Verity Corbett Dip PFS - Independent Financial Planner.

22/06/2026

Community is something you don’t truly appreciate until you’re part of building one. ❤️🏏

Over the last year I’ve become increasingly involved with Worfield Cricket Club, and I can honestly say I am in awe of what this small village club achieves.

Around 100 children attend Friday evening training, there are five junior teams and three senior teams, plus holiday clubs that get children outdoors, active, learning new skills and making friendships instead of spending another day in front of a screen.

This year my husband, Drew, and I are both part of the committee. He manages and coaches the U11 teams and I also help coach our wonderful All Stars group of under-8s. Watching children grow in confidence, learn to work as a team and simply enjoy being active is incredibly rewarding.

As both a volunteer and representing Croft and Oakes Chartered Financial Planners Limited, I’m proud that we’ve been able to support the club through sponsorship this year. Last weekend I was delighted to attend the Sponsors’ Day, surrounded by other local businesses, enjoying first team cricket against the beautiful backdrop of Davenport House.

Clubs like this don’t just produce cricketers. They create friendships, develop confidence, bring generations together and remind us what community really looks like.

A huge thank you to every volunteer, coach, parent, sponsor and committee member who gives up their time to make it all happen. The impact reaches far beyond the boundary rope.

21/06/2026

Wishing all the Dads and people who are an important male role model in people’s lives.

Being a Dad is such a huge role and I am lucky to have an amazing Dad and be married to an Amazing Dad. But I’ve also had other important people in my life who have shaped who I am today.

I hope no matter what you’re doing today you have a lovely time.

19/06/2026

Life is Short… Eat the Cake 🍰*

*You may (or may not) have noticed the all-important asterisk in the title.

Because actually, “eat the cake” on its own is pretty poor advice if that means cake every day and no exercise at all. However, if you enjoy the cake as part of a healthy, balanced diet, having been active that day or week, then it’s absolutely fine.

As children, life often follows the see it – want it – get it principle. As adults, we learn that life is really about managing expectations and consequences. Giving in to what feels good in the moment can sometimes come back to bite us later… like not doing the washing up and waking up to a sink full of dried-on plates the next morning.

Financial planning works in exactly the same way.

At its best, it isn’t about saying no to everything you enjoy. It’s about enabling you to eat the metaphorical cake and enjoy the things that matter to you, without it being to the detriment of the other areas of your life. That’s why I take time to understand the whole picture — your income, your goals, your priorities, and your future — and help put a long-term plan in place. One that supports day-to-day living and the things that bring that extra joy.

If you’d like to explore how the right investments can help provide long-term growth for surplus income or pensions — while still enjoying life along the way — I’d love to hear from you.

📧 [email protected]
📞 07519 750099

Life is short. Just make sure the cake fits into the plan.

18/06/2026

Proud to Be Independent

At Croft and Oakes, being independent isn’t just a label – it’s a commitment to our clients.

It means we’re not tied to a single provider or restricted to a limited range of products. Instead, we have the freedom to research the wider market and recommend solutions based on what’s most suitable for your individual circumstances, goals and attitude to risk.

Whether you’re planning for retirement, investing for the future, protecting your family or looking to make the most of your wealth, our advice starts with one question:

“What’s right for you?”

Because financial planning should never be about fitting clients into a predetermined solution. It should be about understanding your life, your priorities and your future, then building a plan around them.

That’s something we’re proud to do every day.

📞 01952 897377
📧 [email protected]

The value of investments can go down as well as up, and you may get back less than you invested. Pension and investment advice should always be based on your individual circumstances. This post does not constitute financial advice.

18/06/2026

It was one of my best friends weddings last weekend.

To say it had been years in the making was an understatement, as they’d been together a number of years and having encountered bumps along the way their ‘day’ was Saturday. And what day it was!

The team effort and planning that went into their big day was immense. In her speech my friend commented how the guests were her army and how they had been with her through thick and thin over the long term.

They weren’t in control of everything though. We were so lucky with the weather as apart from the church service the whole event was at her house outside but it was a magical day and couldn’t have been improved.

It got me thinking about the power of a clear plan and then the right people coming together to support you in achieving it. How in life, you can’t control all the variables but you just have to keep adapting and being ready to modify the plan if needed.

A good financial plan is like this, you prepare for as much as you can using the right people to support you and then if challenges or things you can’t control affect things, you adapt.

My aim for my clients, is to be one of their army, working hard to help them achieve the things most important to them.

If you’d like a chat to discuss your financial circumstances and what your aims and goals are for the future please get in touch.

Call 07519750099 or email [email protected].

14/06/2026

The Power of Pausing and Repetition of Carefully Planned Skills

Watching my son at cricket coaching today, the coach made a comment that really resonated with me.

He explained that good bowling is simply the repetition of carefully broken-down skills, practised consistently over time. Success comes from trusting the process and ignoring the noise around you.

It struck me how similar this is to financial planning.

One of the most valuable things we offer our clients is the opportunity to pause and reflect on what really matters to them. Like a coach, a financial planner is there to ask the right questions, provide guidance and help create a clear plan.

Then comes the repetition. Through regular reviews, we revisit your goals, monitor progress and make adjustments where needed. We help you stay focused on your long-term objectives rather than being distracted by market headlines or the latest media story.

And when life throws challenges your way, we’re there to provide reassurance, support and perspective.

Whether it’s cricket or financial planning, the best results often come from sticking to a well-thought-out plan, repeating the right behaviours and trusting the process.

📞 07519 750099
📧 [email protected]

12/06/2026

First Meeting with a Financial Planner?

How Best to Prepare to Make the Most of It

Meeting with a financial planner for the first time can feel a little daunting, especially if you’ve never sat down and looked at your finances as a whole before.

The good news is that you don’t need to have everything perfectly organised. However, a little preparation can help you get the very most out of your first meeting.

📌 Spend some time thinking about what really matters to you

If you’re part of a couple or family, it can be incredibly valuable to have conversations both individually and together about:

• What is most important to you?
• What would your ideal future look like?
• What goals are non-negotiable?
• What areas are a little more flexible?

Financial planning is about much more than money. It’s about using your money to support the life you want to live.

📌 Understand your income and expenditure

Before your meeting, try to get an idea of:

• Your monthly household expenditure
• Your salary or income before tax
• What actually lands in your bank account each month

You don’t need a perfect budget, but having a rough idea can be extremely helpful.

📌 Gather details of your finances

Try to locate information relating to:

• Bank and savings accounts
• Pensions
• ISAs and investments
• Life insurance and protection policies
• Mortgages, loans and credit cards

Don’t worry if the information isn’t completely up to date. Even an old statement with a policy number and the provider’s details can be enough to help us start building a picture.

📌 Check your State Pension forecast

This is one of the most useful pieces of information you can bring.

If possible, check your State Pension online and bring screenshots of both the first and second pages of the forecast for our records.

📌 Bring photo identification

As regulated financial planners, we need to carry out standard Anti-Money Laundering checks, so please bring photographic ID such as:

• A passport
• A driving licence

❤️ Most importantly… don’t let this list put you off

Reading all of this may feel a little overwhelming, and if that’s the case, please don’t worry.

This is the ideal preparation, but the reality is that many people come to their first meeting without having all of these things organised. That’s completely normal.

Whilst having this information can help us get the most out of our first conversation, the most important thing is simply taking that first step.

If you need help gathering information or understanding where things are, that’s absolutely fine. Part of my role is helping you work through it all, one step at a time. I can metaphorically hold your hand throughout the process and help make things feel far less overwhelming.

After all, every successful financial plan starts with a first conversation, and the team at Croft and Oakes Chartered Financial Planners Limited are ready to help if you need us.

Contact [email protected] or 07519750099.

11/06/2026

📋 “I’ve got a Will, so everything is sorted… isn’t it?”

Not necessarily.

Many people are surprised to learn that some of their largest assets may not pass under the terms of their Will at all.

Pensions, jointly owned assets, trusts and business interests can all have their own rules, which means your estate may not be distributed exactly as you intended.

This is becoming even more important with the proposed changes due to take effect from April 2027, which could see unused pension funds brought into scope for Inheritance Tax. Despite this, pensions are still generally dealt with separately from your Will and are usually distributed based on trustee discretion, taking into account your Expression of Wish nominations.

For higher-net-worth families, this could create unnecessary tax liabilities and complications for loved ones at an already difficult time if plans are not reviewed regularly.

A Will is incredibly important, but effective estate planning is about much more than just having one document in place.

Regular reviews can help ensure your wishes remain up to date, your beneficiaries are protected and your wealth is passed on as efficiently as possible.

Have you reviewed your estate plan recently?

11/06/2026

Having a will is important but there are other important things you can do to keep your estate as well organised as possible for your loved ones.

📋 “I’ve got a Will, so everything is sorted… isn’t it?”

Not necessarily.

Many people are surprised to learn that some of their largest assets may not pass under the terms of their Will at all.

Pensions, jointly owned assets, trusts and business interests can all have their own rules, which means your estate may not be distributed exactly as you intended.

This is becoming even more important with the proposed changes due to take effect from April 2027, which could see unused pension funds brought into scope for Inheritance Tax. Despite this, pensions are still generally dealt with separately from your Will and are usually distributed based on trustee discretion, taking into account your Expression of Wish nominations.

For higher-net-worth families, this could create unnecessary tax liabilities and complications for loved ones at an already difficult time if plans are not reviewed regularly.

A Will is incredibly important, but effective estate planning is about much more than just having one document in place.

Regular reviews can help ensure your wishes remain up to date, your beneficiaries are protected and your wealth is passed on as efficiently as possible.

Have you reviewed your estate plan recently?

11/06/2026

All things State Pension and why it can matter.

People regularly undervalue the importance of ensuring you have a full State pension if at all possible.

Although I understand you might be annoyed they have made the age you can receive it older, it still has a lot positives.

The fact it is guaranteed for life and is currently triple locked to increase each April by the highest of the three measures below is a real positive.

The three measures are:

Inflation: The rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) in the previous September.

Average Earnings Growth: The average percentage increase in wages across the UK (measured from May to July of the previous year).

A fixed 2.5%: A guaranteed minimum percentage increase, regardless of how low inflation or wage growth might be.

This safeguard is designed to protect the purchasing power of pensioners over time and ensure your incomes keep pace with both the cost of living and general economic growth.

The maximum full rate of the new State Pension is £241.30 per week (£12,547.60 per year) for the 2026/27 financial year.

To receive this maximum amount, you generally need to have at least 35 qualifying years of National Insurance (NI) contributions or credits. If you have between 10 and 34 qualifying years, you will receive a proportionate amount.

It’s always a good idea to keep track of your State pension entitlement. The link to do so is here:

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension