‘Special dividends’ boost investor income

In Q3 2021, UK dividends reached £34.9bn, an impressive 89% year-on-year rise1. Part of this rise can be attributed to large one-off special dividends, a trend expected to continue in Q4. Excluding special dividends, the underlying total in Q3 was £27.7bn, a 52.6% increase. In context, this year-on-year rebound, is comparable with a pandemic-stricken Q3 2020, […]

Great expectations as a new year dawns

We could be forgiven for focusing on life’s trials and tribulations heading into 2022, given the challenges that we’ve faced over the last couple of years. Despite inflation-related concerns, new COVID variants and supply chain disruption, which may be disconcerting for investors, there are indications that the coming year will present opportunities as well as […]

Blocking out ‘noise’ for the good of your portfolio

It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless barrage of negative news or ‘noise’, which can stoke anxiety about the performance of your investments and doubts over whether your investment strategy is on course. Learning to block out this noise, which may influence hasty or erratic investment decisions, is essential. By keeping a record […]

Financial advice and wellbeing: a match made in heaven

Recent research has found that those who receive professional financial advice are four times more likely to enjoy high levels of financial wellbeing1. In addition, clients who take advice build up three times more pension wealth on average (£246,000) than those who don’t (£95,000). Advised clients also accumulated more than double the non-pension savings (£65,000) […]

Becoming a financial wellbeing ‘all-rounder’

Financial wellbeing is closely aligned with the control people have over their financial future. People with high levels tend to meet their long-term financial goals and have a clear idea about what makes them happy and what they want from life. This allows them to identify and achieve more meaningful life goals before and during […]