Blog
Check out our latest thoughts and insights on a variety of financial topics
2024 wrapped... in numbers
At Simpson Financial Services we’re all about numbers. Whether it’s monitoring changing market conditions to adjust the asset allocations within your portfolio, or calculating how much money you need to retire early, numbers are our thing. So, what better way to summarise our 2024?
National award recognition for Vicky and Milena
We started 2024 by winning the CII's President's Trophy and seeing our Head of Paraplanning, Alex, take home the coveted 'Young Achiever of the Year' award. Now, we're ending the year with incredible pride as Vicky Tolley, Paraplanner, was awarded 'Paraplanner Apprentice of the Year' and Milena Damjanovic, Paraplanner, was awarded 'Financial Services Administrator Apprentice of the Year' at the CII & PFS Apprenticeship Awards last night.
Simpson Financial Services named Top 100 IFA firm by New Model Adviser
We’re excited to announce that Simpson Financial Services has been named one of the Top 100 Independent Financial Advice firms in the UK for 2024 by Citywire's New Model Adviser.
The Autumn Budget was BIG - but does it affect you?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first Budget was a significant one in all senses.
“…this Budget delivers a large, sustained increase in spending, taxation, and borrowing.”
‘Do One Thing’ for Talk Money Week... but what thing?
It’s officially Talk Money Week; the annual reminder that building financial conversations into your everyday life can have a real impact on you and those around you.
What might be coming in October's Budget?
Many chancellors ago, in November 2016, Philip Hammond announced an end to spring Budgets and their replacement with autumn Budgets. At the time it seemed a sensible idea to allow changes in tax to be legislated before the start of the new tax year. In practice, it did not go to plan...
The cost of pension tax relief
HMRC has updated its estimates for the cost of pension tax relief. Rachel Reeves will have taken note ahead of her first Budget on 30 October.
Should you help repay a student loan?
Are student loans something to avoid?
With the 2024/25 academic year on the horizon, student finance is again a hot topic for many parents. How hot differs slightly for the UK’s four nations as each has a subtly different way of funding students and, outside Scotland, their tuition fees. However, the broad principles are the same:
Save money on tax by helping charity
Tick the 'Gift Aid’ box to boost your donation to charity and save some tax.
The number of national and international calls on our goodwill to donate to causes has grown in the last few years. You are probably familiar with the tick the 'Gift Aid’ box, or a request to sign a declaration, when you donate to charity. As a rule, it makes sense for you and the charity to do so. This simple step could mean a £100 gift costs you only £40 (or £32.50 in Scotland).
The new government's pension decisions
Autumn won’t leave much time for the new government to settle before important pension policy decisions need to be made.
When MPs return to work after the summer recess, many areas of policy will require attention. Some are inheritances from the last government, while others are of the current government’s own creation. The pensions arena provides good examples of both...
Ask an IFA: Join our FREE financial surgery
Bring your financial ailments to our local drop-in event and we’ll do our best to fix them – with a side of top-notch hospitality.
What can we expect in Labour's first 100 days?
With a majority of over 200 and a weight of expectations, what happens next for Sir Kier Starmer’s new Labour government?
The importance of the first 100 days of a new government cannot be understated. Within that period the new incumbent has the greatest political capital to take bold actions, as well as the greatest opportunity to lay the blame for ‘inherited’ problems on its predecessor.
Clampdown on greenwashing of investment funds
New rules have come into force governing the claims made by sustainable funds.
As sustainable investing has grown in popularity, the issue of ‘greenwashing’ has moved into the spotlight. However, investors, turned fund detectives, have discovered that funds with ‘sustainable’, ‘environmental’ or similar labels are buying shares in companies which do not match the branding. Elsewhere, some sustainable funds seem to differ little from their ordinary counterparts, with perhaps just the obvious red flags, such as the oil majors, excluded.
A new Labour government: What's next?
After 14 years of Conservative rule, Labour has taken the reins under Keir Starmer with a massive majority as the electoral map shifted from blue to decisive red on 4 July.
The last time the Labour Party replaced a Conservative government, within a few days it sprung an economic surprise that nobody saw coming – granting independence to the Bank of England. Just over 27 years later, no such shock move seems likely, but with Labour’s key message a promise of change, what lies ahead?
FIRE: Financial independence, retire early. Could you?
Do you dream of retiring much earlier than your peers?
Many ideas which originated in the US have made their way across the Atlantic. The latest financial innovation to join index-tracking investments, budgeting apps and exchange traded funds is the FIRE movement – Financial Independence, Retire Early.
