For many people 09 was a year of hardship. A worldwide setback, stock market turbulence plus an overall belief of unease have left a great deal of individuals feeling quite unsettled about the future.

Hopefully the next year will be a greater year. However there are steps we can take to help our finances.

1 thing we can do to get the situation into perspective is to look over our finances. Whether it is your house finance, outstanding loans, investments, your income or purchasing habits need to be surveyed regularly.
Taking out a review will help you to identify where your finances can be bettered and maybe where you might make alterations.

It is important to review your Investments, to check they are suitable to the amount of risk you are inclined to accept. It is also worthwhile looking at your MasterCard and visa, gas and electricity as well as insurances to see if you could get an improved deal. Even a small saving could make a difference to your regular budget.

Making the most of your annual taxation allowances such as Isa’s, capital gains tax allowances and pension planning are also ways of cutting the level of taxation you might pay.
Whilst income and capital gains tax are important, the result of IHT (Inheritance Tax) should too be thought about.

Many individuals and parents have assets in excess of the value of the Inheritance Tax Nil Rate band. Efficient tax planning can be used to reduce the amount of tax their beneficiaries might have to pay.

For numerous people, the functions supplied by Financial Advisers assist them to re-examine and put into place amendments to their finances.

If you think that you would benefit from independent financial advice please call us on 01454 321511.

Consilium Asset Management