1st Financial Foundations

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1st Financial Foundations We show you how to develop long-term financial security and wealth, no matter where you are in your

1st Financial Foundations Independent Financial Advisers provide an expert, flexible approach to managing our clients' wealth. We work with our clients to understand their requirements, and we bring these together with retirement, investment, protection and personal long-term financial solutions to enable them to achieve their life goals. You’ll find our refreshingly honest and down-to-earth approach is based on personal, practical experience. There’s nothing we recommend that we haven’t personally utilised ourselves. And, because we are independent, our advice and guidance is based on what we believe will generate the greatest wealth for our clients' circumstances, NOT what products we have to sell.

22/10/2026

2-year fix or 5-year fix? After almost 30 years in UK mortgages, I can usually tell which one a client will choose. It comes down to their attitude to interest rates, and what they want their mortgage to do for them.

The more cautious, those not overly concerned about chasing the lowest rate, tend to fix for 5 years. They value certainty and would rather not remortgage every couple of years. For plenty of people, that's the right call.

Others are very conscious of cost. They want the lowest rate available, so they typically go for a 2-year fix. This is often the case for those using their mortgage as good debt to grow their assets. Borrowing to invest carries risk, so it has to fit your wider plans.

Horses for courses. Neither choice is right or wrong, it just has to fit your needs.

Whichever camp you're in, we can help. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Happy to talk it through, whether you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations or not. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

21/10/2026

Tax solicitor? Independent financial adviser? Pensions expert? Most people looking for financial advice in the UK don't know which one they need, and end up unsure whether what they're getting fits their goals.

At 1st Financial Foundations, we work with you on an ongoing basis and give advice tailored to you. Every piece of that advice is regulated, because we are directly authorised by the FCA.

For wealth planning, I always start with cash flow planning. That means a full audit of everything you have. Your inflows and outflows, then your pensions, investments and protection. If you own a company, we look at that too, and how it fits your wider goals.

There's a reason we're called 1st Financial Foundations. Get the foundation right first, then build on it.

If you'd like a free 45-minute chat to see how this would work for you, email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

20/10/2026

Income protection typically replaces around 66% of your income. It won't be the full amount, and coverage usually comes in set terms of 1, 2 or 5 years, or until retirement.

Two other things worth knowing.
1. Make sure the policy has been properly underwritten and no past medical issues have been left off the application.
2. Making a claim doesn't end your plan. You could claim for a number of months or a couple of years, go back to work, and as long as the plan is still active, claim again for a different illness or injury later on.

If you'd like to talk through the level and term of cover that would suit you, email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free, no strings attached.

19/10/2026

Thinking of leaving the UK because of where tax is heading? Check it isn't only because someone you know is doing it.

I've seen this play out before. Quite a few people moved to Singapore or Dubai when UK taxes went up. Some of them have since come back, and the taxes waiting for them now are higher than when they left.

It's natural to want to do something, it might even be prudent to be proactive. But a move abroad is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make, so you need to know it's the right one before you go. Where do your cashflows stand? What will the move cost? What would it cost if you came back? And does it fit your long-term goals?

If you're weighing up a move, let's look at the full picture before you decide. Book a free 45-minute chat. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

A lower mortgage rate can look great on paper, until you see what it actually costs upfront.Some of the lowest rates com...
18/10/2026

A lower mortgage rate can look great on paper, until you see what it actually costs upfront.

Some of the lowest rates come with a much higher product fee. You either pay it upfront or add it to your loan, and if you add it to the loan, you pay interest on it too.

So the cheapest-looking deal isn't always the cheapest deal. On a smaller mortgage, a slightly higher rate with little or no fee can work out better over the fixed term. On a larger mortgage, the lower rate may still come out on top. It depends on your numbers.

That's why we look at the total cost over the term, not just the rate.

Before you apply for the deal you've seen online, let's run the numbers together. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Happy to talk it through, whether you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations or not. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

15/10/2026

The government wants to put up 20% of the price of your first new-build home. You put down 2.5%.

That is the Your First Home scheme, which Andy Burnham will likely confirm at the autumn budget. My view is that it is a good idea, as long as you go in with your eyes open.

When I bought my first property, I borrowed money from my uncle. He charged me no interest. The bank did. This is the same principle, except the interest-free money comes from the government.

It isn't completely free though and it will be made clear come 28th October. I expect that only an initial period will be interest free and if the property rises in value, it shares in the growth on its 20%. If property values go down, the losses will likely be fully absorbed on the buyer’s books.

A lot of details are still to be confirmed, so none of this is a recommendation for your situation. If you're thinking about your first home and want to see how it fits your wider plan, book a free 45-minute chat. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

14/10/2026

Many wealthy South Asians in the UK have built the wealth but don't go any further than that. So when they're faced with the reality of passing that wealth on, it becomes a last minute scramble. No one thought to plan for the future, simply because it was supposed to be in the future.

This is why financial education is so important. I usually teach financial planning like this. Any fruit you'd like to eat, you cannot have unless a seed has been planted to grow that fruit. Financial planning works the same way. It's work you do today for a benefit you get in the future, and the benefits go well beyond avoiding an expensive last minute scramble.

If you'd like further guidance with wealth, pension and retirement planning, I'm happy to chat. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

14/10/2026

Many UK adults don’t have protection because of a lack of information, so I’m sharing the real questions I get every day from real people.

When does your income protection cover begin?
When you take a policy out today and you're protected from today. If something happens tomorrow, you're immediately covered.

When does it pay out?
This is called the deferred period. That's the gap between you stopping work and the payments starting. Many providers offer 4 weeks. So if you’ve suffered an illness or injury, your income is replaced from the fifth week it has kept you off of work onwards.

Let me know if you’ve found this helpful and DM me if you have more questions on income protection.

My DM is always open, you can also email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

13/10/2026

John Healey and Andy Burnham's first budget is coming on the 28th of October. Mansion tax is one of the biggest topics everyone is talking about.

It's an ongoing annual charge on homes worth over £1,500,000 or £2,000,000. Nothing is confirmed until the announcement but it will cost £2,500 a year for those who meet the threshold.

Nobody likes paying an additional tax, but if you own a higher value home, or you're planning a purchase around this level, it's worth thinking now about how an extra annual cost fits your numbers.

Would a charge like this change how you think about buying, or are you staying put?

Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420 if you need guidance in looking at your property portfolio and mortgage arrangements ahead of the budget announcement.

10/09/2026

Our founder, Yash Tosar, talks about the legacy of 1st Financial Foundations:

After 25 years I've stepped back from running 1st Financial Foundations day to day. I still love speaking to clients and finding solutions for them, that hasn't changed.

My daughter Tina sits on the board, managing and developing the business. One of our financial advisers, my nephew Dylan, has sat in client meetings for 15 years, so my clients know him and he knows how I work. My grandson Josh wants to go into finance and already talks about being CEO one day.

The reality is I won't be around forever, so I've made sure a succession plan is in place, one that keeps the company running even without me.

If you're building something and you want it to OUTLAST you, let's have a chat on legacy planning. Email [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

In celebration of our 25th anniversary, we're giving £250 off mortgage broker fees and 50% off onboarding fees for wealth clients if you sign up this month.

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Milton Keynes

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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