NorthStar Blog
Welcome to the NorthStar Blog. The place for the latest news, information and opinion from the NorthStar team helping you stay on top of what's going on in the world of finance.
Is Your Pension Protected?
Your pension is a precious nest egg that enables you to look forward to a comfortable retirement. However, it’s hard to ignore media headlines about pension scams, pension fraud, falling stock markets and insolvent employers causing problems for their…
NorthStar Picks Up Another Prestigious Award
We are proud to have been officially recognised as a ‘Top Rated Firm’ by VouchedFor. This designation is given to the very best financial planning firms that can demonstrate a continued commitment to exceptional customer service and those that achieve…
How to Survive Volatile Investment Markets
The past few weeks have seen a huge escalation in the volatility of many investment markets. We’ve witnessed a number of very large daily falls along, while other days have seen markets rebounding strongly. Investment markets continue to react to the…
COVID-19’s Impact on Cash and Coins: The Pros and Cons
Will the UK become contactless for good? The trends are certainly looking that way. According to UK Finance, cash was used for just 17% of all payments in the UK in 2020, down from 56% 10 years prior. Paying by card is convenient. It means you don’t…
How Much Money Do You Really Need for Your Retirement?
It’s tricky to know how much money you need stashed away to retire and live a lifestyle you’re happy with. While the amount will vary from person to person, we’ve put together some rough estimates, as well as the question you shoul…
The Ultimate Guide to Gifting Money to Your Grandchildren
Gifting money to your grandchildren is a great way to help them get set up for later life. But gifting large sums of money at the wrong time can see a large chunk of the gift subject to a heavy tax burden. In this article, we cover how to leave a fin…
Are Interest Rates Going up and What Happens If They Do?
Interest rates have been in a slump for months, and lots of us are now questioning when they’ll start to rise again in 2021 and going into 2022. There is no way of telling exactly when and what the Bank of England will choose to do to interest rates…
Pension Triple Lock: What Is It and Why Is It Changing?
The government has confirmed its plan to suspend the ‘triple lock’ for annual state pension increases for a year. A key part of previous budget commitments since its introduction in 2010, the triple lock ensures the UK state pension continues to rise…
Budget 2021: Your Guide to the Key Announcements
The Budget was delivered yesterday by Chancellor, Rishi Sunak. With many of the key policy announcements trailed heavily in the press during the previous week, was there much of substance left to deliver? We take a look at the key points from the 2021…
Get Ready for Talk Money Week 2021
Talk Money Talk Pensions Week is taking place from 18th – 22nd November 2019 and is the annual event all about getting the public talking about money and pensions. The week is overseen by the Money and Pension Service – a new national body bringing t…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Autumn 2021
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for autumn 2021. You can read and download your copy for free. As we move into autumn, we have some interesting and informative stories, expert analysis and topical news. Our main story lo…
Cryptocurrency – Great Investment or Risky Gamble?
Bitcoin is now trading at around four times its price just a year ago, and other cryptocurrencies have seen price surges of up to 18,000%. But is it a golden opportunity, or a bubble in imminent danger of collapse? And is crypto worth the environment…
We’re Supporting Financial Planning Week 2021
We’re pleased to announce our support for Financial Planning Week 2021. This will be the fifth year we have been involved with this nationwide campaign and we’re delighted to be among a select group of companies chosen to support this initiative. Run…
NorthStar’s Latest Investment Results Continue to Deliver
Global investment markets continued to push higher in recent months as many countries began to lift COVID restrictions. Vaccination rollouts have allowed most governments in Europe and North America to start to re-open their economies with consumer d…
Pensions Warning for Generation X
As Covid disrupts pension saving for millions of workers, one generation in particular may see its best-laid retirement plans going awry. But are these latest findings just another reminder than we should all be trying harder to save for old age? Ask…
Many Brits Still Missing Opportunities for Their Money
People in the UK still have good saving habits, with 8 out of 10 households managing to put away at least something every month. But low interest rates and an aversion to risk have left many losing money to inflation. Can a nation of savers learn to…
Your Chance to Enhance Your Annuity
If you have a health condition or certain lifestyle issues, you may be entitled to more money in retirement. Currently around 1 in 5 who buy an annuity manage to get this ‘enhancement’ – but there’s evidence that three times as many people may qualif…
Grow Old Gracefully with Phased Retirement
Retirement age? What’s that? These days it’s not about a date but a timescale: you might gradually retire over five, ten or even fifteen years. We are now firmly in the era of phased retirement – and it’s largely thanks to pension freedom. Not only c…
‘Ethical’ Investing Predicted to Double in 2021
New research shows that many investors are beginning to move their capital into ‘greener’ investments in response to the threat of climate change – and are increasingly avoiding assets with a big environmental impact. There’s nothing investors like t…
Gen-Z: Young Adults Get Pension-Savvy
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. New findings show that the pension saving message is at last filtering through to young people. But are the older generations now the ones who are being complacent? Generation Z (adults under 24) are al…
Five Things Students Can Teach You About Money
When you think of students and their money, it wouldn’t be a shocker if they were not very positive thoughts. Rather than saving, or managing their bills effectively, students are more likely to spend their loan on booze, takeaways and more booze. Ri…
Why Retiring Early May Be Harder Than You Think
Many Brits still have unrealistic expectations of when they’ll be able to retire – and it’s a worrying sign of how little they think seriously about their pensions. We compare the dreams with the realities and explains how to bring them closer together…
NorthStar Is Now a ‘Climate Positive’ Company
At NorthStar, we believe the long-term sustainability of our planet is crucial. Last week (22 April) we supported Earth Day 2021. In support of this movement, we are pleased to announce that NorthStar is now a ‘climate positive’ company. We have part…
NorthStar Again Named As ‘Top Rated’ by Independent Rating Site VouchedFor
We are delighted to be included in the VouchedFor Top Rated Financial Adviser Guide again this year. Distributed in The Times this weekend, the guide showcases the very best financial planners in the UK. The designation as a ‘Top Rated’ adviser demon…
Has COVID-19 Changed Your Retirement Plans?
One of the pandemic’s lesser effects is how it has upset many long-term plans. Many Brits have been forced to reassess their retirement choices and perhaps make snap decisions. But if your planned retirement looks suddenly in doubt, what should you d…
Having a Baby? Top Financial Tips for New Parents
When it comes to life-changing events, few are as big as having your first child. New parents will find their lives are never the same again. When you become a parent, you will face all manner of challenges. Adjusting to a new way of life can be tricky an…
Budget 2021 Special: 12 Key Takeaways
Rishi Sunak delivered his second Budget yesterday. Set against a backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit, the Chancellor set out a ‘spend now, tax later’ set of proposals. With the economy suffering one of the biggest shocks in a century and sit…
Are You in a Pension Savings Risk Group?
The self-employed, home renters and those from ethnic minorities have been identified as most at risk from insufficient pension savings, according to a new report. We take a deeper look at who is more likely to be retirement-ready, and who may need t…
NorthStar’s Latest Investment Results Exceed Expectations
Despite challenging economic conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, stock markets have rallied in recent months, buoyed by the rollout of vaccines and an expectation that economic activity will soon pick up. This had driven positive investment r…
How Financial Advice Can Make You Lucky in Love
Does the secret of true love come down to your attitude to money? We look at the role of financial compatibility and whether a Financial Adviser could be your Cupid in disguise. Amazingly, arguments about money are as big a trigger of relationship br…
Awards, Accreditations & Trade Associations
NorthStar is proud to be members of the leading financial planning trade associations. Through a continued commitment to work to the highest professional standards and deliver real value to all clients, our work has been recognised with a number of awards and professional accreditations.
