News & Articles
Below are Lighthouse Financial Advice press releases and articles which have appeared in the national press and online media.
- Improving the way you receive financial advice | 28 August 2012
- Changes that improve the way financial advice about products such as investments and pension funds is provided to consumers come into effect on 1 January 2013. The objective is to bring financial advisers in line with other professions such as accountants and lawyers.
- What is changing?
- Clearer charges: advisers will have to agree with you in advance how much you are paying for their services.
- Clearer services: advisers will have to explain to you exactly how they can help you and agree with you the services you require.
- Professional advice: all advisers will have to be professionally qualified, keep their knowledge up-to-date and follow an ethical code that requires them to treat customers fairly.
- Different types of advice
- As of 1 January, two types of advice will be available:
- Advice based on a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the relevant market, known as independent advice.
- Advice limited to certain areas, eg pensions, or to a range of carefully selected product providers, known as restricted advice.
- Advisers will have to tell clients the type of advice they give – some may offer a choice. Of course, all advisers must make sure that their recommendations are suitable for the client.
- How will you benefit?
- You will be sure that your adviser meets the new, higher standards of technical expertise. You will also agree in advance exactly what type of advice and services your adviser will provide and how much you are paying them. Rather than pay upfront, in most cases you will still be able to pay by having the fees taken from your investments, as is currently the case.
- Lighthouse will offer both advice options, continuing to provide cost-effective financial advice in the most beneficial way.
- How can increasing the amount you leave to charity increase the amount you leave to your heirs? | 10 August 2012
- Legislation effective from 6 April 2012 which means that a lower rate of Inheritance Tax (IHT) applies for deaths on or after 6 April 2012, where people leave a charitable legacy of at least 10% of a "component" of their "net estate" when they die. In this article Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, shows how it may be possible to reduce tax and increase the amount left to beneficiaries by increasing a charitable legacy.
- Download the full article.
- Trackers | 01 June 2012
- The subject of trackers came into the news when a press release from the IMA (Investment Management Association) confirmed that in the first quarter of 2012 net retail sales of tracker funds were £661 million. Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse Group, looks at some of the types of tracker funds available and concludes that all is not always as it seems.
- Download the full article.
- Lighthouse Group wins FT Business Large IFA of the Year Award for the third year running | 26 April 2012
- Lighthouse Group is delighted to announce that Lighthouse was once again named Large IFA of the Year at Financial Adviser's Life and Pensions Awards 2012. Financial Adviser is part of FT Business. This is a hat trick for Lighthouse, as we won the same award in 2010 and 2011.
- Malcolm Streatfield, CEO of Lighthouse Group, commented: "We are delighted to have received this prestigious award, which is sponsored by FT Business, for the third year running. This is testament to the ongoing hard work undertaken by the Lighthouse team throughout the year. Given the constantly changing regulatory landscape of our industry we are delighted to have once again achieved this recognition.”
- How can stock market turmoil affect you? | 5 August 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse Group, comments in an article by BBC personal finance reporter Kevin Peachey, on how stock market turmoil can affect anyone with a pension, those considering retirement, savers with Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), and even money set aside by families for the cost of children's university education.
- Read the full article at www.bbc.co.uk/news (page opens in a new window).
- The Hutton Report | 28 June 2011
- If you are a member of a Public Service pension scheme, such as the NHS or Teacher’s schemes, you can expect to see massive changes to your pension by 2015. In this article Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse Group, explains how the proposals may affect you.
- Download the full article.
- Property: where to from here? | 28 June 2011
- When considering investment into property it is important to realise that not all property funds are the same. In this article Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse Group, looks at issues you need to consider.
- Download the full article.
- Is inflation eroding the value of your savings? | 18 May 2011
- With inflation higher than it has been for many years, Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, looks at the impact on individuals and considers what they could do.
- Download the full article.
- Changes to taxation of redundancy payments | 9 May 2011
- Rules introduced recently mean that a higher level of tax on any non-exempt amount is likely to be deducted at source if the payment is made after issuing the P45. Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, explains what this means in practice.
- Download the full article.
- The appeal of a resilient market | 27 April 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, gives his thoughts on where he thinks the UK stock market is heading in the second half of the year.
- Download the full article.
- How to choose an ISA | 5 March 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse Group, comments in The Independent about how to choose an ISA.
- Read the full article at www.independent.co.uk (page opens in a new window).
- Traded Life Policies | 20 February 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, comments in The Independent on Traded Life Policies, marketed as low risk investments but which, according to finance experts, carry major risks.
- Read the full article at www.independent.co.uk (page opens in a new window).
- Inheritance tax planning and the nil rate band | 17 February 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, looks at how the transferable nil rate band can be used in estate planning.
- Read the full article at www.ifaonline.co.uk (page opens in a new window).
- Latest investment fund superstars | 22 January 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, comments in The Indepedendent about the latest investment fund superstars.
- Read the full article at www.independent.co.uk (page opens in a new window).
- It is better to save or pay off debts? | 19 January 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, comments in The Independent on working out whether it is better to save or pay off debts.
- Read the full article at www.independent.co.uk (page opens in a new window).
- What does the coming year holds for investors? | 6 January 2011
- Andy Gadd, Head of Research at Lighthouse, has a cautiously optimistic view of what the coming year holds for investors.
- Read the full article at www.ftadviser.com (page opens in a new window).