The importance of saving is drummed into us from a very early age. As a child, for example, you may have had a moneybox and been encouraged to save your spare coins.

As you get older, this extends into saving for university, saving up for a house, saving for retirement, and so on.

But what about spending? While looking after your financial future is indisputably important, so is taking care of your financial present.

Saving can become an ingrained habit that’s tough to break. Equally, spending can be a specific skill, and, like any other, it takes practice and support.

Read on to find out how having a strong financial plan in place can help you strike the right balance between spending for today and saving for tomorrow.

Anxiety over spending could mean missing out on fulfilling opportunities and experiences in the here and now

There have probably been occasions throughout your life where you’ve had to cut back a little, or your budget has prevented you from buying something.

But if this becomes a persistent pattern of unjustified frugality, it can affect your everyday life.

This fear of spending can be deep-rooted, and for some, it becomes so severe that it develops into a phobia known as “chrometophobia”.

While this is relatively rare, anxiety over spending is fairly common.

According to an August 2025 article in Money Marketing, in 2025, UK adults report negative emotions associated with spending retirement savings, including:

• Anxiety (26%)
• Fear (18%)
• Guilt (15%)

If this is you, it could mean that you’re missing out on opportunities and experiences that you could well afford.

This is where a strong financial strategy can help. It would be easy to assume that financial planning deals only with saving, investing, and maximising wealth.

While these are key elements, the essence of financial planning is to help you live a rewarding life – during work, retirement, and beyond.

Living the life of your dreams is a key aspect of financial planning

To start spending your wealth with confidence, it can help to first define your life goals. These form the cornerstone of your financial plan, shaping your saving and spending to help you live the life of your dreams.

For example, they could include:

• Buying a second property or a holiday home
• Spending more time with your family
• The age at which you’d like to retire
• Travelling more.

Life goals are different for everyone, which is why bespoke financial advice is so important.

Cashflow modelling can project your finances over a range of scenarios, giving you increased spending confidence

Once you’ve identified what your goals are, you can map out your financial future, perhaps with the support of a financial planner.

Using a process called “cashflow modelling”, a financial planner can help to ascertain what income you are likely to need during retirement to live your dream lifestyle. Then, they can assess how well your wealth is organised to support those goals.

Using sophisticated software, your planner inputs details of your current income, spending, savings, investments, and pensions, along with your expected income and expenditure in later life. The software then factors in assumptions about inflation, tax, and investment growth to project how your finances might evolve over time, helping you visualise the impact of different life events and scenarios.

Plus, it will incorporate your tolerance to, and capacity for, losses, as well as how much you need to reach your goals. You can adjust these to see how outcomes might change.

Cashflow modelling can give you increased confidence that your savings will support your goals, as well as give you an idea of how different levels of spending could impact this.

While this process doesn’t offer any guarantees, it can offer educated guidance into your potential financial future.

Providing for your loved ones doesn’t always mean saving above spending

Effective estate planning is also a key part of financial confidence. If you’re thinking about how to provide for your loved ones after you’re gone, you may feel guilty spending money on yourself, and building up your wealth could seem like the logical move.

However, Inheritance Tax (IHT) rules can be complex, and simply leaving a large estate to your loved ones could mean you inadvertently land them with a large tax bill.

In some cases, spending some of your wealth to keep within the IHT threshold, which in 2025/26 is £325,000, could actually prove to be a more cost-effective option.

Get in touch

If you struggle with the concept of spending, it can often help to reframe it. Think of spending as investing in enriching your life, in the same way as saving is investing in your future.

If you’d like to talk to us about any aspect of financial planning, please get in touch, and we’ll be happy to help.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning, cashflow planning, or tax planning.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. 

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

October 2025 proved to be a positive month for many investors, with markets reaching record highs. Read on to find out more about what factors may have affected your portfolio’s performance.

Remember to take a long-term view when assessing your investments and consider your risk profile when making decisions.

Markets experienced record highs, but investor uncertainty continued to have an effect

The month started strongly with the FTSE 100 closing at a record high on 1 October. AstraZeneca was the biggest riser, making the pharmaceutical firm the most valuable company listed in London.

In the year to 1 October, the FTSE 100 was up almost 15% and could be on track for its strongest year since 2009, when the market recovered from the financial crisis.

It was a similar picture in the wider European and US markets.

On 2 October, European shares hit a record high. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index increased by 0.7%, driven by gains in German and French companies. Wall Street also reached new heights when it opened, with the S&P 500 index up 0.3%.

Despite the promising start to the month, French stocks fell on 6 October. The market fell when new prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned after less than a month in office. The French index CAC 40 tumbled 1.8% as a result.

Signalling that investors may feel nervous, the price of gold surpassed $4,000 an ounce (£3,005) for the first time on 8 October. Gold is often viewed as a “safe” asset, and its price has increased by 50% in the first nine months of 2025.

The soaring price of gold is good news for mining companies. Antofagasta, which operates gold mines in Chile, was the biggest riser on the FTSE 100 after jumping 2.7%.

Trade tariff threats and actual tariff measures have caused market volatility throughout 2025, and October was no different. On 13 October, the US and China threatened to impose tariffs, which led to Asian stocks falling.

On 17 October, anxiety around US regional banks and credit concerns spooked the market. The US S&P 500 index was down 1.2%, and the ripple effect was felt in many other markets.

In the UK, the concerns sparked a sell-off that knocked nearly £11 billion off bank valuations. The FTSE 100 closed 0.87% down, with Barclays (-5.66%), NatWest (-2.88%), and HSBC (-2.5%) among the biggest losers.

There was a similar sell-off in Europe. The Stoxx 600 index (which includes UK banks) was down 2.4%, and around €37 billion was wiped off the value of the European banking sector.

The Asia-Pacific markets weren’t immune. China’s CSI 300 dropped 2.3% and Japan’s Nikkei fell 1%, although the dip in this region was partly attributed to investor caution over profits of AI shares.

Japanese markets quickly recovered on 21 October when Sanae Takaichi won a parliamentary vote to become the country’s first female prime minister. She is expected to push for looser fiscal policy.

The US announced new sanctions on Russia on 23 October, which pushed up the price of crude oil. This led to both BP and Shell shares rising by around 3.5% and the FTSE 100 reaching another record high.

The positive news continued on 24 October. The FTSE 100 broke the record set the previous day and exceeded 9,600 points for the first time. On the back of an inflation report, the US indices – the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq – also broke records.

In addition, Shanghai’s SSE Composite Index increased by 0.7% and reached its highest level in more than a decade. The boost was linked to Beijing stating it would focus on chips and AI to achieve technological self-reliance, which led to stocks in this sector rising.

UK

In the 12 months to September 2025, inflation was 3.8% – stubbornly remaining above the Bank of England’s 2% target.

The International Monetary Fund increased its 2025 UK inflation forecast to 3.4% (up from 3.1% in April), saying the UK was set to have the highest in the G7.

Official figures estimate UK GDP increased by just 0.1% in August. The report suggested there was no service growth, which may reflect business caution ahead of the upcoming Budget.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the government borrowed £99.8 billion between April and September 2025. This is the largest sum borrowed since 2020 and is £7.2 billion more than the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast in March 2025. The news will add further pressure to the chancellor ahead of the Budget, which will take place on 26 November 2025.

Trade data released in October 2025 was also poor. According to the ONS, the trade deficit widened with exports to the US and EU falling by around £700 million and £800 million respectively in August 2025.

Readings from a Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) suggest that businesses may be taking a cautious approach in the lead-up to the Budget.

The S&P Global PMI found that sluggish demand led to a reading of 50.8 in September in the service sector. While the figure remains above the 50 mark that indicates growth, it’s a marked drop from the 54.2 recorded in August.

The manufacturing sector shrank at the fastest pace in five months as factories were affected by subdued domestic demand and falling export orders. The reading of 46.2, which indicates contraction, was also linked to a cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover that halted production and disrupted supply chains.

Europe

In August, the euro area hit the European Central Bank’s inflation target of 2%. However, it increased to 2.2% in September.

S&P Global’s PMI, which tracks business activity, was positive. The eurozone private sector delivered a reading of 52.2 after rising at the fastest pace in 17 months. Businesses also recorded the strongest increase in new orders in two and a half years.

The EU’s two largest economies, Germany and France, reported sharply contrasting performances. Germany’s output growth reached a 29-month high. In contrast, France posted 14 consecutive months of decline amid political uncertainty.

While the PMI data suggests businesses are confident, unemployment figures released by Eurostat indicate many firms are being cautious. Across the eurozone, unemployment increased by 0.1% to 6.3% in August.

Highlighting the far-reaching impact of US trade tariffs, Switzerland cut its 2026 economic growth forecast to 0.9% against the 1.2% predicted in June 2025. The Swiss government noted that exports have been affected by tariffs, creating a ripple effect across the broader economy.

US

Inflation in the US in the 12 months to September 2025 was 3%. The figure is slightly lower than expected and could add to the pressure the Federal Reserve is already facing from the US president to cut interest rates.

PMI data for the US service sector fell to 54.2 in September but remained in growth territory.

However, a survey conducted by recruitment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas suggests that business uncertainty may be causing firms to halt hiring plans. In the nine months to the end of September 2025, 205,000 fewer jobs were created when compared to the same period in 2024.

Asia

Takaichi, Japan’s new prime minister, could be welcome news for investors. She is expected to embrace government spending, lower interest rates, and adopt a looser approach to monetary policy than her predecessor. It’s hoped that this will encourage businesses to invest and support economic growth.

While China’s GDP growth of 4.8% year-on-year between July and September 2025 might seem high compared to other economies, it’s the slowest pace recorded in a year. In addition, hopes that the economy could reduce the impact of tariffs by moving away from exports to domestic consumption were tempered when retail figures remained weak.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.

Last month, you read about how retirement is changing, with almost half of workers aged over 50 exploring phasing into retirement. There are plenty of reasons why more people are considering a gradual retirement, including the emotional and financial benefits this option could offer.

A gradual retirement could help you retain a sense of purpose and social life

When thinking about retirement challenges, most people focus on having enough to live on for the rest of their lives. The emotional challenges may be overlooked.

Retirement is a significant milestone and can change your lifestyle completely. If you retire on a set date, you may go from a fixed routine to the freedom to spend your time however you wish within a single day. While that might sound like bliss and something you’ve been looking forward to, it’s not uncommon to struggle with it initially.

An October 2017 survey by the Centre for Ageing Better and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation found that 20% of UK adults who had retired within five years said they found the change difficult.

Those planning to retire within five years of the survey also reported concerns, including:

• Feeling bored (33%)
• Missing social connections from work (32%)
• Losing their purpose (24%)
• Feeling lonely (17%)

Age UK research from December 2024 further demonstrates the challenges some retirees face. It found that 7% of people aged over 65 – the equivalent of around 940,000 people – often feel lonely.

Phasing into retirement could help you retain your sense of purpose and social circle while benefiting from more free time to pursue your passions or simply enjoy a slower pace of life.

Phasing into retirement could support your long-term finances

There are two key reasons why taking a gradual approach to retirement could be beneficial from a financial perspective.

First, if you’re still earning an income, you might not need to draw money from your pension or deplete other assets. As a result, you’ll have more to fund your lifestyle once you give up work completely.

In some cases, your salary will be lower when you’re phasing into retirement, so you might take an income from your pension to supplement it. While you’d be reducing the value of your pension, it’s likely to be at a slower rate than if you weren’t working at all.

Second, you may opt to continue contributing to your pension while you’re transitioning. Again, this could mean your pension is larger when you need to cover more of your expenses in the future.

It’s important to note that if you take a flexible income from your pension, the amount you can contribute tax-efficiently could fall to just £10,000 in the 2025/26 tax year under the Money Purchase Annual Allowance. If you plan to contribute to your pension as you phase into retirement, we can help you assess how to do so tax-efficiently.

Managing your finances if you’re gradually retiring can be complex. You might be juggling multiple incomes, and you’ll also need to consider how your decisions could affect your long-term security.

Working with your financial planner to create a cashflow model can provide clarity. It’s a useful tool that could help you assess the effect of your decisions, so you can feel confident about your finances.

For example, you might use a cashflow model to see if you have enough in your pension to halt contributions earlier than planned so you can phase into retirement. Or you could see how the value of your pension will change if you withdraw £20,000 annually for five years to supplement your salary before taking an annual income of £40,000 when you stop working.

While the results of a cashflow model cannot be guaranteed, it does provide useful insight to help you make informed decisions about retirement or other financial matters.

Contact us to discuss your retirement plan

We can help you create a retirement plan that reflects your lifestyle goals, including phasing into retirement. Please get in touch to discuss the next chapter of your life.

Next month, read about some important financial considerations if you’re planning to phase into retirement, such as when to access your State Pension and how to manage tax liability.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate cashflow modelling.

In September 2025, Action Fraud warned pension savers must remain vigilant as more than £17.5 million was lost to pension fraud in 2024 – roughly £48,000 every single day. Read on to find out how scammers could try to get their hands on your retirement savings, and the warning signs to watch out for.

While the figures reported by Action Fraud are staggering, the true scope of pension fraud could be even higher. Some victims of fraud feel embarrassed and may not report the crime as a result. In addition, many people don’t frequently check their pension, so they could have fallen victim without realising.

On average, victims of pension fraud lost more than £33,800. Falling for the scam has the potential to derail the retirement you’ve worked hard to secure. Even when fraud is reported quickly, it might be impossible to retrieve your money, so being aware of the common signs of a pension scam is important.

Action Fraud identified two prevalent ways criminals are targeting victims of pension fraud.

1. Investment fraud pressuring tactics

Scammers who engage in investment fraud often use high-pressure tactics to encourage victims to act without fully thinking about what they’re doing, and they’re using this in pension scams too.

If you’re talking to someone about your pension and they pressure you to invest, downplay the risks, or promise unrealistic returns that seem too good to be true, take a step back. Taking time to consider your options can help you spot a scam before it’s too late.

They might also seek to exploit victims who don’t understand how or when they can access their pension. For example, they might claim they can help you access your savings before you turn 55, which isn’t an option for most pensions.

Engaging with your pension and understanding how and when you can access your pension helps you spot false claims.

Pension cold calling is illegal. So, if you’re contacted out of the blue by someone purporting to be a professional, it’s likely a sign of a scam. If something doesn’t seem right, ask the person you’re speaking with for further details or a break. A genuine financial professional will understand why you’re being cautious.

You can use the Financial Conduct Authority’s Financial Services Register to check if the person you’re speaking with is regulated. Some criminals will use the details of a genuine firm or individual to lull you into a false sense of security. So, use the contact details listed on the register to double-check the information you’ve been provided.

2. Impersonation scam

Some scammers will try to access your pension by impersonating you.

To do this, they’ll need to obtain sensitive information, like your passwords or answers to security questions. Remember, your pension fund or other financial provider will not ask for these details, and it’s a clear sign you’re being targeted by a scammer.

Action Fraud advises that you ensure your online pensions are secure by using a different password for each account. The organisation suggests using three random words to create a strong and memorable password, as well as enabling two-step verification for an additional layer of protection.

Regularly checking your pension and understanding the value of your savings could mean you’re alerted to criminal activity sooner if you are targeted.

We’re here to help if you’ve been targeted by a scam

As your financial planner, we’re here to offer guidance about managing your finances, including if you’ve been targeted by a scammer. If you’re unsure about the communication you’ve received about your pension or another aspect of your financial plan, you can contact us.

You can also report potential scams to Action Fraud here: actionfraud.police.uk  

If you believe you’ve been targeted by a scam and have provided them with sensitive information, don’t hesitate to contact your bank or provider. They may be able to prevent the criminal from accessing your account or withdrawing money.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts. 

Taking control of your finances can be frightful. Complex rules that are easy to overlook could mean you fall for a “trick” when making financial decisions this Halloween, but a tailored financial plan could help you avoid falling for them.

Here are five financial “tricks” that you might overlook when managing your money, and what you can do to turn them into a “treat”.

1. Exceeding the Personal Savings Allowance could mean you pay tax on your savings

When you think of what you pay Income Tax on, it’s probably your salary that comes to mind. Yet, one “trick” you might fall for is the other sources of income that could be liable for tax, including the interest your savings earn.

How much you can receive in interest before Income Tax is due depends on the rate of Income Tax you pay:

• Basic-rate taxpayers: £1,000
• Higher-rate taxpayers: £500
• Additional-rate taxpayers: £0

This means you could face an unexpected tax bill if you’re not monitoring how much interest you receive.

If you’re not already using your full ISA allowance, which is £20,000 in 2025/26, moving some of your savings into an ISA could be a simple way to reduce how much tax you pay. There might be other steps that are suitable for you as part of your wider financial plan.

2. The 60% tax trap that could affect high earners

Becoming a high earner offers greater financial freedom. However, it can also make your tax position more complex and even mean you effectively pay Income Tax at a rate of 60%.

While there isn’t an official tax rate of 60% on earnings, your Personal Allowance starts to reduce when you earn more than £100,000. For every £2 you earn above £100,000, you lose £1 of your Personal Allowance. In 2025/26, this means you lose all of the Personal Allowance if you’re earning £125,140 or more.

As a result, you’re effectively taxed at 60% on income between £100,000 and £125,140. According to a December 2024 article in the Financial Times, the number of people affected by this tax trap increased by 45% between 2021/22 and 2023/24.

The good news is there might be ways to turn this “trick” into a “treat”. For example, increasing your pension contributions could reduce your tax liability while boosting your retirement savings.

3. Higher- and additional-rate taxpayers could be missing out on pension tax relief

One of the reasons saving for retirement in a pension is financially savvy is that your contributions receive tax relief. This means the Income Tax you’d have paid on your contribution is added to your pension.

Assuming your contributions don’t exceed the Annual Allowance, you can receive tax relief at the highest rate of Income Tax you pay. However, while tax relief at the basic rate (20%) might be added to your pension automatically, you won’t receive the full amount you’re entitled to if you’re a higher- or additional-rate taxpayer.

Indeed, according to a March 2025 article in CityAM, 46% of high-income individuals do not claim their full pension tax relief and, collectively, could have missed out on around £1.3 billion of pension contributions between 2016 and 2021.

Turning this “trick” into a “treat” is relatively straightforward. You need to claim the additional amount by completing a Self-Assessment tax form.

4. Accessing your pension could reduce your Annual Allowance

Usually, you can access your money held in your pension from age 55 (rising to 57 in 2027). As a result, some people withdraw a portion of their pension savings before they’re ready to fully retire.

However, if you take a flexible income from your pension, you could reduce how much you can tax-efficiently contribute. In 2025/26, the Annual Allowance is £60,000. This reduces to just £10,000 if you trigger the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA).

If you’d planned to continue contributing to your pension, the MPAA could mean you need to reduce how much you contribute, which may affect your long-term income.

Making pension withdrawals part of your financial plan could mean you’re well-informed and avoid unexpected complications.

5. Gifted assets could still form part of your estate and affect your Inheritance Tax liability

With a standard rate of 40%, Inheritance Tax (IHT) could significantly reduce what you leave behind for loved ones if the total value of your estate exceeds certain thresholds. So, you might simply think about handing assets to your beneficiaries during your lifetime, but gifts aren’t always immediately outside of your estate for IHT purposes.

Indeed, some gifts to individuals can be included in your estate for up to seven years after they are given, and are known as “potentially exempt transfers”. While the rate of tax applied to these gifts gradually decreases over time, it could still mean your estate faces a larger IHT bill than you or your loved ones might expect.

The good news is there are often ways to reduce your estate’s IHT liability, and ensure your beneficiaries receive a “treat”. An estate plan could help you assess how and when to pass on wealth to your family.

Contact us to talk about avoiding “tricks” in your financial plan

If you’d like to work with us to create a financial plan that helps you avoid “tricks”, please get in touch.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts. 

The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate estate planning.

When markets experience volatility, even the most level-headed investor can let their emotions or other influences affect their decisions. Read on to find out why volatility can trigger financial biases and how these might affect you.

For the average investor, it’s important to take a long-term approach. While returns cannot be guaranteed, investing over a longer time frame gives markets more time to smooth out their natural peaks and troughs.

Headlines about market crashes or sudden rallies can set you on edge even if you’re usually calm.

Volatility affects investors because uncertainty triggers an emotional response. When you’re thinking logically, you might note that markets have historically recovered from downturns. However, it’s easy for worries to creep in. You might ask yourself: “What if the market doesn’t recover this time?”

As investments are typically tied to personal goals, these initial worries can spiral, allowing emotions to drive your decisions.

4 types of bias that could affect your investment decisions during volatility

1. Herd mentality

When there’s uncertainty in the market, it’s natural to look at what other people are doing. It can often seem like everyone else is taking the same approach. This can lead to a bias known as “herd mentality”, where you’re tempted to follow the crowd.

It might feel like there’s safety in numbers, but it’s important to avoid making decisions that aren’t right for you just because others are doing the same.

2. Loss aversion

No one wants to see the value of their investments fall, and psychological research suggests that investors fear losses more than they enjoy gains. So, to avoid or reduce losses, investors might sell because they’re worried markets will fall further.

However, this may lead to investors turning paper losses into actual ones. In contrast, sticking to your long-term plan and being patient could mean you benefit from a market recovery.

3. Recency bias

The theory behind recency bias argues that investors place too much emphasis on recent events. So, you might decide that a dip in the market is actually part of a long-term trend, even if the data suggests otherwise.

Taking a step back to look at the bigger picture could help you keep recency bias in check.

4. Confirmation bias

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency of investors to seek out information that supports their existing views.

If you’re worried about markets falling, confirmation bias can lead you to dismiss positive data in favour of negative information. This bias can intensify your fears and lead you to make decisions based on only a small portion of the available data.

Practical ways to reduce the effect biases have on your investment decisions

Emotions and bias interfering with your logical decision-making is normal, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Successful investors manage short-term market movements so they can stick to their long-term plan and adjust when it suits them.

Here are some strategies you could try next time you’re tempted to respond to market volatility.

1. Review your financial plan

Before you make any changes to your investments or financial plan, take some time to revisit it. Your plan should centre on your goals and circumstances, so revisiting it could remind you why you chose your strategy and why sticking with it could be beneficial.

2. Reduce your exposure to the news

It can be hard to escape headlines and constant updates, but limiting your exposure might be useful. You may reduce how frequently you check the news, log on to social media, or even monitor the performance of your portfolio.

Be mindful of the source of the information as well – is the source likely to present changes to the market negatively or exaggerate the effects?

3. Look at the historical data

Investment returns cannot be guaranteed, but looking at past performance might be a useful exercise if you’re tempted to make knee-jerk decisions. Historically, markets have recovered and grown over the long term, even after sharp drops.

4. Talk to your financial planner

Finally, your financial planner can offer valuable advice as they understand your circumstances and goals. Talking through the options could highlight where bias might be influencing your decisions and offer a different perspective that allows you to remain focused on your long-term goals.

Contact us to talk about your investments

If you’d like to talk about your existing investment portfolio or would like to understand how investing could fit into your overall financial plan, please get in touch.

Please note: This blog is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice, which should be based on your individual circumstances. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up, and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.