Author name: George Ladds

Financial scams are increasing and becoming harder to spot. Over the last 30 years, there has been a major shift in how criminals target people. Gone are the poorly written emails and obvious phone calls. Today’s scams are often polished, personalised, and convincing. At Manning Gee Investments, we regularly speak to people who say: “It […]

It’s worth starting with a personal story. Earlier in my career, I managed investment portfolios for clients and also invested my own money. Interestingly, while the portfolios I managed for clients performed well and beat their benchmarks, my own investments went nowhere. That might sound strange. However, the reason was simple. When managing clients’ money,

Financial services often use language that can feel confusing.Terms such as financial adviser, financial planner, or chartered financial planner can leave people unsure where to start. A simple question follows: Who do I actually need? Over recent years, financial advice has shifted from product-led to client-led. In the past, advice was often about selling a

What does wealthy really mean? It’s a word we hear often, but one that means very different things depending on who we ask. After the recent Budget, the media focused heavily on people earning £150,000 a year, around 1% of the UK population, and how little they felt they had left after tax and rising

Most of us grow up being told not to talk about money. It isn’t polite. It’s private. It feels like we’re comparing ourselves to others. And in a world where social media shows us the “perfect life”, holidays, concerts, and new cars, it’s easy to feel like we’re falling behind. But our spending habits aren’t

At Manning Gee Investments, our role is simple: to help you grow, protect and enjoy your wealth with confidence. Every Budget announcement brings headlines, noise and sometimes unnecessary worry. So, we’ve broken down the 2025 Budget into the key points that matter most for families, individuals and business owners planning for the future. This blog

Every year, the run-up to the Budget brings predictions, speculation and—understandably—anxiety. It’s easy to get swept up in headlines or social media chatter. If you want to explore how noise, narrative and distortion can influence our view of financial events, you may find this article helpful: The Million Dollar Question – Propaganda. But before we

There are over four million self-employed people in the UK, each with a unique story. Some run solo operations, others manage teams, and many wear every hat in the business. The appeal is clear: independence, flexibility, and the satisfaction of building something that’s truly your own. Yet, with that freedom comes uncertainty. A good year

There’s a lot of conversation right now about retirement income, and a growing concern that many people may not have enough. But the key question isn’t just how much you start with; it’s how you manage it over time. Behavioural biases often trick us into thinking we can withdraw what we like and still be

When people ask me “why have a financial planner when I can do the investments myself?”, it’s a fair question. If investing were the only thing a planner did, then yes, perhaps you could go it alone. But what financial planning really means is so much more than investment returns. It’s about life choices, values,