Bucket List

June 9, 2017 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

Two weeks ago I returned from my Route 66 adventure!

It was everything I expected and more.

It’s also opened up the conversation at Magenta about bucket lists and fulfilling your life. We are keen to advocate work life balance and living the life you love!

This trip was something I’ve always wanted to do. So, this year, without any study on the horizon and Magenta now set up and running well, it seemed like the right time!

Since I’ve been back everyone has asked me what was my favourite thing. It’s taken me a while to reflect on it all and I can’t possibly narrow this down to 1 thing, so here are my top 5!

Chicago – the city is amazing and I only scratched the surface. I love all city trips… the art, culture, food and hustle and bustle and this was no exception!
Springfield – Illinois. This is a lovely town with great character – the home place of Abraham Lincoln. We had a lovely boutique hotel, fabulous Italian food and a crazy taxi man.
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Wow! The old town is beautiful and such a different feel! New Mexico was ruled by the Spanish for a time, then Mexico & now falls under the USA. So it’s architecture and style is Spanish / Mexican and I loved all the little shops and it was so lovely and warm!
Grand Canyon – as you imagine it will be, but vaster, quieter, calmer and more beautiful.
Spending two weeks with my parents. Even though we fell out over directions, moody when we were tired and snappy when hungry. The laughs at taking selfies, picnics in the car, having our fortunes from the crazy machine, drinking cocktails in Vegas and talking about our memories and beloved family. How amazing to share this trip with them. Its cheesy – but true.

You can read more about Magenta’s bucket lists on our Blog at http://www.magentafp.com

The bridge of wellbeing

January 15, 2016 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

I touched on the concept of wellbeing and financial planning in a previous post in 2015 and this is a subject that really interests me.

The aim of Lifestyle Financial Planning is to help you enjoy a good life (whatever that means to you), knowing you have sufficient money to support you. The key point here being “enjoy a good life” – it must also address your wellbeing – it’s not just about having more money and possessions than the next person.

Last October I talked about wellbeing being much more than just physical or financial wellbeing, including career wellbeing, social wellbeing and community wellbeing. Any financial plan you make should consider and include all these things.

For anyone, your plan should start by establishing your goals and values and making your choices in life consistent with these. It should be for yourself – not for your money. So how can you do this?

This is where I revert to the Bridge of Wellbeing and it’s 3 pillars:

Define and understand your values and goals;
Deploy financial strategies that use your resources in a way that is consistent with your values and achieves your goals;
Develop your personal investment strategy.

A solid financial plan is important for everyone to enjoy the life you choose to live. It doesn’t have to be complex or lengthy. But it’s sometimes hard to know where to start.

Here are some questions that may help to explore your goals and start to build your first pillar in the Bridge of Wellbeing.

What is your biggest achievement, and why?
What is your greatest fear in relation to your future?
What would you say motivates you most?
Where do you want to be in 5-10 years time, professionally, personally and financially?
What is the one personal goal you would like to achieve within the next year? what about 3-5 years?
What causes you stress?
If you had unlimited means, what’s the one thing you would like to do with your time that you are not doing today?
What are your hobbies? or what do you like to buy with your spare money?
What are the most important things that you and your family want to achieve in the future? How would you feel if your couldn’t achieve them? what are you prepared to give up now to achieve them?

This year I am not making resolutions….

December 21, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

Christmas this year is making me happy and yet melancholy at the same time. I miss family who are no longer with us and I have been thinking a lot about those I know who are having a tough time. I have friends & family who are grieving from losing loved ones and some for who just things are not going too great, at home, work, you name it.

Then there are some really good things to look forward to in 2016, like new babies coming, weddings to attend and my new office, which is almost ready!

2015 has been a busy and exciting year for me. Here some of the highlights I can think of (in no particular order!):

I fulfilled one of last year’s resolutions and learnt to crochet.
We remodelled my front garden so that I have not had to cut any grass this year!
I had a brilliant reunion with old friends at Bluestone in Pembrokeshire, where we reminisced and giggled, as well as discussing how our lives have changed over the past 10 years.
I left one job and joined another, with exciting and new opportunities and experiences, working with a team who are genuine and hardworking.
I was shortlisted for the Certified Financial Planner professional of the year award.
Basil has lived with me for over a year and is now a lovely, funny, sweet natured cat.
Jackson was born and I became a ‘real’ Auntie for the first time. I am so proud of Geraldine and the wonderful mum she has become.
My brother, Oliver, proposed to his girlfriend and there will be a fabulous Anglo-Sikh wedding in 2016. I get to have two outfits.
My family have spent another year being healthy and happy and long may it continue.

So, as 2016 approaches we will no doubt all spend some time looking back to the past, but more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.

Last year I decided not to give myself unrealistic resolutions and set only a couple. They were, to enjoy work and stress less and to learn to crochet. I gave up on the exercise more, eat better – as that’s just a given and something we know we should all do anyway.

I have managed to achieve both of these resolutions, although the ‘less stress’ takes work each day, as it’s easy to let things get too much.

I have read that most people fail to achieve the resolutions they set at New Year. Either they forget, get distracted, or give up. Year after year people set the same resolutions but don’t quite get there. Is that because we make these things too huge and unachievable?

I have been thinking that instead we should look at it like setting a goal at any other time of the year and maybe we shouldn’t make such a big deal out of it.

Goals / aims / ambitions are important in life. They help us to function every day. Be it setting goals and planning for your finances, or for a specific event like a wedding or party, get the note pad out and start your plan. It will make you happier!

Here are some important reasons for setting goals.

It’s how we get things done – we set ourselves tasks/goals every single day. To eat, get dressed, get to work.
They can make us feel good – we get satisfaction and happiness by aiming for a target / goal.
It’s how our brain works. Most other creatures work on instinct, humans take action based on planning.
Goals mean clarity – they provide vision and direction so that we don’t waste resources (time, money or energy).
Goals can measure progress and give us purpose.
Goals keep us connected to others. Common goals / interests are the foundation block of families, friends and colleagues.

So, what will 2016 bring for you?

For me it shows signs of being a great year. I am happy at work and home and we will be able to work at the new office. I’m Bridesmaid for my friend Becca and Oliver’s Sikh-Anglo wedding will be wonderful.

So this year I have decided I am not setting resolutions, but rather things I want to do more or less of. Here is my list so far:

Finally, my New Year wish is that Basil will sit on my lap.

Best wishes for Christmas and 2016 and have fun!

Keeping it in the family – pensions technical post

November 23, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

As a planner, I’ve always liked pensions. However, it’s true… they are confusing and are not helped by the Government changing the rules all the time!

The latest pension changes – known in the industry as ‘pension reform’ – that came into place from April 2015 – means that everyone should be using them more and trying, at least a little, to understand them better.

This is because, thanks to the changes, pensions can now be passed down from generation to generation and this should be very attractive to lots of people.

So… I’m going to try to explain in simply terms how pensions can be used to pass wealth, tax efficiently, to the future generations – and keep more wealth in the family, rather than HMRC’s hands.

Tax and pensions

Before the new rules there were already good reasons for using pensions:

Tax relief on way in + tax-free growth =

greater pension pot and better lifestyle in retirement

These still remain positive planning reasons for using pensions but now, pensions are even better!

Passing down wealth

The new rules will allow holders of flexible pensions (but not members of Defined Benefit plans) to nominate an individual to inherit their remaining pension fund.
This can be anyone at any age and is no longer restricted to ‘dependents’.
This means adult children (who may have long since left home and have families of their own) can now benefit and don’t have to wait until their own pension years to access the money.
Beneficiaries can continue to have the advantages of tax-free investment returns and, potentially for some beneficiaries, tax-free withdrawals.

On and on…

The ability to pass on and on pension wealth does not stop with one generation.
The first nominated beneficiary can nominate their own successor who will take over the fund following their death.
This will allow accumulated pension wealth to cascade down the generations, whilst continuing to enjoy the tax freedoms that the pension wrapper will provide.

TECHNICAL BIT: The Age 75 rule and income tax

If the original member dies after age 75, any withdrawals will be taxed at the beneficiary’s marginal rate of Income Tax.
If death occurs before age 75, the nominated beneficiary has a pot of money they can access at any time completely tax-free.
In either case, the funds are outside the beneficiary’s estate for Inheritance Tax while they remain within the pension and will continue to enjoy tax-free growth.

Tax rate determined by age at last death

Each time a pension fund is inherited, the tax rate will be reset by the age at death of the last beneficiary / owner.

For example:

Mary, a widow, dies age 82 and had nominated her son Oliver to receive her pension. As Mary died after age 75, Oliver is taxable at his marginal rate on any income withdrawals. This could mean he pays 45% income tax (highest rate).

Sadly, Oliver dies age 65. He leaves the remaining fund to his daughter Simone. Simone can take withdrawals from her successor’s pension account tax-free as Oliver died before 75.

Review review review

The death benefit rules changes mean that for those looking to pass on any remaining pension funds on death to their family a review of the current plan is required.

This means revisiting existing death benefit nominations to ensure they continue to do what you want. Under the new rules, the scheme administrator cannot pay out a nominee’s pension drawdown if there’s an existing dependent (or an existing nomination in place that says something different).

Don’t forget that a nomination doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It’s possible to nominate a number of different beneficiaries and to perhaps skip a generation with some of the fund.

It’s also important to check that the current pension provider can allow what you want to do. Just because the legislation allows, doesn’t mean everyone will be able to in the contract they hold.

For the purposes of this blog and to keep it simple I have just referred to a ‘pension’. However, it should be noted that this ‘pension’ will need to be a Flexi Access Drawdown Pension. In addition, all of this type of planning relies on the existing pension arrangement being able to offer the nominees’ and successors’ drawdown accounts.

You will need financial advice to establish the correct pension contract / vehicle to use and some existing providers may be unable to provide this as an option.

Make sure you seek advice and #planitwell – call me on 07974 329864 for more information.

Dancing to your height

October 30, 2015October 30, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

I am a huge Strictly Come Dancing fan. I even loved the original ‘Come Dancing’ with Rosemarie Ford. It’s the glitter, costumes and drama of it! I love Autumn and Winter Saturday nights, cozied up with a glass of wine and enjoying the wholesomeness and fun of it all with family and friends.

Earlier this week, on the sister show, It Take Two, Jeremy Vine spoke about how a professional dancer had told him right at the start of the competition to “Dance your height”. This really stuck with me and got me thinking.

I’ve read a lot about successful people having two characteristics: they believe in themselves and they are always maintaining a positive disposition in everything.

I think this is easier said than done, especially when things do not go according to the plan and emotions come into play.

I’m generally a very positive person, but sometimes life and things can just get you down. My Father refers to it as having the devil on your shoulder, that nagging voice, wearing you down saying that ‘you can’t do it’ or ‘don’t bother no one cares’.

A lot of this, I think, is about mindset and your support network. If you can master the art of positive thinking and surround yourself with helpful and optimistic people, then I think you can be better equipped for the hurdles and obstacles that get thrown in the way of your plans.

A step towards mastering this positive thinking is to be proud of your achievements no matter how big or small they are – this itself I think can help maintain a positive mindset.

It’s surprising the time and energy we expend on worrying what other people think of us; our appearance, our intellect and our faults. We should more often use the time to consider our strengths, our abilities and our best points.

Saying this, I’m not very good at receiving praise or accepting compliments without being embarrassed. But, I’m determined to learn that there is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating your successes and achievements. I’ve put in the hard work and I should feel happy!

On that note, I am proud to show you the wonderful badge that I received from the IFP, showing that I was shortlisted (down to 3 people) as CFP Professional of the year 2015. I am very proud of this.

Enjoy Strictly this weekend if you watch it! It’s the Halloween spooktacular! I’m routing for Jeremy to Dance Tall and Proud.

Children and savings

October 26, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been asked twice this month about options for investing for children, specifically for Grandparents of very young children. One of these times of course was for little Jackson Strong, the other by a friend, as her Father wants to give money to her children.

So I thought I would give a summary here of what can be done, although not giving specific investment advice about where to invest the money – for that, you need to speak to me!

Tax and savings

Most generally and for small amounts, it makes sense to save in the child’s name, rather than parents / grandparents.

This means interest earned is generally tax-free (up to certain limits) as children get the same tax-free allowance as adults. So, whether you are saving into a Junior ISA (JISA) or an ordinary savings account your child’s interest will remain tax-free up to the HMRC personal allowance limit, set at £11,000 for 2015/16.

The exception to this is the so-called ‘£100 rule’. This stipulates that any amount of interest exceeding £100 that results from a payment made by a parent / grandparent to a child must be taxed at the parent’s tax rate. This rule is applied to almost all children’s savings accounts except JISAs – which are totally tax-free in the same way as adult ISAs are.

Financial responsibility

Bear in mind that any account held in a child’s name becomes legally theirs to do with as they wish at age 18! And as we all remember, that is not always the best age to have a large lump sum to hand!

The alternative is to hold the money in your own name (see below) or set up a Trust – but I am not going to into detail about that today.

So….Investment Options

JISA – Junior ISA

These work like an adult ISA
They are tax-free, but are for the long-term.
They replace the Child Trust Fund (CTF) and if a child was not eligible for the CTF they can have a JISA.
JISAs have an annual savings limit of £4,080 (current tax year) which can be held entirely in cash, stocks and shares or any mixture of the two.
Anyone can pay into the JISA although a parent or legal guardian must set it up and funds cannot be withdrawn until the child turns 18.
As an added bonus, JISAs can be held concurrently with an adult ISA between the ages of 16 and 18, giving the child a boosted tax-free allowance for two years.
Only two JISAs may be held per child at any one time – one cash, one stocks and shares.

Regular savings

Children’s savings accounts offer varying interest rates depending on your chosen bank or building society and the tax rules stated earlier apply.
Be warned – you will have to apply for gross interest to be paid by completing a form R85, the bank should provide this to you!
They allow instant access to the funds at any time, unlike JISAs which effectively lock the money away until age 18.
They can be added to by anyone, anytime, without limit.
They can be useful for teaching children financial housekeeping as the child is given access to the account at age seven and can pay in and out of the account as they grow. I remember how nice it was to save in my Nationwide Teddy!
NOTE however, regular accounts that pay good interest rates tend to have lower savings limits than JISAs with many providers cutting interest rates if deposits exceed a certain amount.

Pensions – forward planning by 55 years!

Child pensions allow parents to pay into a pension for their child from the moment they are born.
Like adult pensions, child pensions are hugely tax efficient and are eligible for 20 % tax relief meaning that you only have to pay in £2,800 per year to receive £3,600 back.
The maximum that can be paid per annum is £2,800.
They are incredibly attractive if you are the kind of person who really enjoys planning ahead and you want to help your child enjoy their twilight years.
At an assumed growth rate of 5%, 18 yearly payments of £2,800 would equal £1,053,405 by the time your child reaches 65! Now that’s proper forward planning!
Like all pension plans however, they cannot be accessed until 55 at the earliest and many see this as a real downside.

Adult savings

It is perfectly possible to save money in your own name for your children or grandchildren.
The advantages are that you will be able to control the money, even when the child turns 18.
The disadvantage is that the money will be taxed on you in the normal way.
It’s also worth considering that the child has no automatic legal right to the money and this could cause problems in the event of death or divorce.

What’s best you ask? …. Well… what’s it for?

What you are saving for and therefore the term. A Car? University? House deposit?
How do you feel about access? At 7, 18 or retirement?!

It’s likely to be best to consider a mix of a few things, but bear in mind most offer really poor cash returns, so shop around for the best deals and remember you can’t beat the excellent tax efficient growth a JISA can offer (and it can convert into an adult ISA).

Hope this helps some of you!

Turning Points

October 19, 2015October 13, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

As a Financial Planner I say to clients that I want to help guide them through the ‘turning points’ in their life, to help them plan with confidence.

These turning points happen to everyone. A major shift happens in life, maybe someone dies or becomes ill, you lose a job or you get a divorce. Or the event could be something positive like a new marriage, new baby, a mid-life career change, or moving into your dream house. Either way, it can change your perspective on life.

My job is to help people navigate life’s changes and provide the financial tools and resources to give those important choices clarity and direction. So that when it happens and you have those feelings of excitement, grief, or worry, that you are confident that you don’t have to be anxious about your finances. That’s the last thing you need to be fretting over.

It’s when you focus, plan and consider these turning points, that you see what’s really important in life.

These have been some of my turning points:

Deciding to not pursue Ceramic Art as my career and do this instead!.
When my Granny died, realising how much she enriched my life and how I would miss her, especially for the little things. She was the most loving and un-judgemental person I have known.
My latest job change.
Becoming Auntie Gretchen last week.

Jackson, the tiny one

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ 1 Comment

Jackson David Strong arrived last week. My first nephew and oh how beautiful he is… 6 tiny pounds of loveliness.

He is my sister and brother-in-law all rolled into one – and it’s wonderful to see them so happy. I could have held him all day and I certainly did not want to leave to come home.

Our family (the Betts-Strong clan) has grown and things will change.
It really is a turning point for us all and what a wonderful one.

I should add that his Grandad and I immediately talked about savings for him!!

I found this poem online and since it was #poetryweek when Jackson was born, it made sense to share it here.

A Baby Changes Things

A baby changes things;
They’ll never be the same;
Your life is filled with wonder,
Since your little miracle came.

There’s lots of things to do now,
But with the new tasks you face,
Your family gains more love,
And bonds time will never erase.

Source: http://www.poemsource.com/baby-poems.html

Autumn – the planning season

October 9, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

Once I get over the initial shock of the darker mornings and nights, Autumn has always been my favorite season, as it leads up to my favorite time of year with family, Christmas. It also means the fabulous Strictly Come Dancing is back on the BBC!

It’s quite a symbolic time of year. It’s a season of transition and a hustle-bustle month, as preparations are made for the changing season.

We spend time in the garden tidying up ready for winter and getting things in order. We plant the seeds for next year’s plants and crops.

In autumn we celebrate Harvest and have done in Britain since pagan times. This reminds people of how much we have and those others who are less fortunate.

This is a time of taking stock of all the bounty and provision that we have been afforded and make plans for the next year.

In poetry Autumn has often been associated with melancholia. The fun and warmth of summer is gone, and the chill of winter is on it’s way. Skies turn grey, and many people turn inward, both physically and mentally. It has been referred to as an unhealthy season.

So this is my plan for Autumn and as the nights draw in:

Try not to get the winter blues.
Work hard in my new job, but enjoy myself too.
Get organised for 2016. I have a Hen Do to organise for a friend, invites to help make (her wedding is in April and I am bridesmaid), a holiday to Berlin to book and then my brother’s wedding to be ready for (I need an Indian and British outfit). That sees me through until end of June/start of July.
Do more craft in the evenings, instead of moaning I am too tired.
Get organised ready for Christmas – as we will have with a new addition to our family and a different format to our Christmas Day.
Enjoy Strictly and think fondly of my Granny, who loved the program.

Wellbeing, Lists and Financial Planning

October 3, 2015October 3, 2015 ~ gretchenbetts ~ Leave a comment

This week I had dinner with a good friend and we talked about our week, work, life etc. She told me that she was feeling very stressed and like everything was a little out of control.

She’s working 10 hour days, learning a language one night a week, has some family stuff going on, is trying to eat well and still trying to exercise 3 times a week. The peak came last week when she had a melt down over finding time to buy a friend’s birthday gift, a task which normally she would relish and enjoy, but that was just too much on top of everything else. Sounds daft, but the small things to do on top of the big worries just sometimes get too much. I think everyone feels like this sometimes and I know I’ve been at this stage at some points in the last 18 months. You eventually realise that something HAS to change.

What is the point of running yourself ragged to get to the gym 3 times a week, if everything else is spiralling out of control, so you still feel stressed and ill?

For some people, it might not mean giving up the gym, it might mean saying no to a night out, or a change of job, alteration to your family life. Either way, I believe you have to be open to not trying to do everything when it all gets too much. You need to make a list and make priorities. You can always go back and do that thing again when you feel better.

My point is, our ‘wellbeing’ is not just physical wellbeing and nutrition – it’s so much more. Many things have to work together for us to feel content, well and happy:

Career Wellbeing:- How we occupy our time each day and trying to ensure that we like it.

Social Wellbeing:- Having strong relationships and love in your life.

Financial Wellbeing:- Effectively managing your finances to reduce stress and increase security.

Physical Wellbeing:- having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis.

Community Wellbeing: The sense of engagement and involvement you have with the area where you live and your ability to have a positive impact on the quality of your environment.

Of course, this leads nicely for me to the importance of having a Financial Planner to help with Financial Wellbeing! But actually, all of these type of ‘wellbeing’ are linked.

If you can get your finances focused and organised and know what your strategy is for the future, then you can think about other elements much more clearly. Can you afford to change your job, reduce hours or work from home? Can you afford a gym closer to home or equipment at home? Can you take time off to ‘give back’ to a charity you want to help? Can you afford to take some time out with your family on holiday?

A personalised Financial Plan can help you get focused, organised and move on, knowing you have a sound plan in place so that you don’t need to worry about money, or at least know what you need to do to ensure you are on track for the future. That ticks one item off the list so you can move on to sorting the others.

financialplanningangel

Broadway Financial Planning