what they mean for your choices when it comes to funding your lifestyle in retirement. The decisions surrounding when, why, and how you decide to retire will be very personal and will largely depend on your individual circumstances.

Understanding inflation is an important factor when it comes to your financial success. If you don’t factor inflation in when deciding where to put your money – whether that’s savings accounts or investing – you could find your wealth shrinks over the years. The easing of lockdowns has boosted consumer confidence and unleashed pent-up demand.

On page 12 we look at the current causes of higher inflation. Your pension is more than just a retirement fund, it can also contribute towards building a better world. As we have been witnessing in recent months and years, climate changes are occurring in every region and globally. A new landmark report from the United Nations on the state of climate science has highlighted modern society’s continued dependence on fossil fuels. Its effects are already apparent as record droughts, wildfires and floods continue to devastate communities worldwide. Turn to page 10. A full list of the articles featured in this issue

To read the full Smart Money – September/October 2021, click here