Be Your Own Financial Adviser shows you how to make sensible financial
decisions without the need for expensive advice.
Its accessible style, examples and case studies explain and evaluate financial
products and put you firmly in control of your own financial well-being. It will advise on
how to adopt the best saving, spending and investment strategies, make decisions
tax-efficiently, manage risk wisely and protect and enhance your wealth. It also suggests
when professional help is a good idea, and shows you how to protect yourself against
misselling and get the best out of your adviser.
Be Your Own Financial Adviser will show you how to:
- Stress-test your financial decisions
- Take advantage of legal tax breaks
- Achieve your financial goals
- Manage and preserve your wealth
Accessing financial products and services is not difficult - there is no
shortage of commercials, advertisements, direct mail, email and marketing calls to entice
you to take out loans, buy insurance and invest your money. But choosing which products
are right for you can be a hit and miss approach.
Good financial planning requires a systematic strategy. You should start by
assessing your own particular circumstances, attitudes and timescales and then work out
how you can implement your strategy on a long term basis.
Let Be Your Own Financial Adviser be your guide to making better financial
decisions.
Jonquil Lowe is an economist who worked for several years in the City
as an investment analyst, and is a former head of the Money Group at Which?. She now
splits her time between working as a freelance financial researcher and journalist and as
a Lecturer in Personal Finance with The Open University. Jonquil holds the Diploma in
Financial Planning and researches and writes extensively on all areas of personal finance.
She is the author of over 20 books, including: Giving and Inheriting, The Pension
Handbook, Save and Invest and Finance Your Retirement, all published by Which? Books; the
Personal Finance Handbook published by the Child Poverty Action Group, which is used as a
set text for a number of personal finance courses; and, with Sara Williams, The Financial
Times Guide to Personal Tax.
Table of Contents
Introduction
PART 1: PLANNING AND ADVICE
1 Financial planning
2 Do you need an adviser?
PART 2: PLANNING FOR PROTECTION
3 Protecting your income
4 Providing for your family
5 Health and care
PART 3: BUILDING AND MANAGING YOUR WEALTH
6 Somewhere to live
7 Building a pension
8 Retirement choices
9 Saving and investing
10 Managing your wealth
11 Passing it on
APPENDICES
A The UK tax and tax credit systems
B Useful contacts and further information
432 pages, Paperback