Is Life cover important?

“I have mortgage protection anyway, sure that’s the same thing right?” Yes, and No Mortgage Protection is indeed Life Cover. It will pay off any outstanding balance on your mortgage if you die and it is designed to decrease as your mortgage…

The need for mandatory pensions in Ireland

If you follow this regular advice column you’ll note that there is a heavy bias towards retirement planning. As a Financial Advisor for the construction sector, I meet many members of the sector’s two big schemes, CERS and the Construction…

Are you covered for sick pay?

Self-Employed now entitled to sick pay With effect from December 2017, self -employed people in Ireland have finally became entitled to long- term sick pay. This is great news for this cohort of people, who typically have been treated unfairly…

Building Pension Equality

By the time you are reading this piece, the third flagship #BuildingEquality campaign event from the Construction Industry Federation will have taken place on International Women’s Day. The purpose of this is to recognise the women that already…

Reviewing Your Finances in 2018 - The Doom and Gloom

I do not want to start 2018 off on a gloomy note, so I will start with the good news! With effect from December 2017, self-employed people in Ireland finally became entitled to long-term sick pay. This is great news for this cohort of people,…

At a Glance - Budget 2018

Tax Cuts in 2018 In this year's budget the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, has announced €1.2 billion in new spending and tax cuts, split on roughly a 2:1 basis in favour of spending. CPAS has reviewed the details of Budget 2018 to…

Avocado Toast

You may have recently heard of Grant Sabatier, a 31 year old apparently self- made millionaire – who blames avocado toast for the reason millennials can’t save money. Grant’s theory, when read properly actually makes a lot of sense, he…

Are Pensions too complicated?

Well.. No.. and Yes I’ve penned a few jargon busting articles here over the last few years as I’ve assumed (yes, I know what they say about assuming) that it is only the language around Pensions that is complicated. In talking to people…

Top tip for improving your finances in 2017

Ship Shape In trying to compile my annual top tips for the coming year, I researched far and wide for pearls of wisdom that I might not have already thought of myself....this was my favourite: “Get Your Finances-and Body-in Shape". One…

At a Glance - Budget 2017

Budget 2017 in Review We reviewed the details of Budget 2017 to provide you with the relevant information relating to pensions and your personal finance. Normally our focus is on pension matters and over the last number of years there has been…

Finance - Busting the Jargon

Post Retirement Planning As a financial advisor with specific focus on the Construction Sector, I find myself frequently discussing business on this basis. In recent years, terms such as BIM and Lean and Augmented Reality have crept into the…

Are you protected if you become ill?

Longevity When we talk about pensions we often talk about longevity - the fact that people are living longer and the increased need for income in retirement. From age 65, men can expect to live an average of 23.8 years, while women can look…

Pension Timebomb

Pre - Brexit Prior to Brexit dominating our news flow and social media world, the phrase “Pension timebomb” had been getting a lot of coverage. I asked many of my friends if they have been reading these pieces, but it seems that the “P”…

6 Things to do differently in 2016

Is this for you? If you are one of those rare people who is doing everything right with their money, this article is not for you. For the rest of us, here are 6 simple things to do differently in 2016 that will help your financial health flourish. Budget To…

Education and Children – Preparing a better future for them

Educate your children and protect their future There seems to be a habit among parents in Ireland not to talk to their children about money. We teach our children about many things to help them in their lives, we teach them new skills and we…

Do you have an appropriate investment portfolio?

Investment Portfolios are for everyone Whether saving for retirement or investing in an ARF post retirement, one of the most important factors is having the appropriate investment portfolio. An “investment portfolio” sounds glamorous and…

2015 - Key Financial Changes to Watch For

The headline announcements provided final confirmation that the controversial Government Pension Levy is to cease after the calculation date of 30th June 2015. This levy will be charged at 0.75% in 2014 and 0.15% in 2015. There was also the…

How Important is Life Cover?

Life Cover is an important yet often overlooked feature of good financial planning… To decide if it is something you need, you simply have to ask; how would your family cope financially if you, as either the main or joint income earner, died? If…

Income Protection - Protecting against accident and illness

Work hard, play hard You work hard to pay for an unending list of financial commitments; mortgage, property tax, car, utilities and food and after that maybe you invest in your future and live a lifestyle that you have grown accustomed to……

Reasons to start a pension

Reasons to start a pension The dictionary defines a pension as “A fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person or to the person's surviving dependents in consideration of past services” or “an allowance, annuity, or subsidy.” Can…