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Grandparents or family members who care for their grandchildren whilst the parents work, may be eligible to claim additional NI Credits towards their state pension. This is particularly valuable if your client shave gaps in their NI record.

It may seem obvious, but the empathy shown to a mourning spouse, partner, family can be worth more than most financial advisers/planners are aware. Kind words of sympathy are a given, but the true test of an adviser’s mettle and client duty of care becomes apparent in the actions after the initial notification of death.

When you meet someone new, one of the first questions you ask is, ‘‘What’s your name?’’. Your name is your identity, it is one of the most basic, yet important components of who you are. Personal and working relationships can’t flourish if you are unable to determine a person’s name, and companies are no different.

Well 2020 has not been the year that anyone had predicted – with the storms, floods, fires, virus pandemic and the odd plague of locusts, some could argue that the End of the World is nigh. To say 2020 has been difficult is an understatement. However, the aftermath of these natural disasters will be unprecedented and challenge what we perceive as normal – economically, politically, socially and financially.

A common difficulty I am hearing from business owners is how to ensure their team is properly resourced. Too many staff and you face issues of cost inefficiency; too few and there are problems around productivity and income generation.

I love music. I find it unsettling when I ask people what music they like and they say: “Oh, I don’t know really – I like a bit of this, and a bit of that… I’m not that bothered.” Inside, I am screaming: “How can you not get more excited about music?”

You may have seen the phrase ‘financial wellbeing’ become increasingly used over the last few years. It first appeared in the title of Chris Budd’s book, ‘The Financial Wellbeing Book’, back in 2016. We asked Chris, who founded the Initiative for Financial Wellbeing (IFW) for the advice community, if he could provide an introduction to the context of financial wellbeing, and explain how it can significantly enhance client outcomes as part of the financial planning process. Back in 2015, I came up with the term Financial Wellbeing in the title for my book to describe anything that relates to the relationship between money and how we use it to be happy.

When my daughter was born my wife and I brought her home, put her into a little basket and just looked at her with no idea what to do. After many moments of mild panic, I concluded that I would probably be most helpful in planning to start saving for her future. A couple of nappy changes later I was convinced that should be my role.

From January 2021 passporting will cease irrespective of whether the UK leaves with a deal or we see a no-deal Brexit. That means UK based financial advisers and planners will no longer be able to advise clients who live in the EU. If you and your clients are affected, this guide will explain your options.

With the recently announced ban on contingent charging on DB transfers, how much further might the FCA go with reviewing your charging model?