Joseph A Donkin Financial Management

27/05/2026

Some really appreciated feedback from a client I've been helping over the last few months. Professional financial advice is as important as ever during tougher times in life, like following a bereavement, divorce or other major life event.

Trying to piece together insurance policies, bank accounts, investment and pension policies when you are at your most vulnerable can be overwhelming, and the advice and guidance of a professional can be hugely beneficial.

22/04/2026

Happy to share I passed the CII’s Long Term Care Insurance (CF8) exam in Gateshead this afternoon! ✅

CF8 is by no means a cheerful exam topic, but Long Term Care causes financial challenges for lots of individuals and their families and is an increasingly important factor when it comes to financial planning.

Providing advice in this area is complex and cases are often sensitive in nature. To advise on care funding options and related investment arrangements requires a specialist accreditation - so I’m very pleased I can now use this to help people.

06/02/2026

Some great feedback following a couple of recent cases - a range of investment, insurance and retirement planning queries all taken care of 😊

2026 has started very quickly - only 58 days of the 25/26 Tax Year left to make the most of those tax allowances!

27/01/2026

People often think financial planning revolves solely around investments, but having appropriate cover in place in case things go wrong is the first place to start.

In 2025 I processed five successful insurance claims for clients (Critical Illness, Income Protection and Fracture Cover) - the most I’ve ever had in a single year. For comparison, I only processed four claims across the previous five years combined.

New research by the FCA (article below) finds only 42% of consumers have any financial protection policies in place. This is despite statutory sick pay (SSP) only paying £118.75 per week - not enough to cover most mortgage payments, and more people being self-employed than ever before. Self-employed people are not eligible for SSP and need to claim benefits like Employment Support Allowance/Universal Credit instead.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today (11 December) published consumer research, as part of its pure protection market study, in advance of an The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has today (11 December) published consumer research, as part of its pure protection market study, in advance....

15/12/2025

Harriet’s first after-school job posting all of Joseph A Donkin Financial Management’s Christmas cards.

Not only did she arrive full of enthusiasm and carrying her own stool, but she also requested that a significant portion of her wages be paid directly into her pension via salary sacrifice, maximising potential investment growth while reducing her tax liability💡

Merry Christmas!🎄

27/11/2025

A useful guide to yesterday’s Budget announcements:

The Chancellor has finally delivered her Autumn Budget and as trailed, there were significant tax increases but also boosts to spending in some areas. There will be winners and losers but undoubtedly higher taxes will be a feature for many.

25/09/2025

Any businesses or sports teams/clubs looking for branded clothing I highly recommend Mandy at North Embroidery & Print in Morpeth 😊

17/04/2025

Heading into the Easter weekend with some great feedback from clients I've been working with recently! 🐣

Some complex cases here, from investing funds derived overseas with trust considerations, to replacing a basic workplace pension scheme with a more sophisticated one, making use of unused tax allowances and reducing future corporation tax bills.

Each case required numerous appointments and detailed planning over the course of months, working with the client's accountants directly to ensure positive outcomes for all!

17/02/2025

Today Kate Handyside officially starts working at Joseph A Donkin Financial Management! While Kate happens to be my other half, she also brings a wealth of experience in delivering exceptional customer service. Kate has managed award-winning restaurants and worked in private luxury hospitality for the last 17 years, always putting 100% into her work and going the extra mile - having her on board is a huge boost!

Kate will be helping with client liaison, casework and other admin on a part-time basis. She’ll still be involved in some private hospitality work and will split her calendar accordingly.

Very pleased she accepted my offer 😊

16/01/2025

Straight into the New Year with more great feedback from recent clients!

Making the most of unused pension allowances from previous tax years (use them or lose them!), consolidating pensions from multiple providers, designing and presenting bespoke retirement plans, tax-free cash considerations, insuring against death/loss of earnings involving the use of Trusts and more - all resulting in long-term arrangements being implemented and, more importantly, positive outcomes for happy clients 😊

The demand for professional financial advice continues to grow and I'm very much looking forward to helping more people throughout 2025!

06/12/2024

Joseph A Donkin Financial Management turns 5 this week! Thank you so much to all of my clients, associates, business support staff and my friends and family for the incredible support over the last 5 years.

From teachers to plumbers, pilots to software engineers, scaffolders to accountants, I’ve met lots of fantastic people up and down the U.K (and some overseas) with some truly amazing life stories. I feel lucky to spend my time helping them plan a successful financial future and be entrusted to manage their important financial affairs.

It was a huge decision to leave my previous career to get qualified and enter the world of financial advice & wealth management, but I’m so pleased I did - and I’m very much looking forward to the next 5 years!