Funding Your Retirement Solely by Downsizing the Family Home: A Dangerous Game
Written by Nick Lincoln, IFA
"According to a recent survey from Barings, around three million people are planning to fund their retirement solely from the proceeds of 'downsizing' their family home."
He held the post for five years. Before his tenure "The Blair Brown Project" truly was a horror story: between 2001 to 2010 alone, there were eight (!) Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions.
Mr Webb's article was on the subject of downsizing the family home. Downsizing involves selling your current house to purchase a smaller, less expensive one, and in so doing realising a chunk of capital. Downsizing is a common theme in discussions with our retired clients. However, it is only
People that know me will have read the title of this "HatTip" and exhaled a sigh of relief: who on Earth would want to be like me?!
Thankfully of course we are all different, in our own lovely, different ways. Each of us has different wants, needs, aspirations, values (morals, even), ages, states of health. Financially, we have differing incomes, debts, inheritances, spending patterns and so on.
Nick Lincoln, owner of Values to Vision, has been using financial forecasting software since 2008.
ABR editor Rob Kingsbury spoke to him at a recent Voyant Mastery training session about why and how he uses it and whether it has affected the bottom line of the business
Nick Lincoln began using financial forecasting software in 2008, around the time he set up his lifestyle financial planning company, Values to Vision. He first used Prestwood Software’s Truth and switched to Voyant in 2011.
"K.I.S.S" - Keep It Simple, Stupid. If only: the language of financial advice seems perpetually caught in a fog of obfuscation, double meanings and jargon.
Why though? It does NOT have to be this way. Solid financial planning is NOT rocket science. Rocket science is rocket science, as this clip demonstrates.
For investors, the take-out from the Cass report is to remember to “K.I.S.S.”, to keep it simple.
Unfortunately, many people and institutions in financial services seem keen to perpetuate the myth that dispensing financial advice is akin to rocket science.
This, dear reader, is complete and utter horrocks.
Proper financial planning has four simple constituents.
Everything else is just noise: lazy copy emailed in to wedge between the insurance company adverts.
1) Have A Plan
Think about what you want from your life. Then have an educated guess at what this lifestyle will cost, for the rest of your days. Finally, work out how you are going to fund this (petrifyingly enormous) amount. In other words, work out your “Number”.
2) Stick To Plain Vanilla
Boring, mainstream financial products: for most people, that is all they need to use to achieve their life goals. Think ISAs, collective funds, personal pensions. Really, that is probably all you need. If you speak to an adviser who blinds you with rocket science about some "can't fail" product or investment, remember what Mr Einstein said: "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough."
And, for my sake, punch such an adviser on the nose: When these "can't fail" products do fail, it is Muggins here who picks up the bill.
3) Keep An Eye On Costs
As the Cass research shows, there is little to gain from trying to identify the next star manager. But there is lots to lose, in terms of cost, missing market gains, poor stock decisions and so forth. Make sure your adviser has a stated, methodological investment philosophy. And make sure your adviser invests his money where he wants you to stick yours.
4) Stick To The Plan
This is the toughie. A place where emotions enter stage left and reason scarpers stage right. Where there will always be reasons to save less, to spend more: you needed that gadget, this holiday, those Global kitchen knives (highly recommend these beauties, BTW).
As well, there will be nasty periods when your investments plummet in value - guaranteed. You will wobble, maybe lose your resolve and consider scrapping your plan, vowing never to enter “the markets” again.
In terms of your long-term financial health the biggest enemy can often be you. Or rather, your reaction to events. We help our clients to stay on course, "on plan". After all, it's not rocket science.
