First week back and like many people I’ve been catching up with paperwork and numerous spam emails that had dropped into my email box between Christmas and New Year.

I read and article yesterday and whilst watching the news late last night, I wondered why there is so most emphasis put on the FTSE 100. The FTSE 100 is the top 100 shares listed on the London Stock Exchange in term of capitalisation i.e. size
Here are a few facts about the FTSE 100.

The index is dominated by a number of big

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Between now and the end of the tax year.

Well hopefully if you have to complete a self assessment tax return you will have completed and submitted it online. If not you might be in for a shock, fine and interest on the outstanding tax due.

However we have to remember that the 2010 -2011 tax year is not yet over and you should review your finances to make sure that you have made the most of any tax breaks that are available to you.

The cost of living is going up (oil is now at its highest

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It could be “all change” at the financial services authority if a conservative government gets into power later this year.

Senior conservative MP’s have confirmed that the role of the city watchdog would dramatically change if they came into power.
If elected banking supervision would be transferred from the FSA to the bank of England. The FSA have come under severe scrutiny over the last few years, especially due to the UK banking crisis.

The FSA have had a difficult week with its head

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Our latest free newslettter Esmart money is now available to download at:

Financial Newsletter

The Chancellor, Alistair Darling will present his pre-budget speech to Parliament on the 9th December

Due to the current state of the UK’s finances it is likely that additional tax increases will be revealed. Tax increases have already been announced in the last budget.

Tax increases in April 2010

The new 50% rate of income tax was announced in the last budget, along with increases in the rate of dividend taxation for taxpayers earning over £150,000

Changes to personal allowances will

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A recent report by abbey savings has revealed that over 25% of parents have no savings to fall back on, in the event of an emergency.

Having a “rainy day fund “is an important part of financial planning. Just trying to save a little each month into a deposit account will make a difference and provide a level of security.

The research  also raised concerns that over 25% of parents have also reduced their savings by a large amount. It is believed that parents are using savings to maintain

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The latest copy of our Esmart Money magazine is now available for download.

To view our latest Financial Advice publication go to the main page of our site by clicking the link

Over the last few years the role of a financial advisor has continually evolved. Additional proposed changes are to come into effect from the end of 2012. The aim is to provide improved clarity, professionalism and higher qualifications within the industry.

Regardless of change, the things that have always remained constant are the financial needs and objectives of the client.

If I try to sum up in a few sentences why clients seek advice from a financial advisor it would be:

"To improve

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We have recently published our creating wealth publication.

It is available free of charge.

To download a copy, please go to our resources page.

Hundreds of savers and investors could possibly lose millions of pounds as a result of the largest financial scam to hit the UK. It is believed that investors may have lost up to £80million in the Ponzi scheme that was run by Business consulting international.

Investigations by the FSA and the London Metropolitan Police now suspect the company was running a Ponzi scheme similar to other high profile cases in the US.

The term Ponzi scheme was named after one of Americas most well known con

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With the current financial turmoil and the global recession still causing issues for investors, it might not seem to be the best time to review your Individual Savings Account Investments or investments.

However, in some respects this could be ideal time to carry out a review. History has shown that most investors buy investments at the top of the market and tend to sell at the bottom. In reality, investors should be buying at the bottom and hopefully selling at the top of a market. It could

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The Financial Services Authority has recently issued a blue print for the future of the financial services' industry.

The latest consultation paper response called the “Retail Distribution Review” was published last week. The aim of the review is to.

Provide greater clarity for consumers. The proposal distinguishes between independent financial advice and “restricted advice”. Restricted advice refers to advisers that are only able to offer advice on a single or limited number of

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Consumer confidence in making financial decisions without expert advice plummets

The credit crunch and economic downturn has increased the number of consumers seeking professional financial advice according to new research published on February 17, 2009, from Unbiased.co.uk.

34 per cent of people are in need of professional advice on their personal finances as ‘recession paralysis’ strikes 20 per cent increase in consumers seeking financial advice over the last four months

With the UK

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