Andy Young Financial Planning

15/07/2026

Can I Gift Assets to Avoid Care Home Fees

I keep on having discussions with clients regarding concerns around Care Home costs and if there is ways of getting around them.

I have broken down the below article into some slides to provide some extra information for you. https://partnership.sjp.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/can-i-gift-assets-to-avoid-paying-care-home-fees.html

Key points to take away is whether the council believes you have deliberately given away assets to avoid care fees. Known as "Deprivation of Assets".

If your thinking about doing this, it might be beneficial to speak to someone first.

15/07/2026

If you’re looking to grow your business, come and join us at BNI Rochester — a fantastic group of people who support one another and build genuine friendships as part of their wider networking strategy.

Are you looking to grow your business?

Come along to our networking event this Friday 10am on Zoom.

Comment below or DM and we will send you the link and details. No fee to come visit us online.

07/07/2026

" One pension brings clarity. Many pensions bring confusion. Consolidation puts you back in control"

If you’ve built up several pensions over your career, you’re not alone — most people have a mix of old workplace schemes scattered across different providers. The problem is that multiple pots often mean multiple fees, multiple investment strategies, and a lot of unnecessary admin.

Consolidating your pensions into one plan can make your retirement far easier to manage. You get a single statement, one clear investment approach, and a better understanding of how your money is performing. It can also reduce costs and help ensure your pension is invested in a way that truly reflects your long‑term goals.

Bringing everything together isn’t just tidying up — it’s taking control of your future as part of your wider retirement planning.

02/07/2026

“Compounding: the quiet engine behind long‑term wealth.”

Investing early is one of the most powerful financial decisions you can make. When your money has time to grow, every pound you invest today has the potential to multiply through the effect of compounding — growth on top of growth.

The longer your investment stays in the market, the more each year’s returns can build on the last, turning small, consistent contributions into meaningful long‑term wealth.

Starting early isn’t about having large sums of money; it’s about giving your money time to work for you as part of your wider investment strategy.

24/06/2026

HAVING A PLAN

When I talk to clients, the key to every discussion is putting a plan in place that is realistic and that they can genuinely stick to. This might involve securing their family through personal insurances, working towards retiring at a certain age and understanding what needs to be done to reach that point, or investing for the future—whether for home repairs, long‑term goals, or big family holidays. All of this forms part of their wider financial planning.

However, there should always be some non‑negotiables within the plan. These are the things that bring joy, balance, and meaning to life—things you don’t want to sacrifice, even while working towards long‑term goals. For some people, this might be taking two holidays a year to recharge, or making sure they take their partner and children out for meals or family days out each month.

For me, it’s attending Royal Ascot with my wife each year. It’s the quality time we get to spend together, the chance to dress up, and the enjoyment of being part of the tradition. Yes, it might be an expensive day, but it’s our expensive day—and our financial plan keeps us on track so that we can continue to enjoy it every year without guilt or stress.

So when putting a plan in place, it’s important to ask yourself:

What would your non‑negotiables be?

What are the experiences, routines, or traditions that you want your financial plan to protect as part of your ongoing lifestyle planning?

15/06/2026

Life cover isn’t really for you — it’s for the people who depend on you emotionally, financially, or practically. A well‑structured policy provides a safety net that protects your family’s stability, safeguards your home, and ensures that your long‑term plans can continue even if you’re no longer here to see them through. It offers reassurance that those you care about most will have the financial support they need at a difficult time, making it a key part of responsible family protection and long‑term financial planning.

19/05/2026

Most employed people in the UK are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, which means they benefit from a combined 8% contribution on their qualifying earnings: 4% from the employee, 3% from the employer, and 1% from the government through tax relief.

This structure gives employed workers an immediate boost to their retirement savings, because for every £4 they personally contribute, their employer and the government add another £4. In contrast, self‑employed individuals are not automatically enrolled into a pension and receive no contributions at all.

Without paying into a pension themselves, they miss out on what is effectively “free money” every year. Over time, this creates a significant gap in retirement savings, leaving self‑employed people financially worse off compared with those who benefit from auto‑enrolment.

Building a pension independently is therefore essential for anyone who is self‑employed to avoid falling behind.

14/05/2026

Income protection is one of the most overlooked forms of cover. If your income stopped tomorrow, how long would your savings realistically last? For most people, it’s not long at all — and that’s where income protection becomes invaluable.

Your income is the foundation that supports everything else: your mortgage or rent, your bills, your lifestyle, and your family’s security. Without it, every other financial plan becomes vulnerable. Income protection steps in when you can’t work due to illness or injury, replacing a large portion of your earnings so you can focus on recovery rather than worrying about money.

In short, protecting your income means protecting your home, your future, and your peace of mind.

14/05/2026

Had a great morning on Sunday supporting a great local charity 'The Olivier Fisher Special Care Baby Trust' with there 5k charity run with my Son Harry. Everything went smoothly, and whilst it was great to support the charity, it was also nice to spend some quality time with my Son

11/05/2026

Your retirement plan shouldn’t start with investments — it should start with protection. Before thinking about pensions or ISAs, make sure your income, family and business are secure. A strong foundation today gives you more freedom tomorrow.