The Money Tree

Introduction

The purpose of this book

What will this book do for you?

Taking financial control

The Money Tree rule book

The way we grow a Money Tree has changed

What works best for you?

How to grow your Money Tree

Chapter 1 – Dealing with debt

Spot the sham

Not all debt is ‘bad debt’

Your personal debt freedom day

Playing the credit card balance transfer game

When things get really serious

Never pay for debt counselling advice

Bankruptcy – the last resort?

When things get serious – alternatives to bankruptcy

Key points

Chapter 2 – Taking control of tax

Avoid or evade?

Tax, duties and more taxes

Understanding income tax

Some popular income tax misconceptions

How to pay less income tax

Top Tips for capital gains tax

Understanding inheritance tax

Some ways to pay less inheritance tax

Top Tips for inheritance tax planning

Chapter 3 – Serious about savings

All about cash

Top Tips to get a better rate of interest

Why save?

Cash as an asset class

Where can you save money?

What about the downside?

High headline interest rates on regular savings accounts

Encouraging the savings habit

Key points

Chapter 4 – Making the most of your mortgage

It’s just a (really) big loan

They come in lots of different flavours

Fixed, variable, tracker, discounts, blah, blah, blah

Interest only or capital repayment?

Interest only (and capital as well, at the end)

Common mortgage questions

Getting a mortgage – what does it cost?

Some mortgage mistakes to avoid

The power of offset

An alternative strategy

Key points

Chapter 5 – Plan to protect

Things can go wrong!

Death

Top Tips to slash the cost of your life assurance

Critical illness

Illness or accident

Medical problems

How much cover do I need?

Key points

Chapter 6 – Intelligent investment

The value of your investments may go down as well as up

What is my investment risk profile?

The motion of the ocean

Buy low, buy high, but always keep buying!

It’s all about asset allocation

There is no secret to intelligent investment

Top Tips for intelligent investment

How do you actually invest your money?

ISA magic

Top Tip

Going green

Key points

Chapter 7 – A financially secure retirement

A real story

Why planning for retirement matters

How do pensions work?

The rules

Pensions aren’t simple

The most common pension misconceptions

Getting started with your own pension

Self investment – the future of pensions?

Don’t forget the State

Some things you might not know about the State pension

A common retirement planning mistake

Time to build your retirement plan

Key points

Chapter 8 – Time for advice

Different advisors serve different purposes

The professional adviser power meeting

So much choice

How to find a financial adviser

A question of qualifications and regulation

Top Tips for a healthy relationship with a financial adviser

There is no such thing as a free lunch

What to expect from your first meeting

Key points

Chapter 9 – Bringing it all together

How to build a financial plan

Where are you now?

Where would you like to be?

How are you going to get there?

Key points

Index

• Few of us are as good at making, saving and managing money as we’d like to be.
• Most of us find the subject baffling and boring – many o f us uncomfortably consult financial advisors but still have no idea if the advice is good.
• This is a simple but brilliant practical guide to the main steps in mastering money – for now and the future.
• The step by step format makes it easy to follow and use, packed with checklists, self assessment and guidelines.
• All the secrets of the best financial advisers, without all the jargon and mystique.
• It covers all financial subjects – paying less tax, investing successfully, dealing with debt and much more.

Martin Bamford is a highly qualified independent financial adviser, who is still young enough to appreciate the special challenges of financial planning for those in their 20s and 30s. He runs his own firm of financial advisers, Informed Choice Ltd, with his parents. Martin is a professional member of the Personal Finance Society and an Associate of the Institute of Financial Planning. He has been quoted in The Independent, The Observer and The Daily Express in his capacity as a financial expert. He is a regular contributor to Money Marketing magazine.As well as being an IFA, Martin is an aspiring entrepreneur. When not advising clients or running his financial services consultancy firm, Matrix Financial Solutions Ltd, Martin is an avid networker. He is currently in the Top 100 most connected UK members of the worldwide networking platform, Ecademy.com.

Expert Reviews

"The best finance book I've ever read... go out and get this as soon as you get the chance" - The IET Circuit December 2006

"Breaks down the steps of mastering personal finance into plain speak" - New Model Adviser, October 2006

"Bamford excels at making even the dullest topics interesting" - Pensions Management, October 2006

Author Articles or other pieces in: Investment News, City Wire, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Brighton Argos, Irish News, Aberdeen Press and Journal

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