Starting Over Financially After Divorce at 50+: What You Need to Know
One of the concerns we often hear from people divorcing in their 50s is: “Have I left it too late to start again?” It’s an understandable worry; retirement may only be a few years away, leaving less time to rebuild savings or make substantial changes to pension provision. That can make financial decisions during divorce More…
Divorce and Fear of the Future: How to Make Financial Decisions When You Feel Overwhelmed
One of the concerns we hear most often from people going through divorce is not specifically about pensions, investments or property, it’s much broader: “What’s going to happen?” Uncertainty can cover everything from where you will live to whether you will have enough money in retirement. Important financial decisions often need to be made at More…
What People Get Wrong When Negotiating a Divorce Financial Settlement
When people think about divorce, they often focus first on the legal process and the division of assets. Who gets what? What would a fair settlement look like? Those questions are important, but many of the difficulties we see are financial rather than legal. People can understandably become focused on immediate housing or how much More…
Should I Keep the House or Take More Pension in Divorce?
Few decisions during divorce feel as personal as deciding what happens to the family home. For many people, the property represents far more than bricks and mortar. It holds memories and provides familiarity during an uncertain period. Where children are involved, remaining there may also preserve some continuity. It is therefore understandable that clients often More…
Why Two Divorce Settlements That Look Equal on Paper Can Be Very Different in Real Life
A common assumption during divorce discussions is that dividing everything 50/50 must produce a fair outcome. If one person receives assets worth £500,000 and the other receives the same amount, it may appear that they are in an identical financial position; however, the value shown on paper does not explain what those assets will provide More…
How Much Income Will I Actually Need After Divorce?
When people begin discussing a divorce financial settlement, conversations usually focus on assets. Who keeps the house? How will pensions be divided? What happens to savings and investments? These are all important questions, but they do not show whether the settlement will support your future lifestyle. Understanding what you own is only part of the More…
Will I Still Be Able to Retire When I Planned To? How Divorce Affects Retirement Timelines
For many people approaching retirement, divorce raises a difficult question: Will I still be able to retire when I planned to? After years of paying into pensions, reducing debts and planning for later life, divorce can make those plans feel much less certain. Will your pension still provide enough income? Will you need to work More…
What Will My Life Look Like After Divorce? Creating a Post-Separation Financial Roadmap
One of the biggest uncertainties people face during divorce is trying to picture life once the legal process is over. Questions about where you will live, whether your income will be enough and what retirement might look like can all feel difficult to answer while you are still negotiating a settlement. Financial planning and cashflow More…
Can I Hide Money Before Divorce? Legal Risks Explained
Divorce can leave people feeling protective of what they have built up over the years. It is not unusual for someone to wonder whether they can keep certain assets out of the financial settlement. The law takes a clear approach to this. Full financial disclosure is required, and deliberately concealing money or assets can have More…
Do I have to Disclose all my Assets During Divorce? Yes, and Here’s Why
When going through a divorce in the UK, one of the most important steps is full financial disclosure. It can also be one of the most uncomfortable. Many people wonder whether they really need to tell their solicitor and former partner about everything they own. The short answer is yes: full disclosure is a key More…
How Much Will a Divorce Cost (and How to Plan for it)
Divorce comes with financial costs as well as emotional challenges. Most people think first about solicitor fees and court costs, but the overall financial impact can extend much further. Housing decisions, pension arrangements, tax implications and changes to day-to-day living costs can all affect your finances during and after the divorce process. Understanding those costs, More…
Who Gets the House After Divorce? Myths vs Reality
When a relationship breaks down, one of the first questions people ask is: Who gets the house? It is an understandable concern: for many people, the family home is far more than a financial asset. It represents stability, routine, memories and, where children are involved, a sense of continuity at a difficult time. Unfortunately, some More…
Do I Have to Split Everything 50/50 in a Divorce Settlement?
One of the most common assumptions around divorce is that everything is automatically divided equally. If there is a family home, pensions, savings or other shared assets, many people expect the outcome to be a straightforward 50/50 split. While that sounds simple, divorce financial settlements in England and Wales are rarely approached in such a More…
What a Realistic Divorce Budget Looks Like, and Why Most People Get It Wrong
Divorce often brings a series of financial decisions at a time when life already feels unsettled. One of the most important is understanding how much money you will need to live on after separation. Many people try to create a post-divorce budget quickly, using rough estimates or “guestimates” of what they think they will spend. More…
How to Understand an Actuarial Pension Report in a UK Divorce
Dividing pensions during a divorce can feel difficult to navigate. For many people, a pension is the largest asset after the family home, but it is often one of the hardest parts of the financial settlement to understand. In some cases, divorcing couples receive an actuarial pension report, sometimes referred to in relation to a More…
What Does Life Look Like After Divorce? A Guide to Rebuilding Financial Security
Divorce changes many parts of your life. Your home, routines, income and longer-term plans can all shift at once. Even when a separation is amicable, the practical side of rebuilding your future can feel difficult to navigate. Many people describe the early period as uncertain: questions often arise around where you will live, what life More…
Can I Afford to Stay in the Family Home After Divorce? A Realistic Guide
When a couple separates, one of the first and most emotional questions is: Can I afford to stay in the family home? And that is completely understandable: the home represents stability, memories, routine, and continuity for children. For many people, keeping the home feels like holding onto something familiar when everything else is changing. However, More…
Why Guessing Your Financial Future After Divorce is Risky and What to Do Instead
When you are going through a separation, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed. The legal process can feel unfamiliar, the emotional strain can be exhausting, and the financial side can be hard to see clearly. Yet this is also the stage at which many people make some of the biggest financial decisions of their More…
How to Avoid Losing Your Pension in a Divorce: Protecting Your Retirement Income
Divorce is often a highly emotional process, and one of the biggest concerns for many people is: “Will I lose my pension?” While pensions are usually protected under UK law, it is possible for one party to end up with less retirement income than they anticipated if pensions are overlooked, undervalued, or not planned for More…
How to Support Children Financially After Divorce
Divorce or separation can create uncertainty not just for parents, but for children as well. One of the most common concerns clients have is: “How can I make sure my children are financially secure?” Supporting children financially after divorce involves more than simply covering day-to-day expenses. It requires careful planning, clear understanding of entitlements, and More…
Are You Struggling to Understand Pension Sharing? A Step-by-Step Guide for UK Divorces
One of the most common areas of uncertainty for divorcees during the divorce and separation process is pension sharing. Many people struggle to understand how pensions are treated in a divorce, how they are valued, and what options are available to ensure a fair settlement. While pensions are often among the most valuable marital assets, More…
Worried About Losing Your Home in a Divorce? Practical Steps to Protect Your Property and Your Future
Divorce or separation can feel overwhelming, and one of the biggest concerns for many people is the family home. It’s common to ask: “Will I lose my home?” or “How can I protect it?” While the outcome depends on your circumstances, understanding your options, planning carefully, and seeking professional guidance can help you secure your More…
How to Calculate Your Financial Needs After Divorce: A Step-by-Step Guide
Divorce or separation can leave many people unsure about how to manage their finances going forward. One of the most common concerns is: “Will I have enough to cover my expenses and plan for retirement?” Calculating your financial needs after divorce is about more than adding up bills. It requires a clear, structured approach that More…
The Best Way to Sort Finances in a Divorce
Divorce or separation can leave people feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and under pressure to make big financial decisions quickly. One of the most common questions people search for when looking for advice on this is: What’s the best way to sort finances in a divorce? The honest answer is that there is no single formula that More…
Help Working Out Divorce Settlement Figures: A Step-by-Step, Future-Focused Guide
Divorce or separation is often as emotionally challenging as it is financially complex. One of the most common concerns people have is: “How do I work out divorce settlement figures?” Understanding the numbers can feel overwhelming, particularly when property, savings, pensions, investments, and debts all need to be considered. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula More…
How Are Assets Split in a Divorce?
One of the first questions people ask when facing divorce or separation is: “How will our assets be divided?” Uncertainty around finances can add significant stress at an already difficult time, particularly where property, savings, pensions, and long-term security are involved. In the UK, there is no fixed formula for dividing assets in a divorce. More…
How Are Pensions Split in Divorce?
When couples divorce or dissolve a civil partnership, attention often focuses on the family home, savings, and income. Yet for many people, pensions are among the most valuable assets in the divorce financial settlement and among the least understood. How pensions are split in divorce can have a profound impact on long-term financial security, particularly More…
Download your FREE guide to the Autumn Budget Statement 2025
For everything you need to know about the impact of last month’s budget on your finances, download our FREE Budget guide. The 20-page publication covers all the key announcements by the Chancellor and the changes her budget brings in. It includes sections on changes to tax and savings regulations, such as a freeze on income More…
Unlocking financial peace: how evidence-based investing can transform your wealth strategy
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Evidence-based investing (EBI) is a transformational approach that can empower you to make smarter, more confident investment decisions. Over the next few months, I’ll explore how this strategy can help you understand what truly matters in your investment journey and reach your financial goals with clarity and peace of mind. More…
Quarterly Market Commentary September 2025
The summer months have shown a complex and changing picture for global markets. As we examine the period from June to August, a key theme has been the fragile balance between strong economic activity and ongoing geopolitical and fiscal tensions. After a volatile second quarter shaped by the initial shock of US trade tariff announcements, More…
Long term view helps cushion short term market shocks
After a day of global market turmoil yesterday, with hundreds of billions of pounds wiped off the value of the FTSE 100, our latest markets factsheet advises how maintaining a diversified portfolio and focusing on long-term goals can help cushion such short-term shocks. Click on the image to download:
Why you need to act now on pensions and inheritance tax
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Last month’s budget has made changes to inheritance tax (IHT) rules which will significantly affect how most pension funds are treated for IHT purposes. From April 2027, nearly all pension funds – including lump sum payouts, beneficiary’s drawdown, annuities and lump sums into bypass trusts – will now be included More…
Download your FREE guide to the Autumn Budget Statement
For everything you need to know about the impact of this week’s budget on your finances, download our FREE Budget guide. The 20-page publication covers all the key announcements by Rachel Reeves and the changes her budget brings in. It includes sections on Inheritance Tax, Capital Gains Tax, National Insurance contributions, the Non-Dom regime, personal More…
FREE seminar to share industry secrets
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI This Spring marks our 32nd anniversary in business – and three decades in which I have seen many changes in the financial service industry. These have mainly been in the transition to better quality of advice, achieved through more regulation and mandatory qualifications for advisers. Unfortunately, the ‘industry’ is still More…
First life saved by client’s drone donation
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI In January I wrote about a lovely client who made some very generous donations to Glenmore Lodge and Cairngorm Mountain Rescue. Louie’s gifts, in memory of her late husband Norman, funded a course teaching children mountain skills at the outdoor training centre near Aviemore and a hi tech thermal imaging More…
How you can turn your grief into a lasting legacy
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI The loss of a life partner is one of the most traumatic experiences we can have. But out of the resulting grief can emerge a lasting legacy, as our latest client case study shows. With no children or close relatives, Louie and husband Norman were absolutely devoted to each other More…
How proper financial planning can be truly life-changing
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Our last blog focused on value for money and how there is a lot more to financial planning than investment returns. When it’s done right, it can be truly life-changing – as the client case studies we will share over the next few blogs will demonstrate. Our first is Bob More…
How much are your investments really making?
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI One of my major issues with the investment industry is its high charges. They are often difficult to understand and are frequently hidden – or ignored – due to ‘good’ returns. Just because your money is ‘growing’, doesn’t mean you’re getting value for money. Charges often include a product fee More…
Listen to The Boss
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI My last work meeting before leaving for Rome to see a Bruce Springsteen concert early this summer was an investment risk analysis with a new client. During the discussion I asked him his views on the investment industry. He responded that he thought it was a necessary evil and considered More…
The review: the financial planning equivalent of satnav
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI I ended my last blog by saying you could sit back and relax for 12 months on completion of the implementation stage of your financial plan. After this first year the next stage is your initial review. A financial plan is always work in progress and one of the worst More…
Implementation of your financial plan: a team game
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI In my last blog I explained why cashflow modelling should be at the core of a professionally structured financial plan. On completion of the plan, the next stage is implementation. At this point in the process you may need to build a good team of experienced professional advisers around you, More…
Cashflow modelling: the next best thing to a crystal ball
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI In my job I use lots of different tools, from compound interest rate calculators to investment risk analysis systems. But the one piece of equipment I would really like is a crystal ball. To see into my client’s futures would be invaluable. Unfortunately, despite years of searching, I can’t find More…
Why you can’t do financial planning without a financial plan
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI In recent blogs I’ve detailed the data needed to complete a financial plan and the importance of assumptions. Now we get to the structure of the financial plan itself. The plan is not a static document and should evolve as the client’s life changes. It could be relatively simple More…
What you need to ensure your financial plan takes off properly
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI A pilot wouldn’t dream of taking off without a flight plan and a properly qualified financial adviser shouldn’t provide advice without a properly constructed financial plan. In the ideal world, a financial plan would be built using a crystal ball. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, so More…
Data gathering – the next step after choosing your financial planner
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Once you have settled on a financial planner you feel comfortable with and are confident that they can provide value for money, the next stage of the process is data gathering. For most people, the main aim of financial planning is to achieve and maintain their desired lifestyle, without the fear More…
The cost – and value – of financial planning
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI The cost of the service is an important factor when deciding to work with a financial planner, but equally important is to understand the value that the planner provides. Obviously financial planners need to be paid for their service, not just to earn a living or cover their business expenses More…
Here are the budget winners – but who are the losers?
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Well, I didn’t see that coming! Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has abolished the pensions lifetime allowance and increased the annual allowance by 50% to £60,000. The lifetime allowance (LTA) is the maximum amount you can have in pension funds before paying tax. The current limit is £1,073,100. If this is exceeded, More…
Capital gains – and losses – after tax changes this April
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI Significant changes are being introduced in April to Capital Gains Tax which reduce the exempt amount but increase the timescales for asset transfer. Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is a tax on profits when you dispose of an asset, either by sale or transfer. There are no liabilities for transfers between spouses More…
What to expect from your first meeting with a financial planner
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI If you have decided you want to enlist the services of a lifestyle financial planner, what should you expect from your initial consultation? The first meeting should be an exploratory session where you and the financial planner get to know each other to determine if they can help you and More…
What’s in a name? A lot!
By David Lamb CFP™ MCSI I have seen the name given to people who give advice or sell financial products change many times in the 38 years I have worked in the financial services sector. Common examples include insurance agent, financial consultant, broker, financial adviser and wealth manager. The latest favoured term seems to be More…
