Author Archives: ross@planrfp.co.uk

Whether you’re buying your first home or searching for a new deal, there are some factors you might want to keep in mind when taking out a midlife mortgage that could affect your decisions. 1. Your age might affect the mortgage term you can select As house prices have increased, there are mortgages available with […]

More than half of UK pension savers are also building up retirement savings outside their pension, according to a MoneyAge article (22 December 2025). As pensions provide some useful benefits when saving for retirement, these savers could be missing out.  The survey found that people saving for retirement outside a pension were using a mix […]

Financial shocks can have a devastating effect on your short- and long-term finances. While you can’t remove the unexpected from your life, it is possible to be prepared, and a cashflow model could help you identify how. A cashflow model could help you visualise changes to your wealth A cashflow model is a powerful tool […]

A survey has identified an “ambition gap” in the UK, with millions of adults admitting they have no financial aspirations for the coming year. Not only can a clear goal mean you’re more likely to achieve your aspirations, but it can also have a positive effect on your wellbeing. The article in IFA Magazine (13 […]

Once you’ve set out your investment goal and strategy, what comes next? Often, it’s time to test an important investment skill – your patience.  The average investor might benefit from a long-term approach  When you think about the most important skills in investing, you might consider the ability to choose the “right” investments or understanding […]

This guest blog was written by Chris Budd, who wrote the original Financial Wellbeing Book as well as The Four Cornerstones of Financial Wellbeing. He founded the Institute for Financial Wellbeing and has written more than 100 episodes of the Financial Wellbeing Podcast.  According to research published by Gallup1 in 2010, there are five areas […]

Just over three months after her lengthy Autumn Budget, chancellor Rachel Reeves has addressed the House of Commons and delivered the government’s 2026 Spring Statement. Ahead of the Statement, Reeves reinforced the government’s commitment to “one fiscal event, one Budget, a year”. So, it will come as a relief to many, including business owners, that […]

The new tax year will start on 6 April 2026, and many of your important allowances and exemptions will reset. Checking whether you could use these valuable allowances before the end of the 2025/26 tax year on 5 April 2026 might help your money go further. Before you make any decisions, ensure that you understand […]

Despite ups and downs throughout the year, 2025 proved to be a great year for the FTSE 100 – an index of the 100 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.  According to the Guardian (31 December 2025), the FTSE 100 increased in value by a fifth in 2025, marking the strongest annual gain […]