Social media and online platforms are full of misinformation and fake news at the best of times so in the midst of a pandemic, the problem only escalates. Conspiracy theories, fake cures and scams abound – myths that 5G causes coronavirus, that COVID-19 is a biochemical weapon released by China, or that drinking bleach can cure infected patients start to circulate like crazy. The power of social media lies in its ability to spread rapidly so the minute we like, share, or retweet something fake, we’re just amplifying it. We’re also more likely to forward something without thinking when we’re sc ..read more

The Covid-19 outbreak has meant that it’s unlikely any of us will be travelling any time soon. However, virtual escapism remains on the cards for anyone with an internet connection. You can now see some of the world’s most amazing travel experiences from the comfort of your chair. Best of all, you don’t even have to bother with flying or crowds of tourists. Don’t let anyone tell you that the lockdown doesn’t have its positives! Here are some of our favourite virtual tours: The Louvre The Louvre is the world’s largest art and antiques museum, and is definitely an essential visit for any culture ..read more

Scandalous though it may sound, cyber-criminals are using the coronavirus crisis to prey on unsuspecting individuals. Security experts have said they have seen an increase in email scams over the last few weeks, as if the world pandemic wasn’t bad enough in itself. We’re drawing these to your attention not to scare you but to raise awareness and encourage you to be on your guard. Here are 5 in particular to watch out for: Click for a cure This follows the classic technique of tapping into everyone’s deepest wish. People who have clicked on the link, in search of a cure, have had all their pers ..read more

The effects of the government enforced isolation period will be felt across the whole nation. It’s going to be difficult for all of us to spend three weeks (at a minimum!) without leaving home except for essential travel and one form of daily exercise. We’re going to have to adapt and find new things to keep our days filled to keep our spirits up. Give yourself “micro-lifts” throughout the day One of the main difficulties with self-isolation is that you’ll begin to miss the “micro-lifts” you have peppered throughout the day. Often it’s the little things, like popping out of the office to get a ..read more

You may have seen lots of literature already about the end of the tax year. But if you’ve not yet taken any action, now is the time to do so to protect your savings from tax. Here is a handy checklist of what to do and what not to do before 5th April. 1. Make the most of your ISA Allowance Individual savings accounts have been around now for over 20 years but they still remain one of the most tax-efficient ways of investing. You can invest up to £20,000 in an ISA in the 2019/2020 tax year without paying any income tax, dividend tax or capital gains tax (CGT). This can either be in a cash ISA o ..read more

The daffodils and crocuses are beginning to appear, the trees are blossoming and the days are getting lighter. Spring is definitely on its way. Traditionally, this was the time to do the big annual household clean. Now that fewer homes are heated by coal fires, with all their soot and grime, this is no longer so necessary. Nonetheless, a thorough de-cluttering and re-organisation of our homes can still reap great rewards. And our finances too will benefit from a good shake-up every now and again. Review your budget It’s great to have a budget to track your spending but it’s all too easy to set ..read more

The old cliché goes that ‘money can’t buy you happiness,’ but how true is that statement? According to a recent survey by Ameriprise Financial, only 13 per cent of American millionaires classified themselves as wealthy. Even those who had over $5 million (£3.8 million) spread across their accounts, investments and funds said that they didn’t feel like they were rich. Elizabeth Dunn, psychology professor at the University of British Columbia, said that this could be due to ‘social comparison’, meaning that a person only feels rich if he is richer than the people he is comparing himself with. A ..read more

Financial planning… Isn’t that based on cold, hard facts and scientific reasoning? Surely feelings  and emotions don’t have much to do with investing? We think they do. And here’s why. A little thing called human behaviour gets involved, you see. Only it’s not so little. Human beings are highly complex systems, motivated by many different factors and emotions. This makes us volatile, unpredictable and irrational. We also hold values and beliefs that drive our behaviour; some logical and valid, others not quite so much. But despite being so important, human behaviour is often one of the most fr ..read more

The tax year will be coming to an end on 5th April. With that deadline in mind, we wanted to remind our clients of all the allowances available to you during the tax year. It’s important to make sure you’re maximising your allowance in all areas so that you mitigate the impact of tax. Listed below are a few allowances you should be considering: ISA Allowance With a cash ISA or a stocks and shares ISA (or a combination of the two), you can save or invest up to £20,000 each year per person, meaning that a married couple can invest up to £40,000 between the two of them. Top up your pension contri ..read more

You may have already made some New Year’s resolutions regarding healthy eating and exercise but could your finances do with slimming down too? The start of a new year, not to mention a new decade, is a great time to review your financial situation, examine your budget in detail and make plans for the future. Take a look at the following financial resolutions you could adopt for 2020. Set goals If you haven’t already set any financial goals, now is the time to do so. But be specific. Rather than just saying you want to ‘save more’ or to ‘improve your financial situation’, focus on what you real ..read more