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 financeTo stay up-to-date with the latest news and views from the NorthStar team, why not subscribe to NorthStar Insights, our free email newsletter or check out our social media sites.
Taking Financial Advice Could Make You £48K Better Off by the End of the Decade
Financial advice can leave non-affluent savers around £48,000 richer over 10 years, according to a report by the ILC. There is also new evidence that financial advice offers especially good value for the less well-off. Brits who took professional fi…
The Lemonade Principle: Making Good Use of Your Lockdown Time
‘Grandma, what did you do in the coronavirus lockdown?’ ‘That’s when I started the family business.’ Yes, we have to stay at home – but that’s no reason to be bitter. Sweeten your lockdown experience by taking some decisive financial action at last…
Investing in Tough Times – 10 Tips to Help You Weather the Storm
When the economy slows down it is inevitable that share prices will take a hit. Such times are never comfortable, but there shouldn’t be any need for investors to panic. Here are 10 practical tips to help you weather the investment storms in difficult…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Spring 2020
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for spring 2020. You can read and download your copy for free. This issue of KnowlEDGE, we take an in-depth look at how to give your finances a thorough spring clean. This is the perfect…
Budget 2020: What It Means for Your Money
The first Budget of Boris Johnston’s new government was certainly an eventful one. Rishi Sunak has only been Chancellor for a matter of weeks, but delivered one of the most wide-ranging set of announcements for many years. Along with Brexit, the new…
Cost of Divorce Following Couples into Retirement
People who divorce may face an ongoing financial hit from it throughout their retirement, according to new research by Prudential. Younger divorcees and women especially are making potentially very costly mistakes by under-valuing their pensions. The…
We’re Celebrating 5 Years of Fantastic Investment Returns
We’re celebrating the 5 year anniversary of our range of investment portfolios and we’re really pleased with the results. Investment management is one of the most important services we provide to our clients. As well as helping our clients protect th…
Old and Young Both Missing out on Advice Opportunities
More than half of Brits over 65 are yet to take advice on their finances, despite evidence that advice doubles financial confidence. At the same time, younger generations are failing to exploit advice opportunities. The UK’s baby boomers have largely…
Are You a 40-Year-Old Pension Virgin?
You may be well on the way to middle age, but some of life’s most important mysteries still remain unexplored. It’s natural to be shy about discussing it in public – but in this new era of pension freedom, practically everyone’s doing it. Shouldn’t y…
Your 3D New Year Detox
Most detoxes only cover one aspect of your wellbeing – such as your physical or mental health. Here’s a special detox for 2020 that covers body, mind… and bank account! Detoxing is about much more than Dry January or juicing everything that’s not nai…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Winter 2019
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for winter 2019. You can read and download your copy for free. In this issue we focus on investment. Our cover story looks at the key factors to consider when selecting investment funds. T…
Learn to Speak Pension
Do you know your defined contribution pension from your money purchase pension? Wait – aren’t they the same thing? Here’s a pension primer with a difference, as we tell you what all those confusing terms really mean. Reading about pensions is enough …
Life Insurance: The Ultimate ‘Rainy-Day Fund’
One of the reasons why you might save up is to safeguard your family against misfortune. But a rainy-day fund can only do so much. For a truly adequate level of protection, life insurance is often a better solution – and it’s more versatile than you…
We’re Proud to Be Supporting Talk Money Talk Pensions Week 2019
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…
Do You Suffer from Money Tunnel Vision?
Recent research suggests that over half of adults in the South East of England couldn’t pay an unexpected £500 bill. If you’re in this situation despite an apparently healthy income, you may have ‘money tunnel vision’. Here’s how to correct it. ‘Annu…
Self-Employed? Don’t Forget Your Pension
They say ‘Don’t ignore the workplace pension’ – but that’s exactly what many self-employed people are doing. If you are your own boss, saving into a pension is easy to forget about – but if anything, it’s even more important to remember. Thanks to a…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Autumn 2019
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for autumn 2019. You can read and download your copy for free. With the heat and sunshine of summer now seeming like a distant memory, we welcome you to the autumn 2019 edition of KnowlEDG…
We’re Supporting Financial Planning Week 2019
We’re delighted to be among a select group of companies taking part in Financial Planning Week 2019. Running from 7th to 11th October 2019, Financial Planning Week is a nationwide campaign offering free financial planning sessions and advice to provi…
Are You Doing the 11 Worst Things for Your Credit Score?
Most of us know roughly what a credit score or credit rating is – it’s a number that goes up or down depending to what we’ve done in the past and present with money, especially when it comes to loans and credit cards. Typically, a high number is good…
Apathy Costing Savers over £800m a Year
As banks continue to ‘reward’ their most loyal customers by slashing their savings rates, more products are emerging to enable savers to chase higher interest with less effort. The UK’s savers have missed out on nearly a billion pounds worth of inter…
How Small Savings Could Help You Build Your ‘Emergency Fund’
Do you tend to count the days until payday? If so, you may need to take better control over your spending and saving. Ideally, you should always have enough of a financial cushion to deal with the extra expenses that life will definitely throw at you…
Over £19 Billion ‘Lost’ in Forgotten UK Pensions
UK workers have lost track of up to 1.6 million workplace pension pots, according to the latest estimates. A lack of understanding of how to manage pension savings could result in many people being substantially worse off in retirement. Failure to ke…
10 Investment Goals to Aim for and How to Achieve Them
If you want to be a successful investor, there’s one question above all that you need to answer. And that is: why am I doing this? Discover how a clear investment goal can make all the difference. Everyone needs a reason to invest. If you don’t have…
Optimist vs Pessimist – What Does It Mean for Your Money?
Is your glass half full or half empty? When managing your money and ensuring your financial security, both optimism and pessimism have key roles to play. Does it matter if you’re an optimist or a pessimist? Optimism is generally considered far more d…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Summer 2019
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for summer 2019. You can read and download your copy for free. Spring is well and truly here. Warmer days, lighter evening and the new tax year are all now with us.In this edition of Knowl…
How Your Child Can Retire a Millionaire
For the truly patient parent, there’s a little-known trick for setting your child up for life – later life, that is. A Junior SIPP may offer the most affordable long-term route to a millionaire’s retirement for your daughter or son. Starting a pensio…
Money and Its Links to Mental Health and Wellbeing
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we take a look into how money can impact mental health. We know that people struggling with money and poor mental health or wellbeing is often linked. According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists, half of p…
What’s the Difference Between Guidance and Advice?
The government service Pension Wise offers free guidance on pension options, but is it the same as ‘advice’? Here’s one way of looking at the difference between advice and guidance. Guidance can help you decide on a course of action. So can advice. D…
KnowlEDGE Digital Magazine – Spring 2019
We’ve just published our exclusive quarterly digital magazine for spring 2019. You can read and download your copy for free. Spring is well and truly here. Warmer days, lighter evening and the new tax year are all now with us.In this edition of Knowl…
Pension Contribution Hikes Spell Good News Long-Term
The mandatory minimum contribution into workplace pensions is set to increase in April, as part of the government’s bid to prevent a future pensions crisis. Consequently, millions of workers who are paying the current minimum will see their take-home…
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