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The popularity of Fund Supermarkets has been on the increase since their original insertion. Last year the investment sales through Fund Supermarkets exceeded the investment sales through both intermediaries and tied agents. The main reason for this is the wide range of investment funds available through these supermarkets. These range from 500 funds on some platforms to 1500 funds on others. The charging structure is very cost-effective and on some occasions it may be more cost-effective to invest into particular funds through fund platforms than going to providers directly. Unfortunately, it is not possible to go shopping on the High Street and buy some investment funds. The best way to do it is through an IFA.

The deadline for this 2006/7 tax year ISA is 5^th April. You need to make sure that you use up your full ISA allowance of £7000. If you have sufficient funds on deposit, you can also invest into the ISA for next 2007/8 tax year from 6^th April onwards. In order to do that you should consult your IFA. If you are married, you should ensure that your spouse does exactly the same. Furthermore, if you have any children over the age of sixteen and you are happy to give them the money, they should do ISAS as well.

Life cover!….it’s not sexy but boy is it important! It’s never been cheaper and easier to give yourself the enormous sense of wellbeing that comes from the knowledge that you and your loved ones are protected. Even though the Government, as usual, have decided to mess things up with the Pension Term debacle (for those who don’t know, Gordon Brown recently decided to “review” the tax relief guarantees with this product, placing it in limbo at the present time) we should not lose sight of the fact that most of us just do not have enough life cover if we properly analyse our circumstances.

How much is enough and over what term I hear you ask? With a mortgage it’s pretty straightforward but not so for personal protection, where a more in-depth look needs to be taken to ensure we arrive at the correct figure. What type should I have? Decreasing, level, even increasing, they all have their place. So whilst it may seem a boring subject, it is so important to get the right cover and get it now.

These days more people are aware of Critical Illness as a product but how many appreciate what protection it provides. Of the ones that do, how many say that it’s just too expensive and therefore often dismiss it out of hand. Unfortunately it is true that, whilst Critical Illness has evolved as a product over the years, becoming more flexible, more comprehensive and more widely available, its premiums have increased considerably.

Whilst this fact is certainly not welcome, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is a most valuable form of protection, be it for you and your family or your mortgage. To illustrate this point, and the main reason why premiums have risen, is the increase in the number of claims over the years. In other words this type of protection is showing is true value to us more and more. Therefore having at least some of this cover (as much as you can obtain within your budget) is certainly better than having none. Seeking the right independent advice can not only save you time but also money with the knowledge that the whole of market has been

We all know how much we earn and a good income is cherished. However how much do we actually value it or do we just really take it for granted. “It will always be there, increasing nicely year on year, without any need for us to look after it.” Wrong! Don’t let yourselves fall into this trap. You may be confident in your own ability and that your chosen career path is all mapped out. However, with all the best laid plans if you don’t cover all the bases you leave yourself wide open to having those plans come crashing down.

You are an extremely valuable money-making machine and if you go wrong i.e. you become sick and are therefore unable to work then you don’t produce any more money. I don’t need to spell out the consequences of this. You can make as many claims as you like during the policy term so if the unforeseen should occur at any time you know you’re covered. Therefore show how much you really value yourself by protecting that income. Income Protection is flexible and adapts easily as your income and needs change over the years.

I’ve just reduced the cost of my life cover down from £65 per month to £44 per month!

I went to see an Financial Adviser to look at all my investments and life assurance and the first thing she did was to give me a nice list showing everything I had and what it was worth. She then showed me that the life cover I had with a major bank could be obtained for £21 per month cheaper with another company. She showed me quotes from all the major insurance companies so I could see she had chosen the cheapest.

Apparently a lot of the banks used to and in some circumstances still do just sell their own products and because they have a captive market of their own customers they can charge more as they don’t need to be competitive.

My advice is to go and see a financial adviser and see if you can do the same!