Author: Charles Mills

Wealth Management and Financial Planning Adviser

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Investments

Springing Into Action

Springing Into Action

Most people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan

John L. Beckley Tweet

2 min read

Spring is very much a season of hope; a time to look forward and plan. While that’s not always easy amid a flurry of headlines concerning the cost-of-living and immense global political tensions, it’s important to look beyond short-term bouts of market volatility and ensure your financial objectives remain firmly aligned to your life goals – which may well have shifted or flexed over the last couple of years.

Investing is for everyone

At times like these, the fear of losing money can be a powerful deterrent to investing. However, in reality, most of us have been investors throughout our lives – if you own your home, for instance, you’ve invested in the property market; if you own jewellery you’re effectively investing in precious metals. With inflation factors at play, some may consider holding too much cash as a risky move at present.

Diversification is key

While it’s easy to understand potential unease in the current climate, it’s also important to appreciate markets have always experienced short-term bouts of volatility. The key to managing this risk is by diversifying your assets. By holding a balanced portfolio with a mix of equities, bonds, property and cash, this aims to effectively mitigate risk by ensuring ‘all your eggs are not in one basket.’ By building safety nets as well as opportunities for returns into your plans you will end up with an optimum mix of investment, protection and saving instruments, allocated according to your circumstances, objectives and risk tolerance.

Plan, plan, plan

Recent research1 also vividly highlights the importance of investing in relation to retirement planning. The study found that less than 40% respondents are currently on track to receive a moderate level of income in retirement. In other words, if most people don’t take action now, they face living on only the most basic standard in later years.

Regular reviews paramount

One way to ensure your financial plans stay on track is by arranging regular reviews. This will help to identify any areas of concern and ensure you avoid any untoward financial surprises at a later stage in life. With meticulous planning and careful consideration, we can assess and develop a robust plan to align and flex with your changing requirements and priorities. We’ll help you spring into action and ensure you can look forward to a sound financial future.

Get in touch today and book your initial, free, no-obligation meeting.

You have nothing to lose and potentially lots to gain!

Send us an e-mail to charles@pattersonmills.ch, call us direct at +41 78 214 84 32, or fill in our contact form below.

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1HL, 2022

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Investments

Investment Terms Trigger Emotional Response

Investment Terms Trigger Emotional Response

You must learn to talk clearly. The jargon of scientific terminology which rolls off your tongues is mental garbage.

Martin H. Fischer Tweet

2 min read

Investment terms (aka Jargon) are common in the world of investments and pensions, which can make them seem impenetrable and intimidating. If the thought of ‘Equities’ and ‘Investment ISAs’ makes your heart race, you’re not alone, new research1 has shown that financial terms really do make people anxious.

Jar-gone

Researchers used a variation of the Emotional Stroop Test, which measures information processing speed when naming the ink colour of different words, to compare response times for neutral words like ‘pencil’ with investment-specific terms like ‘FTSE.’

Nearly two-thirds of participants had slower response times and higher error rates for financial trigger words, suggesting they may be susceptible to a stress response. Additionally, 44.3% experienced an increased heart rate and 11.5% reported breathlessness.

The terms ‘Stockbroker’, ‘Asset Management’ and ‘Investment Risk’ produced three of the slowest reaction times. Other investment-related words like ‘Bond Fund’ and ‘Equities’ also took longer than average.

Don’t fear ‘FTSE’

Stripping back jargon can help people think more clearly about investments and pensions. In supporting research, Barclays found that 71% of respondents don’t feel confident enough to invest money in the stock market, with a quarter feeling ‘frightened’ by the idea.

Despite these fears, people do want to improve their financial knowledge, with three in five participants keen to learn more about financial terminology. We can relieve the stress of investments and pensions – and take the fear out of financial planning!

Get in touch today and book your initial, free, no-obligation meeting.

You have nothing to lose and potentially lots to gain!

Send us an e-mail to charles@pattersonmills.ch, call us direct at +41 78 214 84 32, or fill in our contact form below.

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1Barclays, 2021

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Financial Planning Mortgages

Avoiding Collapse: Managing Your Property Chain in 2022

Avoiding Collapse: Managing Your Property Chain in 2022

1 min read

You’ve found your ideal property, you’re just about ready to exchange contracts, and then you get the call: your buyer has pulled out, leaving your own transaction in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, many property transactions are interlinked in this way, with the decision of one buyer having a knock-on effect on the whole chain, with the worst possible scenario seeing every single buyer losing out on their new home. However, there are actions you can take to speed up the process and reduce the risk of things going wrong.

Go Chain-Free

You can avoid a chain altogether by finding a seller whose own transaction isn’t dependent on the sale of their property. However, this does limit your options, so what steps can you take if you do find yourself in a chain?

Organisation, Organisation, Organisation

Getting your transaction over and done with as quickly as possible limits the chances of your chain collapsing. Be proactive in instructing your solicitor and other professionals, ensure you’re completing forms and sending them back as quickly as possible, and chase up any delays.

Rent for a Short Period

Depending on your circumstances, it may be possible to sell your home and rent for a little while so that you’re not dependent on a buyer. Likewise, if your seller’s transaction falls through, you may be able to ask them to rent on a short-term basis so that you can still complete your purchase.

Let Us Help

Another way you can speed up your transaction and protect your chain is by securing an agreement in principle with a mortgage provider before beginning your search. We can help you there!

Get in touch today and book your initial, free, no-obligation meeting. You have nothing to lose and potentially lots to gain! Send us an e-mail to charles@pattersonmills.ch, call us direct at +41 78 214 84 32.