Low financial advice fees can offer good value. However, the price alone cannot tell you whether the advice is suitable, the service meets your needs or the agreed work will be delivered. It’s important to understand why low fees alone don’t guarantee good advice when choosing a financial adviser. I like Lego. Part of what

Fair value means that the price you pay is reasonable in relation to the benefits you can expect to receive. In financial planning, that involves looking at the service, its suitability for your needs and the overall cost. But how do you recognise it in practice? It is worth starting with two conversations. I recently

Financial planning fees can raise an understandable question: what am I actually paying for? You might see an initial recommendation, an annual meeting and statements showing how your investments have performed. But it can be harder to understand the work behind those things and how it relates to your life. At Manning Gee, we believe

Our September insights have taken us on a short journey. We started by considering why September can provide a natural opportunity for a financial reset. We then explored how accessible savings, protection and clear goals can help us prepare financially for change. We now bring those ideas together by asking a simple question: why do

When I started work at 18, my godfather suggested that I take out a new ten-year endowment policy each year. For younger readers, an endowment was a long-term savings policy designed to provide a lump sum after a set period. The advice was well intended. It encouraged me to save regularly and think beyond my

Every January, we see articles about New Year’s resolutions. We make plans to save more, spend less or finally deal with the financial tasks we have been putting off. Some resolutions last. Many do not. Often, this is because we try to change too much at once. Then life happens, priorities shift and our good

Retirement is changing. People are living longer, retirement is becoming more flexible and individuals now have greater responsibility for turning their pensions and savings into a sustainable income. Our role as financial advisers starts with you: the retirement you want, the income you need and the things that matter most to you. Most people want

This is the third and final article in our retirement planning series. In our previous blogs, we explored what retirement planning really involves and how a clear structure can help create income in retirement. We also introduced cashflow modelling as a way to bring together spending, pensions, savings, investments and future goals. Cashflow modelling can

During our working lives, income usually drives our spending. For someone who is employed, their salary normally arrives on a set date. They know roughly how much they will receive and can plan their monthly spending around it. Retirement creates a fundamental change. Instead of receiving one regular salary, you may need to create your

Adverts about retirement often focus on one question: how much money do you have in your pension? Understandably, this can create the impression that retirement planning begins and ends with building a large pension fund. However, your pension is only one part of the picture. Retirement planning involves understanding the life you want, how much