Charles James Financial Planninghttp://insurance.charlesjames.comen-ushttp://insurance.charlesjames.com/favicon.icohttp://insurance.charlesjames.com3232http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/dans_test.aspxtukfkghfk yutyu yfgvbvg b;jkbhjvghfofdpgxdpcdcguodfgcdofgtuffuofo11 June 2009 14:22http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/Our_Expertise_tailored_to_suit_your_business.aspxBuild a Business you Deserve Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum enim nibh, facilisis elementum, porttitor vel, lacinia non, libero. Products Pellentesque pharetra mauris non felis. Duis nunc. Fusce pellentesque. Nam quis orci. Nullam sed metus at purus pharetra volutpat. Our Expertise tailored to suit your business Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum enim nibh, facilisis elementum, porttitor vel, lacinia non, libero. Donec dapibus, justo eget posuere aliquet, magna felis consequat mi, at ullamcorper mi tellus id arcu. Praesent est diam, congue at, ultricies ac, dapibus non, odio. Pellentesque pharetra mauris non felis. Duis nunc. Fusce pellentesque. Nam quis orci. Nullam sed metus at purus pharetra volutpat. In eget est at enim cursus dictum. Suspendisse dignissim fermentum massa. Integer suscipit, orci ac aliquet placerat, diam quam iaculis quam, nec viverra risus mi sed odio. Ut dictum luctus diam. Vivamus sapien metus, tempus eu, dignissim eu, euismod et, eros.11 January 2009 21:29http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/About_Us.aspxWho are Charles James Financial Planning? With financial expertise going back over many years, Charles James have become trusted and respected independent advisers to people from all walks of life. We are a family run business which prides itself on the friendly and efficient service we give our clients. With two younger advisers fully trained and established, we are ideally positioned to continue advising clients across all areas of the financial market place for the current, next generation and beyond... How Much Will a Financial Review Cost? We understand the concerns people have when making financial decisions. If you were buying a car you expect some information before you have to make the initial deposit or committment. With this same principle in mind we offer a free initial consultation to all new prospective clients in order to ascertain how best we can work together. How Often Should I Meet With a Financial Consultant? Its always a good idea to keep in regular contact with your professional financial consultant. If you have an investment portfolio then arrangements should be made to review the portfolio on a regular basis and certainly every 2-3 years. We suggest that an overall financial review of your arrangements including what you already have in place, should be carried out particularly if plans were made 7 years or more ago – rules and times change.11 January 2009 21:29http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/General_Insurance.aspxHome, Household, Building & Contents Insurance The right cover We offer you the opportunity to pick and choose the level of cover that best suits your requirements. At Charles James we believe that insurance protection should be flexible enough to match the customer's needs exactly. That's why the companies we use offer a range of options which can be tailored to your particular requirements - while still keeping the cost low. The right deal If, like many people, you still insure your property through your bank or building society, when was the last time that you checked that you are not paying too much? You are certainly not obliged to insure your property with them. Why not let us quote for your buildings and contents cover? Not only are rates attractive but if you take out cover for buildings and contents together you may be eligible for a further cost saving discount. No hassle claims We know that if you need to make a claim, you'll want it sorted out as soon as possible. In most cases all you have to do is give the details of your claim over the phone to a company claim hotline and an incident manager will start dealing with your claim straight away. No claim discount A lot of insurance companies offer a no claim discount on their home insurance policies. It is important that you inform us of the last date you made a claim to ensure that you receive the full discount available. Travel Insurance Anyone planning overseas travel needs the protection of Travel Insurance. We can offer a wide range of cover from Holiday to Business, Standard and Long Stay policies. Unlike some of the other insurance policies we can cover for occasional participation in the following typical holiday activities for free, Jet Skiing, Scuba Diving, Water Skiing, Safaris and many more. All at competitive prices, for example 15 days in Europe - Travel Agent £39.95 - Charles James £19.3108 April 2009 22:54http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/Mortgages.aspxHow Much Can I Borrow?Two main factors influence the amount you are able to borrow. The first relates to the current market value of the property to which the mortgage relates. Each lender will have a maximum percentage of the value that they will be willing to lend in each individual circumstances, more commonly known as the maximum loan to value (LTV). Lenders have an array of different criterion on which they will base the maximum LTV and we will be able to provide you with advice regarding different lenders attitudes in this area. The second influence on the amount you can borrow is your current level of income. All lenders will have a set formula that they use to calculate the amount they will be willing to lend which is usually expressed as a multiple of your income.What Are My Various Mortgage Payment OptionsThere are basically two methods of repaying your mortgage: -Repayment Mortgage – with this type of arrangements your monthly payments to the lender consist of a combination of interest and repayment of capital. In the early years your outstanding mortgage balance decreases slowly since the majority of the monthly payments consist of interest, however as the term progresses an increasing amount of your payments are used to repay the loan.Interest Only – with this type of arrangement your monthly payments to the lender consist of interest only meaning your outstanding loan does not decrease over the term of the mortgage unless you choose to make ad hoc capital repayments. It is usual for such loans for the borrower to arrange for a savings policy targeted at repaying the loan at the end of the term. There are a variety of different types of savings plans which may be appropriate for this purpose the most common being Low Cost Endowments, Personal Pensions and Individual Savings Accounts.What are the different types of Products Available? Discounted Rates – Standard Variable Rate (SVR) of the lender less a specified discount (i.e. 1% off the current 5.95% SVR) usually for a specified time period (i.e. 2 or 3 year term).Fixed Rates – The rate payable is fixed at a certain rate usually for a fixed term of years or until a given date (i.e. 5.75% until 31.05.2005). There is sometimes a Booking or Arrangement Fee payable on fixed rates for the ‘privilege’ of having one and in addition to any other fees such as Valuation Fees.Capped & Collared Rates – The rate payable cannot go above a certain level (CAP), but equally cannot go below a certain level (COLLAR). I.e. Rate Capped at 7.5%, collared at 4.5%. NOTE that it is possible to obtain a Capped only rate at certain times dependent on market conditions. As with fixed rates there can again be an Arrangement Fee for this type of product.Cashbacks – Usually the Standard Variable Rate only is charged and instead of having one of the above ‘deals’, a cashback is available. This could be for example 2% of the loan amount paid as a cashback after completion. It is possible to obtain higher cashbacks in exchange for a ‘loaded’ Standard Variable Rate which works like the discount but in reverse, (i.e. 1% on top of the current 5.95% SVR)Flexible Mortgages – are becoming more and more popular. The flexible mortgage forms the basis for funding a wide range of personal financial objectives with the flexibility to adapt to your changing requirements at different stages of life. This facility will allow you the potential to repay the debt ahead of time by making increased payments or occasional lump sum payments, thus making substantial interest savings over a more traditional inflexible mortgage facility. The flexible mortgage also allows you to draw money down to be used for any number of credit needs subject to there being equity in your property. There is also a facility within the flexible mortgage that allows you the freedom to reduce or suspend payments – within limits – to reflect changes in your circumstances. Flexible mortgages can be combined with any one of the above products already mentioned above.Redemption Penalties – Although penalties have in some cases been reduced significantly following adverse publicity, lenders still make charges for most products, in particular cashbacks, fixed and capped rates. In respect of the fixed and capped rates the penalties tend to be for the term of the special rate itself rather than ‘overhangs’ which are less common now and bore the brunt of the adversity.Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or other loan secured on it.Written quotations available on request.What Types of Surveys Can Be Completed?There are mainly three types of surveys or valuations that you can have when taking out a mortgage. In most cases the lender will require at least a ‘Basic Valuation for mortgage purposes’ whether you are taking out a mortgage to purchase a property or re-mortgaging an existing property: -1. Basic Valuation. This is really just for the lender’s use giving an idea of the market value of the property, reinsurance value for buildings insurance and any major defects to the property that the surveyor may have spotted.2. Homebuyers Report. This report gives an appraisal of the property’s general state of repair. It is more detailed than a Basic Valuation but less comprehensive compared to the Structural Survey. A member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) can carry out the report.3. Structural Survey. This is usually a very detailed report and as you would expect the most expensive. The surveyor will basically look at the property with a ‘fine tooth comb’ from top to bottom, covering all accessible parts. It will report about the construction of the property, any defects (minor and major) and what repairs are needed to rectify.In respect of newly built homes they should have a National House Building Council (NHBC) Certificate. This is a warranty covering major defects in new properties which result from failure by the builder to comply with NHBC’s technical requirements. It could cover problems such as collapse or serious movement.What About a Solicitor?The legal term for purchasing a property is conveyancing and most people appoint either a solicitor or licensed conveyancer to do this work for them.There is also the lender’s legal work to be done in relation to the property you are buying or re-mortgaging. Most lenders will ask the solicitor you appoint to act also for them which can save you money.Firstly, your solicitor will carry out a local authority search, asking questions about plans for new roads, planning consents and other things that could affect the value of the property in the future.Next your solicitor will ask the seller questions about the property. This usually covers things like whether any alterations have been made, what fixtures and fittings are included in the price, responsibility for boundaries and so on.Once the contract terms are agreed and your solicitor is satisfied with replies to all questions and queries, the contracts can be exchanged. This is your absolute commitment to proceed. Once each party has a contract signed by the other, the contracts are binding.On exchange, you are now obliged to go ahead in respect of any purchase, so it is important that you arrange buildings insurance from the point that contracts are exchanged.08 April 2009 21:02http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/Investments.aspxISAsWhat is an ISA and how does it work?Individual Savings Accounts, or ISAs for short, were introduced by the Government on April 6th 1999 to replace PEPs and TESSA schemes as products where your savings are held in a tax-efficient environment. They enable your savings to be held in the form of stocks and shares, cash or life assurance, or any combination of these three asset types. If you are looking to invest in stocks and shares, then an ISA is the best place to start, as it is one of the most tax-efficient way of saving for the future.How do I choose an ISA that is right for me?When choosing to invest, one of the first things to consider is whether you wish to receive an income from your investment or whether you are aiming instead for capital growth. Choosing the right ISA from the right company for your personal circumstances is an important decision to make. We recommend that you seek professional independent financial advice before committing yourself to an investment.Unit TrustA unit trust is a legal vehicle used for investment purposes, in which the money subscribed by unit holders is invested for some common investment aim, usually in ordinary shares. Investors may subscribe to units, which can be created if necessary, at some subsequent date the investor may sell the units back to the managers, in which case they are cancelled or sold on to another investor. The fund is therefore 'open ended' and the amount of money under management can vary according to the confidence which investors have in that particular unit trust's future. The rules for calculating the value of unit trusts are laid down very precisely and apart from expenses, the value of each unit will exactly reflect the value of the underlying securities in which the money was invested.Investment TrustAn investment trust is a company, set up in just the same way as any other company and may be quoted on the Stock Exchange. However, instead of carrying out any industrial or commercial activity, the investment trust simply holds shares in other companies, sometimes of a specialist nature, sometimes a broad portfolio of British or foreign stocks.Because the share price of quoted investment trusts can vary, according to the supply and demand for the shares in the market, the value of the investment trust shares does not always reflect the value of the underlying portfolio held by the company itself. Usually, the share price is at a discount compared with the asset value. The managers of an investment trust (unlike the managers of a unit trust) are in possession of the money which has been subscribed at the time of the issue of the investment trust shares, either indefinitely or (in some cases) until an agreed date when the company is wound up. For this reason investment trusts (as opposed to unit trusts) can take a long term view and a vehicle of this kind is perhaps most useful for investments for the long term in, say, developing industries or developing countries.OEICSOpen Ended Investment Companies (OEICs) have been available since the beginning of 1997. The structure of the OEIC builds upon the best features of unit trusts and could be described as a modern alternative. Several major companies have converted part of their unit trust ranges to OEICs.OEICs and unit trusts operate the same investment principle of pooling investor's money together to minimise risk by buying a wide range of investments. In the same way as with unit trusts, the value of investments and any income that may be generated can go down as well as up. However, instead of owning units in a unit trust, investors own shares in the OEIC. An OEIC provides the investor with a similar level of protection as a unit trust but is governed by company law rather than trust law. Although OEICs may be new to UK investors, their introduction brings the UK in line with the US and Europe, where investors are already familiar with similar investment structures.One of the key features of an OEIC is that there is only one price at which shares are either bought or sold, which is a simpler basis than the different buying and selling prices of unit trusts. It also allows for charges to be detailed clearly and separately.PEPsPersonal Equity Plans (PEPs) have been available since 1987. Like an ISA, a PEP provides a tax-efficient wrapper around an investment in a Unit Trust, Open Ended Investment Company, Investment Trust or shares.PEPs have been widely recognised as one of the most efficient ways of investing in the stockmarket either directly or via unit trusts and were often seen as a core long-term holding in any investment portfolio. Their uses are many - pension supplement, mortgage repayment, school fees, provision for a significant purchase or just a home for spare money to be invested rather than merely saved.PEPs have been replaced with ISAs. As a result, you can no longer invest new money in a PEP, but can continue to hold an existing one for as long as you like, or transfer an existing PEP to a new provider.The value of investments and any income from them can go down as well as up.The above investments should be regarded as medium to long term investments and you may not get back the original amount invested.The future basis and rates of tax may vary.Full terms and conditions are available on request.08 April 2009 21:02http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/Charles_James_Group.aspx08 April 2009 16:04http://insurance.charlesjames.com/content/Home_Image.aspx07 April 2009 15:18