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Pension reforms offer more flexibility and controlAugust 2010 
Recently announced pension reforms indicate that they will become more flexible and offer greater control once the proposals go ahead. The proposed changes are good news for investors who are currently saving into a pension, or who are retired and have pensions from which they haven’t yet taken benefits. |
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What is an investment bond?July 2010 
Investment bonds are investment products offered by life companies and are usually made available primarily for lump sum investments. Within the bond, investors are offered a range of investment funds into which they can invest, the most popular of which have traditionally been with-profits, managed and distribution funds as each combines... |
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Changes to CGTJune 2010 
A rise in capital gains tax (CGT) was a key tenet of Liberal Democrat policy. To address the discrepancy between the top rate of CGT (18%) and the top rate of income tax (50%), a rise to 40% or even 50%, plus a significant reduction in the annual exemption had been mooted. As it was, Chancellor George Osborne was more measured in his actions. |
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Retirement PlanningApril 2010 
Throughout every stage of your life, finding the right balance of investments can be a challenge. When stock markets are volatile, investor sentiment is fragile and economic growth is weak, it can seem even more of a conundrum, particularly if you are near retirement. Achieving the right balance of investments is crucial if you want to enjoy a comfortable old age. |
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Shirebrook Expands Adviser Base and Admin StaffMarch 2010 
Recent times have proved very difficult for many business operations including those within financial services. By hard work and focussing on service, Shirebrook has maintained its approach to expand its adviser base, to ensure that existing Shirebrook clients do not suffer on a service level. |
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Personal Accounts - BusinessesNovember 2009 
Demographic changes mean that workplace pension schemes are under increasing pressure to cover the income of retirees for longer with less investment. At the same time, people are not saving enough for their retirement off their own back. Concerned about its ability to cope with future demand for state payouts, the government has introduced new 'Personal Accounts' for private pensions. |
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Personal Accounts - ClientNovember 2009 
In the UK, we are now living longer and having fewer children. As a result, workplace pension schemes have come under increasing pressure as they have to cover retirees for longer with less income. At the same time, people are not saving enough for their retirement off their own back so the government is getting worried about its own ability to cope with state payouts. |
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UK Market Update - October 2009October 2009 
The FTSE 100 Index has rebounded from the six-year depths it plumbed only a matter of months ago. The blue-chip index finally breached the psychologically important 5,000-point barrier in September, reaching its highest level for almost a year, while stock markets in America and Europe have also posted impressive gains. |
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New ISA limitsOctober 2009 
In the 2008 Budget, the Chancellor announced increases to the ISA investment limits. This has now been followed in the 2009 Budget by further increases to the limits, initially for the over 50s but eventually for everyone. |
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Making a salary sacrifice...August 2009 
How can Salary Sacrifice schemes boost pension contributions and other benefits? Previously a director?s perk, salary sacrifice schemes are increasingly offered by employers to mitigate tax and to allow employees more flexibility on how they take their remuneration. |
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Half of UK firms say they expect to close their defined benefit pension plansAugust 2009 
Half the UK companies with defined benefit pension schemes expect to have closed them to all employees by 2012, according to new Watson Wyatt research. |
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The Housing Market - light at the end of the tunnel?July 2009 
A combination of exceptionally low interest rates and plummeting values has made house prices more affordable now than they have been in years. The latest figures from the Halifax show that, despite a small pick up in May this year, UK house prices are still over 16% down on a year ago. Speculation that 'panic selling' by buy-to-let investors could send house prices down did nothing to boost morale in the market. However, these concerns were probably overstated as... |
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Contracting Out... No Future in Looking Back?March 2009
"There is no future in looking back!" Clive Leah, Chairman of Shirebrook Financial Services, gives an update on this complex matter. |
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Further Professional Qualifications Success at ShirebrookDecember 2008 
Following on from exam successes in June, Steve Thompson and John Haden of Shirebrook's West Midlands office have gained success in further high level professional qualifications. |
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Looking for the catalystOctober 2008 
At the moment, any sort of long-term recovery in equities looks a long way off. There have been significant one day gains, but most of these have come only after catastrophic falls. But stock markets look forward and are therefore likely to show a recovery before economic growth has resumed. |
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Another one bites the dustOctober 2008 
UK mortgage lender Bradford & Bingley (B&B) is the latest financial institution to fall victim to the credit crunch. Trailing in the footsteps of Northern Rock earlier this year, B&B is to be nationalised following signs that public confidence in the company was on the verge of collapse. |
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Another High Profile VictimSeptember 2008 
The shockwaves from the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgage market continue to reverberate around the world, claiming further high-profile victims. In a single September weekend, Merrill Lynch was unexpectedly taken over by Bank of America, while Lehman Brothers shocked the financial community by going bankrupt. |
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SIPPs and Protected RightsSeptember 2008 
From October this year, the Government is going to allow the inclusion of protected rights into SIPPs. This corrects an historical quirk which has seen many protected rights stay in old, potentially forgotten insurance funds. The new legislation allows those with protected rights to take full control over how they are invested, consolidate their entire pension into one place and take advantage of some of the new investment opportunities. |
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UK EconomySeptember 2008 
The UK economy ground to a halt during the three-month period to June 2008, according to August figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This was the UK economy?s weakest performance since 1992, when the country experienced its last recession. The news follows months of speculation that the UK?s economy is about to hit the skids, and is likely to add to pressure on the Bank of England (BoE) to cut interest rates in order to help shore up the UK?s faltering economy. |
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The Credit Crunch ExplainedAugust 2008 
In a nutshell, credit crunch describes a situation where businesses and consumers find it difficult to obtain loans because lenders are concerned about the risk of defaults. The current, prolonged credit crunch has arisen from the fallout of rising defaults in the US sub-prime mortgage market. |
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Overview of Property InvestmentsAugust 2008 
After three years of startling returns for commercial property, the bottom seemed to fall out of the market towards the end of 2007. Rising interest rates did the early damage and the credit crunch finished things off. Property funds that had attracted billions following changes in the ISA rules were forced to devalue and impose penalties for investors selling out. So what now for investors who still have property holdings? |
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Market Turmoil ContinuesJuly 2008 
For the average investor, this has proved to be a very eventful year. Following the collapse of the US sub-prime mortgage market, there has been the prolonged credit crunch, the nationalisation of a UK bank, the take over of a major investment bank and now sweeping changes in the US to support two of its largest lenders. Amidst all this turmoil, what are the indicators for the future? |
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Exam success shows Shirebrook commitment to training excellenceJune 2008 
Steve Thompson, Director of Shirebrook Financial Services, has recently passed the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Diploma in Pension Income Options with a Distinction. |
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West Midlands ExpansionMay 2008 
Continued growth and expansion drive relocation of our West Midlands Branch to larger premises. |
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Continued Growth At Shirebrook Financial ServicesApril 2008 
Financial Results for the Business Year Ending 31st March 2008 show continued growth at Shirebrook Financial Services. |
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Preparing You And Your Business For SaleMarch 2008 
Shirebrook Financial Services and Hawkins Hatton LLP held a joint seminar, on Thursday 6th March, dealing with selling your business. The seminar was attended by a mixture of business people coming up towards retirement and professional advisers (accountants and lawyers) who all found it informative and relevant to their daily activities. The presentation covered three key areas... |
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Group Stakeholder & Group Personal Pension Plans - Contribution Changes from 6th April 20081st February 2008 
Clive Leah, Chairman of Shirebrook Financial Services, explains how the forthcoming cut in the base rate affects employer pension contributions. This will have an impact upon the deductions for pension contributions from your employees' salaries and wages. |
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The Impact of Tax Cuts on Employee Pension Contributions1st February 2008 
On 6th April 2008 the basic rate of income tax goes down from 22p in the ? to 20p in the ?. Clive Leah, Chairman of Shirebrook Financial Services, explains how the forthcoming cut in the base rate affects employee pension contributions. |
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New Board Of Directors At Shirebrook Financial Services LtdNovember 2007 
Due to the continued success and expansion of Shirebrook Financial Services Ltd, a number of changes have been made to the Board of Directors to take the company forward to the next stages of its growth and development. |
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The Contracting-Out DilemmaSeptember 2007 (Part 1 of 3)
Clive Leah, Managing Director of Shirebrook Financial Services, gives the benefit of his extensive experience of this complex matter. What are the various options for contracting out of or into the State Second Pension? |
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Contracting-Out: The Shirebrook ViewSeptember 2007 (Part 2 of 3)
In the second part of his article on Contracting Out, Clive Leah, Managing Director of Shirebrook Financial Services, discusses some of the flexibility that is possible with Contracting Out. |
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Contracting Out: Are My Current Arrangements Fit For Purpose?September 2007 (Part 3 of 3)
In the third and final part of his article on Contracting Out, Clive Leah, Managing Director of Shirebrook Financial Services, reviews some of the different types of investment funds available. |
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Market Unrest - August 200714th August 2007 
'Crash' is a dramatic sounding word - add it to stock market and it becomes financially worrying, even to those who aren't all that interested in finance. So what might be happening in world markets? |
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Shirebrook sponsors Carlisle United10th September 2007 
Saturday's home game at Brunton Park against Tranmere Rovers was sponsored by Shirebrook Financial Services. |
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3rd September 2010
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Shirebrook Financial Services Ltd is entered on the FSA register (www.fsa.gov.uk/register) under reference 195018.
Shirebrook Financial Services Limited is registered in England and Wales. Registration No. 4084178.
Registered Office: Lancaster House, Ackhurst Business Park, Foxhole Road, Chorley, PR7 1NY.
Telephone: 01257 246550. This site is intended for UK investors only.
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