Congratulations you have found our site and we will work in your favour to find you the most suitable product for your needs. As IFAs in Huddersfield we will work in our favour and choose the most suitable product for you, not the one that pays the most commission. We aim to build a long term client adviser relationship where we will help a guide you for many years. Most of our business comes from recommendations and referrals and thus what we do works.

Of course there are other IFAs in Huddersfield and all offer unique services. Many specialize in specific areas such as pension reviews, investments etc. However to offer the best service for our current client base we still offer a full IFAs service, product areas covered include.

Pensions – Personal Pensions, Stakeholder Pensions, Pension Reviews etc

Investment – ISAs, Unit Trusts, Investment Bonds, Investment Trusts etc.

Protection – Life Insurance, Business Protection Insurance, Critical Illness Cover etc.

Mortgage – Residential mortgage for first time buyers, home movers and remortgages. As well as more specialist advice such as Buy to Let mortgages and commercial mortgages.

To see how we can help ring Damian Huddersfield IFAs on 07912 076990. Or use the contact options at the page header.

Of course the best way to find a pension adviser in Huddersfield is if you have been referred to one by a friend or relative. However over recent years many existing Huddersfield pension advisers have retired or moved out of the industry due to tighter regulations and difficult trading conditions. Therefore even if you had previously had a pension specialist then they may not still be trading.

The next option is to use a fully qualified IFA or Pension Adviser. We cover the Huddersfield area and work on a 2 appointment basis. 1st we come out and go through a full fact find. After this appointment we research the market and find the most suitable products for you. At the second appointment we will fetch illustration and key features documents and explain fully why the product recommended is the most suitable and how the product works.

So if you are from Huddersfield or the surrounding area and require pension advice then feel free to ring Damian on 07912 076990. Or contact me using the forms at the top of this page.

ISAs can be invested in many hundreds of different funds knowing which funds are performing well and will continue to perform well is complex. Of course many home private investors are quite happy to read the financial times from cover to cover each day and keep track of funds using internet tools and portfolio planners. However if this doesn’t sound like your thing then the next best option is to use an ISA adviser in Huddersfield. A specialist of this kind can help with both lump sum ISA contributions and regular contributions.

Many clients have low performing funds in ISAs, Tessa’s and Pep’s that have been invested for years. What they do not realise is that these can be transferred to better ISA managers and the fund choice can be much greater. Of course again using a Huddersfield IFA or ISA adviser is normally the best route to take.

ISA limits are always changing so you may find that your current contribution level is not using up all your allowances. Also stocks and share ISAs do have the potential to make substantial gains over the medium to long term. However it is not recommended for short term investments of less than 5 years.

As well as the above products as a Huddersfield Independent Financial Adviser we can offer protection advise both for domestic solutions and business protection. Products that we can offer include typical life insurance as well as critical illness cover, family income benefit, Accident and Sickness Policies etc.

Although based in Huddersfield as a Independent Financial Adviser I cover other areas within 45 minutes drive including Halifax, Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford.

Whatever your requirements are either email Damian on the links above or ring 07912 076990

The process works in 3 parts. Firstly you can ring me or enquire on this page using the Huddersfield IFA form. Then we will have an initial chat to ensure that I can help with your enquiry. A face to face meeting is then normally booked at your home. This way it is more convenient for you and unlike visiting the bank or building society you do not have to book time off work or even park the car in town.

The main face to face meeting is to get to know as much as possible about you circumstances. I will be asking about your income and outgoings as well as other factual information. In addition is important to find out how you feel about other soft facts these can often be just as important in assessing your risk profile and attitude to risk.

Once the fact find has been carried out the I will normally make an appointment for a few days ahead or sometimes a few weeks ahead depending on the product. During this time I will carry out all the required research and find you the best possible solution for your circumstances. As a Huddersfield IFA I have access to many hundreds of different products and the solution is bespoke to your unique situation.

To find out more you can ring or email me on the above details.

To help you consider the options available we have put together a comparison between paying into a pension to fund your retirement and selling your business. I always think that putting you’re eggs in one basket can be dangerous so using a combination of the 2 methods is a safer bet. However speaking to a financial adviser could help you decide which is the best method for you.

Relying on your business

Investing in a pension

How you choose to plan is up to you. You should ask a financial adviser to do a financial health check to ensure you will have enough to retire.

There are many reasons why you may want to review your pension funding options. Each of the reasons why reviewing a pension could be beneficial will be looked at below:

Investment Performance – Ultimately the performance of your pension will have a massive impact on how much you will have at retirement. If you have several different plans with no overall investment strategy then you may find many are underperforming and unsuitable. By collating all your pensions to one plan you can benefit from a single tailored investment strategy.

Lower Charges – Due to the economies of scale the charges on one big pension is likely to be smaller than those of several smaller ones. Many older plans also have much higher charges than the more modern alternatives. One thing to consider though is the cost of transferring. Some providers have market value adjusters. A financial adviser will check on this before a pension review is carried out.

Flexibility – Older pension may not have much or none investment choice. Many of the with profit pensions are seriously underperforming. Newer modern pension have unlimited flexibility some with a self invested element and others with massive fund choices.

Here at Needing Advice we blame it on the banks being over cautious with lending criteria for first time buyers. Unfortunately lenders now require a minimum of a 10% deposit to get on the property ladder. Understandably banks need a cushion in case the borrower defaults and house prices have dropped. But because the banks need such a high deposit they are actually fuelling the house price property crash.

Unfortunately this causes a vicious circle, first time buyers cannot get on the property ladder, so 2^nd and 3^rd time home buyers cannot sell their homes. This causes market demand to drop and thus house prices to lower.

Until the banks and building societies ease lending criteria and allow first time buyers to get on the ladder we predict that house prices will continue to drop in 2009. Being at the forefront of the lending process over the last 4 months I personally have seen 7 people with 5% deposits ready and looking to put offers on smaller cheaper properties. These people have all had excellent credit ratings and would normally been accepted for mortgages. However due to lenders requiring 10% deposits they had to put their plans on hold.

I am not suggesting that lenders take on risky mortgages. However for those with good credit histories and previous credit that has been paid well then a 95% mortgage with a 5% deposit should be offered. Once the number of first time buyers increases then property prices will begin to stabilise.

Figures from http://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/

Gilt Edged Securities or Gilts are British Government securities and issued by the government to raise money. Gilts are considered safe because the government will not default on interest and capital repayment.

Many large organisations such as pension companies life companies and other financial organisations to small individual investors use Gilts as a large portion of their portfolio. As a result there is a large market of people trading gilts. Because of this sometimes they can be bought and sold for amounts above or below there face value.

• Par Value – This is the face value that is paid when the it is paid back.
• Redemption date – This is the date at which the government will pay back the Par Value.
• Coupon – The percentage rate that will be paid throughout the Gilts term. Interest is paid twice a year and is based on the par value rather than its current price.

Features of Investment Trusts

This type of pooled investment offers access to an expert fund manager, diversification of funds and all for a very low cost compared to direct share investment. This is because the cost of management and research is shared through all the investment trust investors.

• Number of shares is fixed and this can create a supply and demand situation.
• Normally investment trusts have more flexibility than Unit Trusts and OEICs in terms of investment choices. For example investment in Venture Capital (new companies) is possible.
• Investment Trusts are normally organised by sector or geographical regions. The Association of Investment Companies has made 38 categories.