Posts tagged: finance advisor

Things to Consider When Planning a Tree Change after Retirement

retirement advicesBy now, you might be confused what a “tree change” means. Experts are advising that people need to start thinking about their retirement early because the current economic trends have brought about a hike in property prices. There are very few living options for retirees and even then, they have to rely on someone, after their savings run out.

When it comes to retirement, people have three options – tree change, sea change and inner city living. As you can understand from the terms, a tree change is where you move to a rural setting, a sea change is where you move to a beach side and inner city living is when you move into an apartment in an urban locale.

Tree Change

A country retreat is mostly preferred by people who have or aim to purchase a few acres of land, some space from the hustle bustle of the city, scenery, fresh air and a sense of peace. With retirees, the most pressing concern is their health. Living confined in a house and being dependent on others for making small trips to the market can get rather depressing. When they feel like a burden, they retreat into themselves and destroy their chances of living a quality life. Having freedom insurance can make them feel secure and independent in such times.

Living in a rural area offers many perks, which include:

• Growing your own vegetables and fruit (this can become a source of income)
• Owning animals
• Less security problems
• Less pollution
• Healthy environment
• Greater sense of belonging and community
• Peaceful living

How to Make the Decision

Savings run out easily and as a retiree, it’s hard to find a source of income. This means that you have to carefully plan and count your potential expenses before making the move. Make a checklist of all your “wants” and “essentials” and then crosscheck it with your partner’s list, if you have one.

Most people remain at a 200 km distance from where they used to live because this allows them to remain in contact with their service providers such as a mechanic, hairdresser, medical professionals, etc. This also gives you the benefit to visit your neighbors or friends in times of crisis or celebrations. A lot of money is spent on repairs and by hiring someone who has been working for you for quite some time can be a plus. You will be able to save more and can spend that money on other important things.

Before moving, the most important thing you need to make sure is whether or not medical aid will be available to you in the vicinity where you are moving. It can be quite difficult to get medical help for medical emergencies in rural areas. Before moving, visit the location and check the medical facilities on site. Find out how well equipped they are to handle your problems and then make your decision.

3 Ways You Must Protect Your Earnings

Knowing how to protect your earnings is an absolute must if you’re going to avoid bad financial situations befalling you both now and in the future. Luckily, we’re here to give you a few ideas on how to do just that. Here are 3 ways you can protect your earnings:

Have A Savings Safety Net

Having a savings safety net is crucial, whatever job you do and however much you earn. Consider every eventuality for a moment. Is there a chance somebody could fall ill? Could you take a pay cut? Could you lose your job? Many of these things can happen to anybody at any time. A savings safety net takes a while to build up, but when you experience an emergency, you’ll be glad it’s there.

Take Out Income Protection Insurance

Income protection insurance will help you if anything happens to your income in the long run. This is especially helpful if you are a contractor or a freelancer who could fall ill and lose out on cash. You’ll be seriously glad you got the appropriate insurance cover, even if just for peace of mind.

Use Your Money In Smart Ways

Make sure you use the money you have in smart ways. You should invest as well as save, as investing is one of the only ways to make a great return on your cash. You should also know when to lease or buy, as this can make a huge difference to your finances overall. Take a look at the infographic below for more information:


credit to auto.loan

Expand your knowledge on tax planning

Money tax planning“Nothing is certain but death and taxes” – a quote, from Benjamin Franklin, that we will all have heard at one time. Neither is something we look forward to, but while we can’t do anything much about the former, there is plenty we can do about the latter.

Tax planning can be broadly defined as minimising one’s exposure to tax through ordering one’s financial affairs in such a way that only the right amount of tax due under the law, and no more than that, is paid. Tax planning is completely legal and is actually welcomed by the UK tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

However, while HMRC wants everyone to pay the right amount of tax it hasn’t got the time or the resources to be able to provide all taxpayers with a comprehensive service to explore each individual’s financial / personal and business circumstances. So, unless your tax affairs are very simple – eg, an employee coming under the PAYE system – there is a very strong chance that you may not be paying exactly the right amount of tax to HMRC. That is not the fault of HMRC or indeed the result of anything you might have done, or not done. There are an awful lot of tax rules out there and the knowledge of what you are entitled to claim in the way of expenses, or what you can legally do to minimise tax, is not common knowledge amongst small business owners.

A quick look around the Internet can thoroughly confuse you about tax as this term is used to cover all sorts of charges and levies that are imposed by local councils as well as HMRC – eg, council tax and business rates.

The main areas of taxation that anyone studying tax planning needs to think about are those run by HMRC – income tax, capital gains tax, National Insurance contributions, VAT and corporation tax, and finally, when we get back to the subject of death, inheritance tax. That seems a reasonably small number to deal with, right? But beware, as within each one of these taxes there are vast numbers of complications, allowances, exemptions, concessions, thresholds, practices, etc. that you probably don’t know about. Do you know for example, if you are running a small business, whether you would be better off forming a company than working as a sole trader or partner?

If HMRC doesn’t have the resources, and the Internet information baffles you, where can you go in order to get good quality tax planning advice? The two areas of expertise to help you are accountants (indeed you may already have one) or if you want a more comprehensive review of all of your financial / taxation circumstances an Independent Financial Advisor, who is likely to be better informed about a whole range of taxation issues. Such a company will probably offer you a free consultation to assess your needs, and will provide a tailor-made service if required.