No one can avoid this subject right now but, in this article, I want to address the financial concerns, specifically in relation to investments. Global stock markets fell last week, the largest falls over a couple of days for 10 years, although some are moving upwards again at time of writing, and I do not believe this is a major cause for concern.
Retirement planning is rarely seen as an exciting topic but no one can deny that planning for your financial future is important. It becomes even more important when you find out that the vast majority of people are woefully underfunded and are sleep walking into retirement. You cannot rely on a government for full financial support so you have to take action yourself.
Most Western countries, and the UK is a prime example, are sitting on a retirement time bomb. With factors such as an ageing population, falling birth rates, and a combination of the widening gap between what people are saving and the amount they would have to put away to adequately fund their retirement, there are major concerns for the future. This was the finding of a World Economic Forum report, published in 2018.
This article has been superceded so please see the latest version published on 1st April 2021/
This may sound like a silly question but research from a major British insurance company has shown that up there are up to 2.5 million forgotten UK pension plans. Furthermore, the UK government estimates that the size of these forgotten and unclaimed funds could exceed £400 million.
Among those with a forgotten pension, the majority believe they have misplaced one pot (77%), although 17% think they have forgotten about two and 6% have forgotten three or more. At the same time, almost three in five (59%) UK adults are worried about not having enough money to last them in retirement. If this is you, there are steps you can take.
This article has been updated so please see link for the latest version:
Are your investment funds in the dog house? | Financial Planning in the UAE (financialuae.me)
If you would like a chat about your investments and are interested in active future management, or have queries about any aspects of personal financial planning email me at keren@holbornassets.com
Many of us muddle through our financial lives, not focusing on what matters the most, so this article is designed to help you sort out your financial priorities.
You have probably thought that there are some issues you need to address but it is common to be stuck in limbo, not quite sure what to tackle first, or a to have a vague to-do list but are unsure where to start.
I am often asked what are the most important topics to focus on so this is a guide to what you may need to look at if you haven’t reviewed your personal finances before, or haven’t done so for some time. What should you do now and what is most important?
All too frequently I see people who have been sold long-term savings plans without having been given the right advice to address more immediate issues. The most important consideration is to focus on what could go wrong tomorrow and then to take steps to protect you and your family. This doesn’t have to be expensive but this is what proper, ethical, financial planning is all about.
This article has been superceded so please see:
FinancialUAE – Why investing can be more than just money
For advice and assistance on the widest range of personal financial planning issues, to make an appointment, please contact me at keren@holbornassets.com and see other articles on this website for more useful information.
There is no doubt that we live in interesting times on many levels and naturally people will have financial concerns. High on the list of worries is the potential adverse effect of a geopolitical event but it is the potential repercussions of this and how issues impact us locally and well as globally that we need to consider. There is not much most of us can do about these global issues but we can take steps to protect ourselves and our families.
Life in the UAE has its own pressures and challenges and whilst there is usually a lot of optimism, right now there are issues facing us. It is no worse here than in the rest of the world but being an expat can have its own demands. To find out what UAE residents are thinking and feeling as we start the new year, I put together a survey and this article is about the results. All responses were anonymous.
Following some months of speculation it has been announced that IFGL, which owns RL360°, will acquire FPIL (Friends Provident International Limited) from the Aviva Group, subject to regulatory approval.
This article has been rewritten and fully updated so please refer to the lastest one, published on 31st July 2024.
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