Downton and Ali Associates
info@downtonandali.co.uk
020 3021 0075 or 020 3135 0246
In April 2015 the government introduced the most significant pension reforms for a generation. The reforms give people who’ve worked and saved hard greater flexibility over how and when they access their pension savings and mean anyone reaching retirement age has been...
A financially rewarding retirement is not the only contributor to a satisfying, healthy and enjoyable life, it’s still a pretty important one. For most, during working life, financial wellbeing will depend on whatever they do to earn money. However, as well as...
Since 2012, the average cash ISA rate has fallen from 2.84% to just 0.82%, while stocks and shares ISAs are performing far better, delivering an average growth of 7.4% during the 2014/15 tax year. Clearly the latter carry a varying degree of investment risk (depending...
With rising house prices outpacing income an increasing number of young people will borrow from parents and family in order to get onto the property ladder. The 10th largest mortgage lender The combined amount which parents and grandparents will be prepared to gift or...
Going through a divorce, dissolution or separation is one of life’s most stressful events, so it’s important to have people around you to help with the practicalities. This is particularly true when it comes to financial matters, which can be complex and emotionally...
With cyber crime hitting the headlines more and more these days it's not just big businesses like TalkTalk and Ashley Madison that are in the fraudsters’ sights. What’s the worst that can happen? You may be thinking an email hack could lead to nothing more than...
Back pain is a common problem that affects most of us at some point. In 2014/15 9.5 million working days were lost due to musculoskeletal disorders including back pain. To put that figure in perspective that's just over 26,000 years of lost productivity. In some cases...
When you think about your dream home – the one you can see yourself growing old in – what do you imagine it looks like? A modern architectural masterpiece built of glass and metal, or something more old-fashioned and cosy? If you asked your friends and family what...
If you’re saving for your first home you may have heard about the Government’s latest initiative, the Help to Buy ISA. This is effectively a cash ISA where you can save up to £200 a month, but the government will boost your savings by 25% up to a maximum of £3,000...
Thousands of people with interest-only mortgages expiring this year do not have a repayment plan – putting their homes at serious risk of repossession. 40,000 interest-only mortgages are set to mature in 2016, but experts suggest that only half of these homeowners...