Monthly Archives: January 2021

Why Cash May Not Be King

How much of your wealth do your currently hold in cash?

One paradox of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is that even as businesses have shut down and jobs have disappeared, some British households have on average been saving more money than they usually do, due to lower spending, according to new research[1].

But the choice between holding large amounts of cash long term in a savings account versus investing could have a big impact on your future wealth. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, data also highlighted the fact that a considerable number of people already had substantial amounts of money in cash, including those with £250k or more in investable assets.

More money to invest than usual

The research reveals that 18% of those with £250k or more in investable assets have 40-60% of these assets in cash, or at least £100k. This group have also benefitted from the lockdown as 35.5% have said they have more money to invest than usual.

During periods of stock market volatility, which we’ve seen over the past year, it’s totally understandable that cash feels safe, and can be looked upon as a security blanket of sorts. But in the long run, it can do more harm than good to your financial wellbeing.

Below the rate of inflation
By leaving large amounts of money sitting in cash you could be losing out on substantial returns over the long run. The rates of return on cash accounts are extremely low and have plummeted further still since the COVID-19 outbreak, with the average currently below the rate of inflation.

The research also reveals this group are aware of the opportunities, as 42%, the largest of any wealth group, think there are good opportunities in the current market. Indeed, 29% would like to move their cash to investment but don’t know what to do, and 37% plan to be more active with their investments overall.

Long-term return for specific goals
Every investor needs a cash buffer in case of emergencies, but too much can negatively impact on returns. A good rule of thumb is to save six months of your salary in cash and then invest in a spread of different assets that can deliver a long-term return for your specific goals.

It’s important to do this in the most tax-efficient way, by making sure you fully utilise your allowances, including the Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance and the pension allowance.

Purchasing power over time
You might choose to invest because you are looking to achieve potentially higher returns on your money than you might get from holding cash and are comfortable with the idea of setting your money aside for the long term (at least five years or more).

Whether you’re concerned that you’ll lose your money or just don’t know where to begin investing, it’s common for some people to hold large cash balances in deposit accounts, especially in times of market uncertainty. But historically cash has not been a good store of value for individuals due to the corrosive nature of inflation eating into its purchasing power over time.

Well-structured and WELL-DIVERSIFIED portfolio
This is particularly acute in the current environment where deposit rates on cash are low and in the event inflation starts to accelerate. If you have excess cash balances you should consider how to protect and grow your capital to meet your specific needs.

Investing does, of course, carry its own risks but a well-structured and well-diversified portfolio, tailored to an individual’s requirements and managed sensibly, ought to protect capital from inflation and the decline in purchasing power over time. Diversifying your investment portfolio is one of the best ways to reduce risk, and thus promote growth.

Source data:
[1] Quilter research of 2,005 UK adults aged 40+ carried out by Toluna. According to ONS figures over-40s hold 90% of the UK’s savings.

INFORMATION IS BASED ON OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF TAXATION LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS. ANY LEVELS AND BASES OF, AND RELIEFS FROM, TAXATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

THE VALUE OF INVESTMENTS AND INCOME FROM THEM MAY GO DOWN. YOU MAY NOT GET BACK THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT INVESTED.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE.

EQUITY INVESTMENTS DO NOT AFFORD THE SAME CAPITAL SECURITY AS DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS.


Content of the articles featured in this publication is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements or constitute a full and authoritative statement of the law. They should not be relied upon in their entirety and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute advice. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of any articles.

Wealth needs managing – now more than ever

Achieving your financial goals through investing, and one size does not fit all

Even as we hope to put the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the rearview mirror in 2021, uncertainty regarding both the virus and Brexit is likely to continue to weigh on the UK and global economies as well as on our personal finances during this year.

While we hope volatility is less elevated this year, financial markets and the economy could still remain at the mercy of COVID-19 developments.

Setting specific investment goals is key
Understandably investment volatility can make it easy to focus on the short term and those temporary peaks and troughs. Setting your specific investment goals is important to keep you focused when you need it and will enable you to build a portfolio to get you where you want to be. Investment strategies should include a combination of various investment and fund types in order to obtain a balanced approach to risk and return. Maintaining a balanced approach is usually key to the chances of achieving your investment goals, while bearing in mind that at some point you will want access to your money.

Market factors that determine volatility
Market volatility can be nerve-racking, even for the most seasoned investors. Many different factors can impact market volatility, sending values of investments in either direction. Some of the most common factors that determine the volatility of the market include investor concern, political events, natural disasters and major events in foreign markets. But it’s important to keep matters in perspective. Avoid making rash decisions and focus on your long-term goals. Keep investing as you normally would. Also don’t attempt to pick the market bottom or the turnaround to jump in. Fight the impulse to think you can.

Riding out the market ups and downs
Investments don’t always go in a straight line – they have the potential to react and recover from short-term market events. Rather than looking at short-term volatility, it pays to look at the bigger picture. Over the long term, investments will usually deliver returns that allow you to grow your wealth. Looking at a twelve-month snapshot of your investment portfolio may show that investments have underperformed but look back over the last five or ten years, and you’ll hopefully be on track.

TOLERANCE FOR RISK
One of the first steps in developing an investment strategy is to identify your tolerance for risk as an investor, referred to as your ‘risk profile’.

Every investor has a different risk tolerance with regard to their investment selections. Making investment decisions can depend on your personality as well as the goals you are investing towards. Weighing up the level of risk you’re willing to be exposed to can be challenging. Whether you’re reviewing your pension or building a personal investment portfolio, balancing risk is a crucial part of the process.

Well-allocated investment portfolio asset classes
During volatile times, asset classes such as stocks tend to fluctuate more, while lower-risk assets such as bonds or cash tend to be more stable. By allocating your investments among these different asset classes, you can help smooth out the short-term ups and downs. Portfolio diversification may reduce the amount of volatility you experience by simultaneously spreading market risk across many different asset classes. By investing in several asset classes, you may improve your chances of participating in market gains and lessen the impact of poorly performing asset categories on your overall portfolio returns.

Diversification to protect and grow investments
Diversify, diversify, diversify – in other words, ’don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ – is sage investing advice. In addition to diversifying your portfolio by asset class, you should also diversify by sector, size (market cap) and style (for example, growth versus value). Why? Because different sectors, sizes and styles take turns outperforming one another. By diversifying your holdings according to these parameters, you can smooth out short-term performance fluctuations and mitigate the impact of shifting economic conditions on your portfolio.

INFORMATION IS BASED ON OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF TAXATION LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS. ANY LEVELS AND BASES OF, AND RELIEFS FROM, TAXATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

THE VALUE OF YOUR INVESTMENTS (AND ANY INCOME FROM THEM) CAN GO DOWN AS WELL AS UP, AND YOU MAY NOT GET BACK THE FULL AMOUNT YOU INVESTED.

INVESTMENTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OVER THE LONGER TERM AND SHOULD FIT IN WITH YOUR OVERALL ATTITUDE TO RISK AND FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT A RELIABLE INDICATOR OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE


Content of the articles featured in this publication is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements or constitute a full and authoritative statement of the law. They should not be relied upon in their entirety and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute advice. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of any articles

Why seek professional financial advice?

Tackling problems, creating a plan, dealing with challenges

Whether you’re starting out or well into your wealth creation journey, professional financial advice help you to define your goals and the path to getting there. It gives you a map and ongoing support to help you take control of your future.

Everyone has different goals in life. But whatever your goals, receiving advice can help bring you closer to achieving them. When it comes to managing your money, trying to build wealth, securing your future and drawing up an effective plan for fulfilling your financial objectives, professional financial advice is essential.

Reassurance, expertise and confidence
Now more than ever, households need the reassurance, expertise and confidence that professional financial advice provides during these difficult times. The effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are likely to have long-lasting effects on our finances for years to come.

There is a proven direct correlation between a person’s financial and mental wellbeing. New research[1] has identified how professional financial advice helps to improve the emotional wellbeing of clients by making them feel more confident and financially resilient when compared to those who have not received advice – especially in times of crisis.

Commonly recognised emotional benefits
Around 17 million people in the UK have received financial advice. For advised clients, the most commonly recognised emotional benefits of their adviser’s services is having access to expertise, which makes them feel more confident in their financial plans, feeling more in control of their finances and gaining peace of mind.

The research also shows that advised clients feel positive about the service they received – with the key areas of satisfaction being the quality of advice and expertise (82%), communication style (81%) and trustworthiness (81%).

Feeling more confident about the future
The research highlights that people who receive professional financial advice feel more confident about the future and more financially resilient. Around three in five (63%) who received advice said they felt financially secure and stable compared to just half (48%) who had not received advice. Four in ten (41%) who had not received advice felt anxious about their household finances compared to just a third (32%) of those who were advised.

Advisers also helped people to boost their knowledge and gain a better understanding of their finances – particularly when it comes to protection and retirement planning. Advised clients feel up to three times more confident about understanding products and financial matters, compared with people who don’t have an adviser.

A greater understanding of financial products
Understanding of financial products was much greater amongst those who were advised compared to the non-advised. A quarter of non-advised individuals said they would not know where to start when asked about life insurance (23%) or protecting against serious illness (24%).

In comparison, just 7% of those who were advised gave this response when asked about life insurance and 8% would not know where to start when asked about protecting against serious illness.

Being more prepared for life’s shocks
The research also looked at how the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis made non-advised clients feel about their finances. A third (35%) of people felt anxious about their financial situation and 65% have come to appreciate the value in being more prepared for life’s shocks.

An experienced adviser offers professional, tailored advice based on your individual circumstances and future aspirations. By understanding the mistakes that unadvised investors make, we are able to demonstrate the value that an adviser brings.

Source data:
[1] Royal London engaged with a UK nationally representative sample of 4,007 people.
The research found 26% of UK population have received financial advice. Based on the latest population figures from the ONS, this equates to around 17 million (17,367,169) people. https://adviser.royallondon.com/globalassets/docs/adviser/misc/brp8pd0008-feeling-the-benefit-of-financial-advice-adviser-report.pdf

Content of the articles featured in this publication is for your general information and use only and is not intended to address your particular requirements or constitute a full and authoritative statement of the law. They should not be relied upon in their entirety and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute advice. Although endeavours have been made to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of their particular situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of any articles