Major Oak Wealth Management

01/09/2025

As the Autumn Budget draws nearer, leaks about proposals being considered by the chancellor to fill a growing fiscal black hole have increased.

The value of an investment with St. James's Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

25/04/2025

💭 If you could travel back in time to give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

📊 Mine would be to draw up a household budget – and really stick to it! I’d build in pots for expenditure like Christmas, holidays and birthdays. As well as factoring in sinking funds, and costs like car insurance, so it can be paid annually. Of course, hindsight is a fine thing!

🤔 What would you tell your younger self? Share your pearls of wisdom in the comments!

24/04/2025

“Financial advice isn’t for people like me.”

Sound familiar? 🤔

This is something I sadly hear all too often. Whether you think you don’t earn enough, are too young, or are from the wrong background, beliefs like these can hold you back from the opportunities available to you – opportunities that you do deserve. And there’s much more to it than just the financial impact.

💡 Did you know that 84% of people say financial advice has significantly benefitted their emotional and mental health?
💡 65% of people say it’s improved their overall quality of life.
💡 And 47% say it’s allowed them to achieve a major life goal.

These are just some of the real-life benefits of financial advice, revealed by Opinium’s Real Life Advice Report. This is your sign to stop letting perceived barriers hold you back from reaping all the benefits of financial advice. It is for people like you.

If you’d like to find out more insights from the report, have a read of this article: https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/financial-advice-changes-lives-sjps-rea-life-advice-report-finds.html

22/04/2025

Coming up to 60 and think you’ve left it too late to start saving for retirement? 🤔

Think again! Of course, the earlier you start the better. But with many years hopefully still ahead of you, there’s lots of time to make a plan, and build up a solid retirement pot. It's always best to have as many different savings options as possible, to give you flexibility with your retirement finances. Here’s some ideas if you’re starting from scratch…

✅ Start paying into a pension. You’ll benefit from tax relief added by the government, as well as any contributions offered by your employer. A pension could help you bridge the gap until your state pension kicks in.
✅ Use property to fund your retirement. You could consider downsizing, equity release, income from a rental property - or even renting out a room in your home as a holiday let.
✅ Pay into a Cash ISA or Shares ISA. These are beneficial as they’re free from income tax and capital gains tax.

If you’re just looking to start saving for retirement, getting advice from a financial adviser – like me! – could be a great idea. Whatever your age, I can help you put a solid plan in place that’ll work on a tighter timescale. And advise on the different savings options that could work best for you.

When you’ve got a plan in place, it’ll be so much easier to feel relaxed about your retirement. Just head to my website to get in touch today:

https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/contact

21/04/2025

Be honest, how much time have you already spent holiday planning this month? ☀️ 🏝️ 🍹

Most of us are guilty of putting a LOT of time and effort into planning the perfect escape. But very few of us give much time to planning the longest, most important holiday of all – retirement!

Here’s your reminder to spend a little less time looking at poolside villas, and a little more time planning further ahead.

It’s never too early or too late to get started – and you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here to help you take small steps today that’ll have a big impact on your future. Together, we can plan how you’d like your retirement to look – and how we can make it happen. My advice is always personalised to you, and tailored to your evolving needs, earnings and life stage.

Here’s just some of the retirement planning services I provide:

✅ Maximising your pension fund
✅ Self-Invested Pension Plans
✅ Trustee schemes
✅ Retirement plans
✅ Drawdown plans
✅ Access to annuities

If you’d like to have a no obligation conversation to get the ball rolling on your retirement, please get in touch today.

Just visit my website here:
https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/contact

18/04/2025

Notice anything different about Easter eggs this year?

Because I could have sworn they’re getting smaller… That’s right, inflation has hit the Easter eggs. Costs are growing, and the chocolate shells are shrinking.📈🥚

In fact, Which? has reported that prices have risen by as much as 50% since last year. The global price of cocoa reached a record high in January, so it’s no surprise costs are shooting up.

But don’t despair, my fellow chocoholics! I’ve tracked down three of the best value eggs on the shelves, so you don’t have to deal with disappointment this Easter. 🐣

🍫 Cadbury Dairy Milk Fingers Chocolate Egg - £4.98 at Asda
You just can’t beat Cadbury’s. A classic chocolate shell, plus three mini bags of chocolate fingers. Simply delicious. The price isn’t bad either!

🍫 Maltesers Milk Chocolate Luxury Easter Egg - £5 at Ocado
This one was crowned The Independent’s best budget buy. For a luxury egg, £5 isn’t too eye-watering. A trio of Malteaser bunnies are included in the price too.

🍫 Lindt Gold Bunny Milk Chocolate Easter Egg - £5 at Ocado
Lindt for £5 is a bit of a steal. Even though the egg itself is on the smaller side, you’ll be getting two Lindt bunnies included in the price. An egg crafted by the Master Chocolatiers for just a fiver – that’s not too bad.

And if you really want to beat shrinkflation, hit the shops on Easter Sunday. You’ll be sure to find some sweet deals to crack into!

Wishing all my lovely followers and clients a wonderful long Easter weekend. May all your eggs be supersized! 🐣

17/04/2025

If you could have one financial wish granted, what would it be? 🪄

Would it be…

✨ To retire at 40?
✨ To have enough money to travel the world?
✨ To get all your children onto the property ladder?

Maybe these seem unrealistic to you right now, but with enough planning, your big financial goals could really be possible. I’ve been helping clients make their financial goals a reality for over 11 years.

Whether you’ve got a big savings target you’d like to hit, a dream retirement plan, or simply want a financially comfortable future, I’ve got experience making it happen.

Just go to my website to get in touch today:

https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/contact

We can arrange an initial meeting to chat about your goals for the future – and from there, make a solid plan to turn those dreams into a reality.

15/04/2025

The ups and downs of uncertainty continue, but tariff pauses bring some relief to markets

Initial rumours spread late Monday that all tariffs would be paused for 90 days. However, this was soon dismissed by the US administration. By Wednesday, it emerged that President Trump would reduce higher tariffs on several countries down to 10%, effective immediately, for 90 days.

14/04/2025

Mortgages got your head in a spin? 🏠

I’m here to help. ✅

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, looking for the best deal, or are wanting to remortgage, I’ll be there to advise you from start to finish. I can help you find the most competitive rates, guide you through the different options, and make the process as stress-free as possible.

Here’s a testimonial from a lovely couple I recently advised. If you’re currently trying to navigate through the maze of the mortgage market, I’d love to help. Together we can make a plan, and find the very best mortgage for you. You can get in touch with me for an initial chat here: https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/contact I’d be delighted to work with you.

06/02/2025

💙 Moments like these make it all worthwhile!

Receiving feedback like this reminds me why I love what I do—helping people feel more confident in their financial future and empowering them to take control of their savings and investments.

This particular review struck a chord because financial planning isn’t just about numbers; it’s about trust, education, and empowerment. Too often, people feel they’re “too young” or “not experienced enough” to start investing. But the truth is, the best time to start is whenever you’re ready to take that first step!

It’s incredibly rewarding to support both women and men on their journey to financial confidence. Knowing that my advice has helped someone feel more secure and motivated to grow their savings is what I do it all for.

To anyone thinking about taking that next step with their finances—go for it!

04/02/2025

https://www.majoroakwm.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/weekwatch-03-02-2025.html

European equity markets finished January at record highs last week. However, US President, Donald Trump, announced tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China over the weekend, suggesting that February might prove more challenging.

11/11/2024

Check out our video on how the US election has impacted markets in this weeks article 🎥

A US Federal Reserve rate-setting meeting would normally be top of the agenda for markets, but last week there was only one show in town.