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Parrot Hosting
IFA Websites
Hi
I just thought I’d drop this in while I think of it:
Crimson Leaf has written and designed a number of websites for Independent Financial Advisers and would like to help more. An IFA will need to know that the designer is fully aware of the issues in producing an IFA website, which will range from complience issues through to product knowledge. In fact we know that IFAs often don’t upgrade their sites because of a shortage of sympathetic and knowledgable designers/writers.
Speaking for myself I can offer IFAs 20 years as an independent adviser, and a further 10 years as somebody who has worked with IFAs as a marketing director dealing with websites, social media and seminars.
Give me a call on 01454 310752 or my mobile 07725 406684 to discuss how we might help. If you’d just like a quote then please go to our quotation page and fill in our simple form. We’ll get straight back to you.
Oh, and the cost can be spread over a couple of months if it helps.
Starting a Business on a Budget
It has become popular for people who are retiring, or who may unfortunately have lost their jobs, to consider starting their own businesses. This is an ideal opportunity for HR departments to offer that little bit extra to their employees at a difficult time. Although commercially available to individuals, HR departments may arrange the seminar at reduced costs for their employees. Continue reading
Pensions Act 2008
Allow me to bore you for two minutes regarding Pensions.
We all know that there is a looming pension crisis in this country and all the major political parties agree that pension reform is essential. In the past decade we have had various initiatives to try and stimulate more pension contributions such as Stakeholder pensions and the 2006 Pension Tax Simplification reforms.
There have also been reforms introduced to the State Pension schemes with more to follow. However, perhaps the biggest and most important reform is just around the corner:
The above mentioned initiatives have largely failed to encourage the Great British public to contribute to a pension scheme and so the Government are going to the next obvious step. From April 2012, pension contributions will be compulsory for all employees and employers. For employees who do not have an employer’s pension scheme available to them, a new scheme (largely based on the existing personal pension rules) called Personal Accounts will be introduced to accept their pension contributions. A new body has been formed, PADA (Personal Accounts Delivery Authority), and they will be responsible for delivering this new scheme.
However, whilst the topic of Personal Accounts has been the source of most discussion over recent months, I believe that it will be Auto Enrolment that should and will focus most employers minds. Under Auto Enrolment rules, employees will be automatically enrolled into a pension plan – it will not matter whether that scheme is a Personal Account, a personal pension or a group personal pension.
If the employee does not want to join a pension scheme they will have to elect to ‘opt out’ of pension contributions (this decision will be reviewed periodically with the objective to ultimately auto enrol all employees). If an employee does not elect to opt out the employer will also have to make a pension contribution.
It will be the employers’ responsibility to deduct contributions from their employees and make sure the contributions go to the relevant pension scheme and it will also be employers who are saddled with the task of ensuring that their employees are enrolled or opted out. Not only will they have to find extra revenue to make an employer pension contribution to their employees pension fund, they will also face the prospect of fines and even the threat of a prison sentence if they or their employees breach the rules. Many employers and business owners will not be aware of any of this, and as these rules will be with us with in 3 years it will have a major impact on their business plans.
If there’s any moral to the tale of Auto Enrolment, it’s seek advice at the earliest opportunity.
Care Home Seminars
Those who require care in the UK have a series of legislative hoops to negotiate before discovering what (if any) benefits they may be entitled to in their later years.
Often benefits are either limited or non-existent and those who hold property or other assets within defined limits will face the prospect of having to raise the funds themselves.
The aim of the seminar is to alert the families of those receiving care to the alternative solutions available in the markets today. Long term care seminars are often arranged by care homes seeking to ensure a continuous private income from their residents, and are attended by residents and their families to help them retain as much of their personal asset base as possible.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Pre-Retirement Seminars
Talking to Your People
At SeminarServices we place great value on communication. Employers know that it is important that they are seen to be in touch with their employees at times of change. We are therefore proud to offer a range of seminar services designed to keep you in touch, and offer a sense of being valued to your employees.
Retirement Seminars
Leaving the workforce and settling into a new way of life can be difficult for some. Caring employers will recognise that their employees often need help, support and guidance at this time. However cost has often been an issue.
We are pleased to offer employers a range of seminars designed to raise awareness of the issues involved at times of major change, typically retirement or redundancy. These seminars range from free half day seminars to more comprehensive two-day seminars for which there may be a charge.
Location
The seminars often take place at the employees’ place of work, but smaller employers may “pool” their employees and hold the event off site, enabling a number of employers to continue to support their employees without having to wait until several people require help. We have recently revised our policies and are offering these Pre-Retirement seminars to employees who may be within FIVE YEARS of their anticipated retirement date, whether or not they intend to fully retire. This gives plenty of time for employees to make any necessary amendments to their planning without the “last-minute rush” too often seen when other companies present.
A typical one-day agenda would run as follows:
Welcome
Adjusting to Change
Break
State Pension and Other Benefits
Company Pension Scheme
AVCs and the Open Market Option
Adjusting to Pension Income
Equity Release
Lunch
Inflation
Reducing Investment Risk
Case Study
Break
Mitigating Inheritance Tax
Long Term Care
Writing a Will
The Next Step
Timings and Content
Half-day seminars extract the most relevant topics from the above list, whilst two-day seminars will provide additional speakers, covering items such as CV Writing and Health in Retirement. Every employee will be given access to free, no-obligation independent financial advice if deemed appropriate by the employer, and this additional service is provided free of charge.
Every employee will have access to the same opportunities and quality of service, regardless of their level of need.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Inheritance Tax Seminar
Due to recent changes in legislation the need for Inheritance Tax (IHT) planning is diminished for the majority of UK couples. However, there have been no significant changes for those who are single, whether or not they live alone, or those with significant amounts of personal wealth.
The seminar covers UK investment structures, IHT planning, and some of the various solutions available by combing the two. Planned to last just over one hour, the seminar serves as a useful introduction to the clients of solicitors and accountants, as well as independent financial advisers.
Of course we can also provide the necessary independent financial advice through recommendation where no other adviser is involved.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Pensions Act 2008 Seminar
The Pensions Act 2008 outlines provision for forthcoming changes in 2012.
Few employers realise that in April 2012 all employees not currently in a pension scheme must auto-enrol in a scheme provided by the company for which they work. At this point both the employee and the employer must make mandatory payments into the scheme. However, once auto-enrolled, the employee can then withdraw from the scheme, only to be re-enrolled again three years later.
Companies without qualifying schemes must use a new vehicle, known as a Personal Account. Existing schemes must also comply with the new legislation.
Solicitors, accountants and HR departments are all asking for details of the new arrangements, and we have a prepared one hour seminar to cover the basics. Of course we can also provide the necessary independent financial advice through a chosen company if preferred, in which case it is likely that they will meet our fees.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Other Seminars
Although the majority of seminars we do are of a financial nature, including the pre-retirement and redundancy seminars, we are happy to deliver any message you wish.
Paul Dean says:
“Having worked in the building construction industry for many years, during which a period of technical authoring was involved, and then switched careers to financial services, I feel able not only to grasp a point, but also to translate it into a message that’s easily understood, and which can be delivered in a concise and visually appealing way. I use the newest Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tools to avoid incompatability issues, and fully understand that all presentations should be mixed media to cater for the different learning styles of a mixed audience. I endeavour to make all presentations an entertaining as well as informative event, and no subject falls outside of the scope of what is possible”
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Mid-Career Seminars
Successful seminars should be aimed at people at time of need. This explains the success of Pre-Retirement and Long Term Care seminars. However, employees are often overlooked at an earlier stage in their careers, when arguably the need for advice on planning is at its greatest.
Our Mid-Career seminar is aimed at those with more than 10 years to go until their projected retirement date, and will include discussion on the Company Pension, Alternative Pension Planning, Protection (Life, Health and Critical Illness cover), Mortgages and General Financial Planning. We will also cover the new Pensions Act 2008 and Auto-Enrolment.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
Redundancy Seminars
Because we live in “straightened” times every company is having to look at its own costs. Staffing is usually the major cost and regrettably some companies have had to resort to reducing staff levels.
This is a last resort for most companies, but a simple overview of the broadcast news will reveal rising unemployment across the nation.
Generally speaking, companies will try to lose those who may naturally be leaving within a short time period by asking for voluntary redundancies, which of course will reduce the emotional impact. Some have to go further and announce compulsory losses.
Over the years we have found that the process of both voluntary and compulsory redundancies has been eased where the staff have felt some empathy with the company situation, and some degree of support prior to leaving. SeminarServices is here to take the burden of some of that responsibility from the employer’s shoulders.
We have been running Redundancy seminars (which are enhanced Pre-Retirement seminars) for many years, offering advice on Job Seeking, Money Management, What to do with your Pension, Protection, CV Writing and one or two other issues, often developed throughout the day.
For further details please call Paul Dean on 07725 406684, or use our Contact Form.
