Autumn Statement 2013

by Paul Northmore, Managing Director

While George Osborne tells us “The plan is working,” the fact facing many of us is that we ourselves will be working longer than expected before we receive a state pension.

The headline implications of this year’s Autumn Statement are that those now in their 40s will need to work until 68 to get the state pension, and those currently in their 30s will have to wait until age 69. And who knows if the pension age will rise yet further in years to come?

It’s an inevitable outcome for an aging population the country can’t afford to fund.  And it’s compounded by the fact that those starting work today typically do so at about 21, six years later than the typical age when the pension model was first established – so the system is losing out on a lot of NI contributions.

What’s worth more: you or your car?

by Mike LeGassick, Independent Financial Adviser, Manning and Company

Benjamin Franklin said, “But in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

So how much life insurance would you take out to protect your family if you knew you were going to die in 6 months’ time? Would you invest in some critical illness cover if you knew you were going to have a heart attack, stroke or other critical illness, and survive it? Chances are you would get as much as you could and as quickly as you could.

So why is it then that only a fraction of the UK has any type of life or critical illness cover?