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.
The Stranger in Your Mirror: Why Your Brain Can’t Connect With Your Future Self (And How Financial Forecasting Can Help)
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: your brain is actively sabotaging your retirement. Not through laziness or lack of discipline, but through a quirk of neuroscience that makes planning for your future feel like planning for someone else entirely. When you try to imagine yourself in 20 or 30 years, your brain doesn’t recognise that person as you. According to groundbreaking…
Are Your Pensions Fit for Purpose? The Eight Warning Signs to Watch Out For
For most people, their pensions are likely to be their primary source of income in retirement. With average life expectancy in the UK rising all the time, pensions will have to fund our lifestyles for an even longer period. With this in mind, it is…
Twenty Simple Ways to Give Your Finances a Thorough Spring Clean
Spring has arrived, bringing longer days, warmer weather, and that unmistakable urge to declutter. But while you’re busy sorting through your wardrobe and cleaning behind the sofa, there might well be another area that deserves attention: your finances…
How to Manage Your Parents’ Money Through Later Life
For most families, the shift happens gradually. It starts with offering to sort out a confusing energy bill or setting up online banking. A decade later, you’re making decisions about selling the family home to fund residential care. Understanding the…
Don’t Be a Financial Dinosaur: Ten Outdated Money Habits to Ditch Today
Think dinosaurs died out millions of years ago? Think again. Some of them are still clinging on… in our financial behaviour. Old habits might feel comfortable, but they often belong in the past. In a world where money moves faster than ever, many…
Revealed: The Biggest Retirement Regrets and How to Make Sure You Avoid Them
Retirement is no longer a brief epilogue to a working life. With life expectancy continuing to rise, many people now spend 30 years or more in retirement. That’s potentially as long as an entire career. Yet despite this extended timeframe, many people…
Caught in the Middle: Essential Financial Strategies for the Sandwich Generation
Are you constantly juggling multiple demanding roles? Perhaps you’re helping your elderly parents manage their finances or healthcare, while simultaneously supporting your own children through education costs or even a first home. If this sounds like…
Budget 2025: The Key Changes That Could Affect Your Finances
This year’s Budget will be remembered as one of the most chaotic in recent history. What should have been a carefully choreographed moment for Chancellor Rachel Reeves turned into an unprecedented situation when the Office for Budget Responsibility…
The True Cost of Christmas: What Brits Really Spend (and How to Cut Down Without Being Scrooge)
For many families, Christmas is the most wonderful (and most expensive) time of the year. Between presents, food, decorations, travel, and entertainment, the costs pile up faster than snow on Christmas morning. But just how much does the average Brit…
The Dirty Dozen: Twelve Pension Mistakes That Could Cost You Your Dream Retirement
When you picture your retirement, what do you see? Long, leisurely mornings, family holidays, or finally taking up that hobby you’ve been putting off? Whatever your vision, it’s likely built on the foundation of a solid retirement plan with your pens…
How Will You React When the Next Stock Market Crash Happens?
Stock market crashes are the financial world’s equivalent of a stormy sea. They’re unpredictable, often unsettling, and yet entirely inevitable. But just like seasoned sailors don’t abandon ship at the first sign of waves, savvy investors know how to…
We’re Proud to Be Supporting Talk Money Week 2025
Talk Money Week 2025 runs from 3rd – 7th November 2025. This national initiative is designed to encourage more open conversations about money. Overseen by the Money and Pension Service, the week highlights the fantastic work being done by organisations…
What Gardening Can Teach Us About Successful Investing
Investing can sometimes feel overwhelming, particularly when we’re bombarded with complex jargon and market fluctuations. However, one simple yet powerful analogy can offer clarity: investing is much like gardening. Both require some basic knowledge…
What Makes a Great Pension? Everything You Need to Know
Planning for retirement is one of the most important financial steps you’ll ever take. With life expectancy in the UK continuing to rise, many of us can expect to live for 20, 30, or even 40 years after we stop working. That means our pensions aren’t…
Cash Before Calculus – Parents Demand Financial Literacy Over Maths in Schools
In an era where financial knowledge and understanding is increasingly tied to life success, the importance of financial education has never been more pronounced. Historically, schools have emphasised traditional subjects like math and science, often…
Mid-Year Money Makeover: How to Keep Your Finances on Track This Summer
Summer is here, and with it comes a chance to kick back, enjoy the sun, and maybe finally take that holiday you’ve been dreaming about. But just because we’re in the middle of the year doesn’t mean we should put financial planning on hold. In fact, s…
Building a Winning Financial Team: What Football Managers Can Teach Us About Financial Planning
Football is more than just a game; it’s a symphony of strategy, teamwork, and individual brilliance. Likewise, financial planning is an intricate dance that combines various elements – savings, investments, insurance, and retirement planning – to ach…
The Latest on Our Carbon Reduction and Climate Action Projects
At NorthStar, we believe that protecting the long-term future of our planet isn’t just important – it’s essential. That’s why we take meaningful steps to reduce our environmental impact and support the planet. We’re proud to have partnered with…
Eurovision Hits: Financial Planning Lessons from Winning Songs
With the Eurovision Song Contest set to take place in Basel in the coming days, it’s worth remembering some of the unforgettable tunes, incredible performances and powerful lyrics the contest has delivered over the years. But have you ever considered…
Tariffs & Turmoil: How to Weather the Storm in Volatile Markets
Markets across the globe have taken a sharp turn in recent weeks. Stock markets from Wall Street to the FTSE have fallen dramatically, triggered in large part by President Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on a range of goods. The rhetoric around t
Trump Tariff Special – How New Tariffs Could Impact You and Your Money
Yesterday, US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping set of new tariffs, imposing fresh import taxes on goods entering the United States from almost every country in the world. These measures have sent shockwaves through global financial markets…
Make Smarter Financial Decisions by Overcoming These Thirteen Cognitive Biases
Even the most financially savvy among us can fall prey to cognitive biases that cloud our judgement and lead to suboptimal financial decisions. These biases are deeply ingrained in our psychology, influencing our behaviour in subtle but significant…
NorthStar Portfolios: Celebrating 10 Years of Investment Success
As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the NorthStar investment portfolios, it’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on their remarkable journey and the lasting value they continue to provide for our clients. Since their launch in January 2015, these…
New Report Shows Britain May Be Heading for a Retirement Crisis
The UK may be on the brink of a retirement crisis, according to the BlackRock 2024 UK Read on Retirement report. This comprehensive survey of 1,000 UK Defined Contribution (DC) pension savers paints a troubling picture of the nation’s retirement read…
Financial New Year’s Resolutions That Stick: Turning Goals into Habits
As the new year begins, many of us find ourselves reflecting on our recent achievements and setting ambitious resolutions for the year ahead. However, when it comes to financial goals, we often fall short of our aspirations. The enthusiasm we feel in…
Ten Timeless Financial Lessons from Classic Christmas Stories
The festive season is brimming with beloved Christmas stories, carols, and folklore that warm our hearts and spark nostalgia. But beyond the festive cheer, these tales offer surprisingly valuable lessons about financial planning. Whether it’s learnin…
Preparing for Parenthood: Ten Essential Steps to Get Your Finances Ready for Having a Baby
Starting a family is exciting, life-changing, and yes, financially challenging. Kids are bundles of joy, but they’re also bundles of expenses, from nappy changes to nursery fees. The average cost of raising a child to age 18 is a whopping £166,000 fo…
Become a Financial Grandmaster: What Chess Can Teach Us About Money Management
Chess, a game with a rich history spanning over 1,500 years, has long captivated enthusiasts with its intricate strategies, intellectual challenges, and limitless possibilities. From the legendary grandmasters of the past to the millions of players e…
Budget 2024 Summary: Everything You Need to Know
The Budget 2024 marks a pivotal moment for the UK, as it is the first budget delivered by the newly-elected Labour government, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves at the helm. As is often the case with the first budget of a new administration, this is more…
Twelve Money Mistakes to Avoid Before Buying a Home
Buying a home is a significant milestone, whether you’re a first-time buyer or looking to upgrade. However, recent trends show that younger generations are postponing their entry into the housing market. Factors such as mounting student loan debt, de…
Awards, Accreditations & Trade Associations
NorthStar is proud to be a member of the leading financial planning trade associations. Through a continued commitment to adhere to the highest professional standards and deliver exceptional service, NorthStar has received a number of awards and professional accreditations.
