Financial planning – How to get started
12 April 2021
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- Individuals with £250,000 or more in investable assets. This includes pensions, ISAs, other tax-wrappers and cash available for investment.
The hardest part of financial planning is knowing how to get started!
“How much should I put into my pension?”
“How do I use an ISA effectively?”
“How do I invest?”
These are just a few of the questions people ask themselves as they consider approaching financial planning for the first time. As a result, the majority of people simply end up feeling overwhelmed and fail to take that first important step to get them going on a path to financial freedom.
Trying to answer every question at once, will generally result in you shoving all of your paperwork back into a drawer and deciding to return to it ‘next year’. Unfortunately, ‘next year’ becomes the year after next, followed by the year after that and, before you know it, retirement will be at your door step.
Meet your financial needs and objectives…
Speak to an expertOne simple first step to get your financial planning started
Luckily, to help overcome this financial mountain, you only need to focus on one golden first step. To get started you simply need to create a budget – do this and the rest will begin falling into place.
Yes, budgeting may sound a bit dull but, in reality, it’s quite the opposite. Contrary to popular belief, budgets aren’t actually about limiting our spending. A budget is a tool that allows you to pay for all of the things you enjoy in life and acquire investments that will provide for your future plans.
How most people save
32% of adults in the UK have no savings at all. Research focusing on behavioural economics and our day-to-day spending habits sheds some light as to why: In the UK, the most commonly adopted approach to saving is to spend our earned income first and then save what’s leftover at the end of the month. This habit naturally causes us to spend more, since the money is there to be spent.
Creating your budget
Budgeting allows us to flip this behaviour on its head.
Start by adding up all your fixed monthly outgoings such as gas and electric, water, your mobile phone bill, broadband and any subscriptions. Secondly, add in your more predictable, variable expenditures like the monthly food bill or dinners out twice a month. Once you have totalled these, you can then subtract this from your monthly income. The final balance should provide a clear estimate as to how much money you will have left over each month.
This leftover balance will open the door to financial planning and allow you to ‘pay yourself first.’
How to pay yourself first
So what on earth am I going on about? Well, now you know the spare capital you should have available every month, you can set up a direct debit to pay into your savings, ISA or pension at the start of the month. The first thing that happens to your monthly income is that a portion is invested, or saved, for you; your goals; your future – you ‘pay yourself first’ and then spend what’s left over.
How much do you need to retire and more…
How much income do you need to be comfortable, how much do you need invested and how to pay less tax...
What’s next?
I guarantee that simply by making this small, habitual change, you will begin saving and investing far more, whilst feeling little impact on your current spending. Stop getting bogged down and pause before putting that paperwork in the drawer. Instead, take a deep breath and begin your financial planning with this first, simple step.
Create your budget and start planning for your future today…
Article sources
Editorial policy
All authors have considerable industry expertise and specific knowledge on any given topic. All pieces are reviewed by an additional qualified financial specialist to ensure objectivity and accuracy to the best of our ability. All reviewer’s qualifications are from leading industry bodies. Where possible we use primary sources to support our work. These can include white papers, government sources and data, original reports and interviews or articles from other industry experts. We also reference research from other reputable financial planning and investment management firms where appropriate.
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Book a reviewSaltus Financial Planning Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Information is correct to the best of our understanding as at the date of publication. Nothing within this content is intended as, or can be relied upon, as financial advice. Capital is at risk. You may get back less than you invested. Tax rules may change and the value of tax reliefs depends on your individual circumstances.
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Discover more
Financial planning
Financial planning can help you reach your goals in life, whether you want to determine when you can retire comfortably, bring organisation to your financial world or pass on your wealth effectively.
Pensions and retirement planning
Deciding when to retire is a challenging decision and can feel like a leap of faith. At Saltus, we gather information on all of your existing assets and then use our technology and expertise to show you exactly how to achieve the retirement you’re after.
Reducing your tax burden
How to structure your wealth and access income should be approached in a sophisticated way. A detailed financial plan may use pensions, ISAs, general investment accounts, offshore bonds and other tax wrappers to ensure you can draw your money in a tax-efficient manner.
Consolidating your wealth
Holding multiple investment accounts and pensions can mean they’re hard to keep track of and administer. We’ll help you overcome this by consolidating your accounts into a single plan so that you can understand your financial position with ease.
Protecting you and your assets
We protect our cars and houses without much thought yet you might be the most valuable asset in your family. Whatever your situation, we can provide advice to ensure you have the right level of insurance in place to keep your finances protected.
Passing on your wealth
Estate planning is more important than just having a Will. We’ll work closely with you to understand how estate planning, which has emotional as well as financial consequences, can impact your overall financial plan.
Significant life events
Significant life events can present great opportunities but also considerable challenges. Whether you are going through a business sale, divorce or are receiving a lump sum, we’ll help build a financial plan to meet your changing lifestyle.
