Some good news!!

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation has fallen to 3.6% with the largest downward pressure coming from fuel.

It seems that inflation is set to continue to fall!

When TV finance guru Justin Urquhart Stewart visited Profile Financial Management in November we were interviewed by Eden FM; Penrith’s new local community radio station.

To hear what Justin had to say about the state of the world economy click here

Pension experts are warning that the latest life expectancy calculations could lead the way for the state pension to hit 68 as early as 2027. The newly revised numbers, from the Office for National Statistics, show that life expectancy is rising for the general population by one year every four.

Experts are worried that this new information could cause the government to scrap their already accelerated plan to raise the state pension age to 68 by 2046. The concerns are heightened as David Cameron and other prominent policymakers have recently made statements about austerity leading the way to prosperity.

Experts warn that as state benefits come under pressure, it is important for the public to be prepared for the worst by saving privately.

On Tuesday 22ndNovember we have invited Justin Urquhart Stewart to come to Penrith during which time he will be talking at a lunchtime event at Honeysuckle Cottage involving a group of professional advisers including accountants and solicitors as well as attend a Penrith Chamber of Trade and Commerce event in the evening which is also sponsored by Profile.

Some of you may have heard of Justin before; he regularly writes for national magazines and newspapers, and is a frequent commentator on television and radio, both in the UK and abroad. He is an extremely entertaining and enthusiastic speaker and has a wonderful grip of the financial world in which we live.

With twenty years experience following the ups and downs of the markets, the evening event will see Justin provide his assessments, predictions and witty observations on the world economy.

Whether you are a client of Profile or a professional interested in attending the lunch time event, we would be pleased to hear from you.  However numbers are limited so an early reply would be advisable. RSVP to info@profilefm.co.uk

The Government’s new savings initiative, the Junior ISA, launches today, 1^st November, and will immediately provide Parents, Guardians and Grandparents the opportunity to begin investing early for the estimated six million eligible youngsters

For more information on this refer to our previous blog or contact us at Honeysuckle Cottage on 01768 840000

Should you know of anyone who doesn’t have a will you may wish to email the following link to them:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15368029.

Don’t let the Treasury take a share of your hard earned estate.

The total amount of compensation paid out during the first half of the year to customers who were missold payment protection insurance has reached £215m, figures from the FSA reveal.  The regulator has published data which shows that 16 firms have paid a total of £215m in PPI redress between January and June this year. The redress has mainly been paid by banks representing 92% of PPI complaints received in the first half of the year.

Last week, pupils across England and Wales received their A level results and were making their final decisions on what university or college to attend. From September 2012, universities and colleges in England and Wales can charge up to £9,000* per year for their full-time undergraduate courses. Living costs on top of this – estimated at £5,500* per year means the average student starting a course in the 2012 academic year could need up to £14,500** for their first year. Research that more than half of parents underestimate the maximum amount of debt their child could leave university with. If you need advice regarding saving for further education we are here to help.

* Government education learning website
** Assumes living expenses of £5,500 per year based on maximum maintenance loan available for 2012.

Profile Financial Management is pleased to announce the launching of its new website.

The site encompasses much more information about the services provided by Profile as well as providing more general advice on such areas as the options at retirement, investment planning and estate planning.

One exciting feature is the ‘blog’ section which will keep our present and future clients up to speed with the latest news on the world of financial service.

We hope everyone will find the site clear, easy to navigate, and efficient in its presentation of information. One of the main functions of the site is not only to serve as a means for our potential customers to become familiar with our company and the services we provide, but also as a useful tool for our current clients. We like the site a lot, and look forward to receiving any feedback.

We would like to also send out a personal ‘thank you’ to all of our clients who not only provided us with testimonials, but also allowed us to post them on our website for all to see. Nothing is better than a heart felt recommendation from our current clients. I hope the manner in which we showcased those recommendations is seen as a testament of the value we place upon them.

Finally, thank you to all our clients who support us. To those who don’t use our services please review our site and contact us if you feel that Profile can help. We believe financial planning can be fun; try us. You might be surprised.