“How long are you going to live?”

May 18, 2018 | In the news

An independent (financial adviser’s) view

If you find all of the above a little depressing, here’s something which cheered me up no end over my morning croissants: the BBC’s life expectancy calculator. Click through to have a go and see how many more Eurovisions you can see us lose. For me, it’s 22, of which 17 will be healthy. Of course, due to the law of averages, it could be 42, with 10 unhealthy ones, or an hour, with a dodgy 15 minutes. My first thought? Another glass of rosé, please.

Read more here

Budget Rumours and Possibilities

The Budget Rumour Machine is not the shambles it was last year. Before Rachel’s Swansong all sorts of stuff was leaked to see what sort of puddle it would create.

Banks are opening branches again!

There’s a branch of Santander in Oxford which has a cafe, ‘co-working spaces and bookable meeting rooms as well as standard banking facilities’. And this, it seems is going to be a thing, as Barclays, too, has decided to reopen branches which will also include trendy cafes (well, a Costa) and chill-out work areas.

Why do 70% not get advice when taking pension benefits?

In the age of the internet, you can DIY pretty much anything. It will tell you how to fix your electrics or plumbing. You can book a holiday,, service a car old enough not to require the attachment of a laptop – and, of course, invest and advise yourself financially.