Whilst acknowledging that the recession hasn’t ended for everyone in the country as some areas and some sectors are still finding the environment challenging, many businesses especially those in urban areas would say that activity has picked up quite noticeably in the last 12 to 18 months.

For some businesses this will present a whole new set of challenges as they will need to expand to cater for increased demand and in the majority of cases this will have to be funded without bank finance. Another challenge that some businesses may face is upward pressure on costs such as wages. As the economy improves, staff will seek to recover the gains which were lost during the recession through pay cuts, reductions in bonuses and overtime and through higher taxes. Now that the economy finally appears to be turning, one of the biggest risks to your business might be loss of experienced staff to your competitors. We have a solution. Continue reading Business picking up? Upward pressure on wages? Staff leaving for better opportunities elsewhere? How to retain staff without breaking the bank. →

• Did you leave a previous employment where you had a pension entitlement?
• Do you know how much it is worth or what it is invested in?
• Do you know how much is deducted in charges?
• Do you know who has responsibility for the stewardship of your pension?
• Can you make fund switches with ease and speed if you need to?

If you have a defined contribution pension entitlement from a previous employment it usually makes sense to move it into what is known as a Personal Retirement Bond, also known as a Buy-Out Bond. Continue reading Do you have a pension entitlement from a previous employer? →

Here’s a very straightforward video which shows how a pension works;

Continue reading How does a pension work? →