Author Archives: ross@planrfp.co.uk

The 2024/25 tax year is just a month away, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his 2024 Spring Budget, outlining the government’s plans for the next fiscal year and beyond. With a general election looming – prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he will call it before the end of the year – the chancellor […]

Does your job cause you stress? A recent survey found that 3 in 5 UK employees say their mental health declined in 2023 because of workplace stress. Long work hours, tight deadlines, and job insecurity all contributed to this burden, and nearly half of respondents said senior management was to blame. Instead of continuing to […]

With a general election likely this year, the Labour Party has promised to revolutionise the mortgage market by opening the door for long-term fixed-rate deals that could last a full mortgage term. The announcement follows many mortgage holders facing soaring bills due to rising interest rates throughout 2022 and 2023. To tackle high levels of […]

Naming a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is often associated with the elderly. But it could provide vital protection and peace of mind at every life stage. An LPA gives someone you trust the ability to make decisions on your behalf if you’re unable to do so. When you think about the scenarios that might […]

Rising interest rates have led to government bond yields climbing. It’s made them more attractive to some investors and could provide a way to grow your wealth too. According to figures in FTAdviser, investors pumped £18.6 billion into UK and US government bond funds between November 2022 and the end of 2023. Of this total, […]

This year the FTSE 100 index turns 40. Over the last four decades, it’s become a way to measure the health of the UK stock market. During that time there have been highs that investors no doubt celebrated, and lows that serve as a reminder that there’s some truth in the saying: it’s time in […]

When you start thinking about the steps you need to take when retiring, your focus might be on the financial side. Yet, it’s often a good idea to start with your lifestyle aspirations. Last month, you read about the different options when deciding how you’ll retire. Now, it’s time to consider what your ideal retirement […]

When a new tax year starts, many allowances reset. So, checking if you could make use of allowances before Friday 5 April 2024, when the 2023/24 tax year ends, might be valuable. This guide explores some of the allowances that could help your money go further. You might discover you could reduce your Income Tax […]

What are your goals for 2024? Whether you want to improve your health, be smarter with your money, or learn a new skill, it can be hard to know where to start. Recent research discovered the average British adult only sticks to a new habit for seven weeks before giving up. So what can you […]

With interest rates at their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, finding a mortgage deal that’s right for you could save you thousands of pounds over the long term. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the BoE slashed its base interest rate, and it remained below 1% for more than a decade. During the Covid-19 […]