In a generation where people are living longer, and generous pension schemes have all but disappeared, investors are often seduced by the promise of easy returns. Instead of ‘spend less, save more’ attitude, people pile in at the top of each investment bubble hoping this time things will be different.

There’s no shortage of investment opportunities offering plenty of upside, and none of the downside – until you read the small print that is. Being human we’re influenced by recent experiences, so we invariably invest into markets close to the top, and then sell near the bottom. And this cycle is often repeated.

Through the financial planning we do for clients, we give them the clarity they need to decide exactly how they should invest their money. This helps to avoid the repetitive cycle of boom and bust investing. It also gives the confidence to ride the peaks and troughs of investment markets without panicking or over reacting.

Unlike the majority of the investment world – which looks more like advertising than advice – we don’t keep promoting the latest investment fads. Instead we rely on tried and tested academic research, alongside sustainable processes (so avoiding sentiment) to develop long lasting investment strategies for our clients.

Financial Planning sits at the heart of everything we do for our clients. It’s the map that shows them how they get from where they are, to where they want to be.

Our clients come from all walks of life, with an array of complicated financial objectives and personal circumstances. The professional service that we provide serves as a clearly structured pathway which aims to meet your financial objectives.

What we will do for you:

• We will arrange a meeting with you so that we can learn about your current financial situation and answer any preliminary questions you might have. Working closely with your other professional advisers when required, we will assist you in defining your needs and financial goals.
• We will create a strategic financial plan which will show you how to achieve your stated objectives, utilising the various tax allowances and incentives available to you.
• We will regularly review and monitor the progress of your portfolio in order to ensure that our recommended solutions are still appropriate as time goes on. We do this through actively managed, risk-adjusted portfolios, taking into account your changing financial planning requirements.

Blackstone Financial Management are completely independent and committed to ensuring that our clients maximise their retirement income, taking into account factors such as level of inflation, spouse’s pension needs and health/medical conditions.

We will clearly explain the appropriate options available to you at retirement. Advice is individually tailored to each client’s specific needs.

Every family hopes to pass their advantages to future generations. Not only the material and financial assets they’ve accumulated but also knowledge and experiences acquired along the way.

They want their wealth to inspire future generations to go forward into the world and achieve great things for themselves. Yet often there is a fear their wealth will lead to financial dependency and a loss of drive and initiative, often the qualities that generated the wealth in the first place.

We don’t want the beneficiaries of our wealth living unhappy and unfulfilled lives. There are too many stories in the press to know that this can be a real problem. We want to keep it in the family – but at what cost?

We work with families to help them understand their philosophy to long-term wealth preservation. We then help them develop the strategies and practices to help each generation understand their role and responsibilities with regard to family wealth.

How do we teach financial responsibility to the next generation? Who mentors whom? Which structures should be used; private family trusts, the family business? In a complicated world it helps to have an independent third party to act as a sounding board.

It’s a special role that requires knowledge and experience of psychology and coaching as well as understanding financial matters.

The UK has one of the most complex and opaque tax codes in the world – it costs more than £11billion just to operate it (that’s equivalent to nearly £180 for every man, woman and child – simply to collect it). Compared to your home or your pension, tax can easily be your biggest single cost. It’s taken from your earnings, your investments, and ultimately, your estate.

Over their lifetime (and even on their death) most people will pay significantly more tax than they need to. Even simple tax-saving actions are regularly ignored or done late.

Using allowances at the earliest opportunity each year would amount to a significant tax saving over time. But it’s complicated.

The UK tax system resembles a Heath Robinson creation. It’s been bashed, bodged and hammered by each successive government, trying to grab as much as they dare, often by stealth and apathy. There’s little wonder we end up paying more than we should. One of the benefits of on-going financial planning is that we help people use the tax system more efficiently.

Our clients for example are encouraged to transfer investments from taxed accounts into their Individual Savings Account (ISA) at the beginning of the tax year, avoid the usual end of tax year rush, and enjoying a whole year of tax efficiency. It’s a simple thing, but it works.

We consider how the pension rules can be used to save tax more effectively, particularly for people who earn enough to see their personal allowances cut.

We also work alongside our client’s solicitor and accountant to provide a cohesive approach to managing their wealth in a tax efficient way. And with your professional advisers working together, it allows you to relax and enjoy life more.

“Nothing is certain but death and taxes” 

The above phrase is attributed to Benjamin Franklin who was of course one of the founding fathers of the United States and a renowned polymath. Clearly a very wise man, this phrase has been aired on many occasions by tax planners and advisers.

When it comes to taxes such as Income tax, Capital Gains tax or Inheritance tax it makes sense to try and ensure that you are not paying more in tax than your fair share. The tax rules are complex and impact on every aspect of your personal financial plan as well as your business interests. Furthermore, the rules, reliefs and allowances are always potentially subject to change in the main spring Budget or the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement which means that it is sometimes difficult to keep pace with the current legislative structure.

Tax planning is the implementation of a financial strategy designed to make use of all the legitimate reliefs and allowances, to reduce your tax bill to the minimum level and ensure that these efficiencies complement your overall financial plan and objectives.

Blackstone Financial Management Ltd have assisted clients for many years, in conjunction with their other professional advisers, in the planning and execution of efficient tax strategies to augment the overall effectiveness of their financial plans and ensure that financial objectives are achieved. There are a number of specialist financial products that can assist hugely in the reduction of Income tax, Capital Gains tax and Inheritance tax.

Trusts are very useful tools, but if not used correctly they can cause more harm than good. A poorly constructed trust could mean having to pay more tax than the trust saves.

Or you could even lose access to your funds, as could the beneficiaries! This is an area where expert advice from a specialist could be worth its weight in gold.

When employed correctly, the right trust can be a very powerful IHT mitigation vehicle. Discounted Gift Trusts for example can provide you with an income, and immediately reduce your IHT liabilities, plus all future investment growth falls outside of your estate for tax purposes.

Other types of trust we may utilise include gift and loan trusts, where you lend money to a trust that is gradually repaid and that also provides you with a form of income should you require it. Again, any investment growth in this kind of trust will not be subject to IHT.

In terms of trusts, the simplest solutions are often the best, which is why a straightforward gift trust is usually a key element in IHT planning.

It is vitally important that the trust is the correct type for your circumstances. Although some trusts are more ‘flexible’ than others, they could prove ineffective if the amounts gifted are above the allowances. Absolute trusts on the other hand, are more tax-efficient but less flexible. By carefully combining the two options, it’s possible to gift on a flexible and totally tax-efficient basis.

From 2012 for the biggest companies and 2016 for all existing employers, it will become compulsory for employers to pay into a pension scheme for almost all their employees (those over the age of 22).

You can join the Government pension scheme (NEST) or choose your own pension scheme.

All employees must be entered into the pension scheme within 3 months of starting employment. Employees will automatically be enrolled into the scheme, but can opt out if they wish.

The level of employer contributions will start at 1% eventually rising to 3% of employees mid band earnings by 2017.

NEST Considerations

• Using your own pension scheme allows you to outsource the admin responsibility
• Using your own pension scheme allows reduced National Insurance costs through salary exchange – not available through the government scheme
• If you have no existing pension scheme then you are obliged to implement the NEST Scheme which offers limited investment options, no transfers in or out of the scheme and a cap on total annual contributions

Blackstone Financial Management Ltd will be able to advise the start date specific to your company and undertake an audit to project your costs, secure an appropriate

Pension Provider and help you through the maze of legislation to ensure you implement your scheme on time and in line with the Pension Scheme Regulators requirements.

The earlier you start planning, the better chance of a remuneration strategy being in place to match your increased costs.

For more information on Auto Enrolment and its future implications, please contact us as we would be happy to help.

Whether it is Death In Service cover, Critical Illness protection, Private Medical insurance or a Flexible Benefits Package -Blackstone Financial Management Ltd can help you choose the type of scheme that will most benefit your employees and identify the most cost efficient providers of that cover.

By working closely with Employers we take away the administrative burdens that can be associated with group schemes. To ensure that you receive the very best attention an

individual administrator is assigned to each employer as a single point of contact. This means that he or she is familiar with your circumstances and in a position to help if needed.

We visit with the Companies we look after on a regular basis and conduct individual joining meetings with every employee who joins a company. We ensure that the new employee fully understands his/her options in and fully appreciates the value of it.

We will not simply send out joining packs and expect the new employee to read through endless literature and potentially make critical decisions based upon limited knowledge. Where your employees are spread through, the country we will arrange to visit every one either at home or their place of work in order to ensure that they understand the value of the benefits on offer.

Many Group benefits are reviewed annually. At the review date, we provide a full and concise overview of the costs of renewal together with market comparisons so that you can see clearly any alternatives available. This way you ensure that not only are costs kept to a minimum but also that your group benefits are just as valuable and efficient in future years as they were when first implemented.

In order to arrange or a visit or simply chat with a member of our team call us on 0161-482-8285.

Working with our clients’ legal advisers has always been a key part of our business here at Blackstone Financial Management Ltd. Whether it is something as simple as sending your local solicitor a list of your life assurance policies when you’re making a will – or working with the specialist estate planning department of one of the UK top 50 law firms – we have the expertise and the experience needed to guarantee that your financial planning exactly complements your legal adviser’s recommendations.

In the unfortunate event of a marriage break-up we have extensive experience in the areas of pensions and divorce and pensions sharing. We’ve been working alongside solicitors to pursue personal injury claims for many years. And our specialist investment department has produced consistently above-average returns on investments for trustees.

If you own a business – or if your personal financial affairs are complex – then often your financial planning cannot be arranged without reference to your accountant.

Here at Blackstone Financial Management Ltd, we recognise and welcome that fact. We work with hundreds of business owners and high net-worth clients and working with their accountants has always been an integral part of our financial planning process. Whatever your accountant’s recommendations, our expertise and experience guarantees that your financial planning will complement them.

That’s why we have developed – and continue to develop – close working relationships with firms of accountants throughout the UK.

We have expertise across the whole range of corporate financial planning – from keyman insurance and shareholder protection to corporate pension schemes for both directors and employees. With the introduction of auto-enrolment in October, we’re now also working closely with accountants and their clients to make sure that their plans for auto-enrolment are both cost-effective and compliant.

At Blackstone Financial Management Ltd, we will work with you and your accountant – not only to help you grow your business, but also to make sure that you receive the maximum benefit from the eventual sale of the business.