The Pyrford Financial Planning blog

Feb 277 min read

The S&P 500 lost decade - how to protect your retirement

The S&P 500 has generated strong returns in recent years. But should you invest all of your retirement savings in this index?

Feb 224 min read

Does holding a cash buffer solve Sequence of Returns Risk?

Cash buffers are often suggested as a way of mitigating Sequence of Returns Risk. Do they work, or are they more of a chocolate teapot?

Feb 197 min read

Should your retirement portfolio contain 100% shares?

Retirement researcher Bill Bengen found the optimal retirement portfolio to contain 50-75% equities. Would 100% equties be a better option?

Feb 163 min read

How much do I need to save for a moderate retirement in 2024?

How much does a retiree need to save for a moderate retirement? And why a larger retirement pot doesn't always provide the best outcomes.

Feb 157 min read

How much do I need to save for a comfortable retirement in 2024?

A comfortable retirement for a couple is believed to now cost around £59,000 a year. What size retirement pot do you need to fund this?

Feb 103 min read

D.I.Why? When financial advice costs less than Doing It Yourself

Our retirement planning offering can often be more cost-effective than managing retirement on a D.I.Y. basis. We look at a recent example.

Jan 183 min read

Ten tips for investing success in 2024

Investing is simple but not easy. We identify ten things to consider that will help you have a better retirement outcome in 2024.

Jan 37 min read

7 questions to help you find the right financial adviser in 2024

Choosing the right financial adviser to help with your retirement planning is one of the most important decisions you will make.

Jan 314 min read

How much does financial advice cost (and am I getting good value?) Updated for 2024

We help you calculate what you are paying for your retirement planning and financial advice and whether you are getting good value.

Jan 36 min read

Ed Thorp - the godfather of quants

Ed Thorp had a huge impact on the gambling and investing worlds. We look at this achievements and why they are important for investors.

Dec 21, 20235 min read

Ten reasons why we might not be the right financial adviser for you

There is often a perception that a financial adviser will accept anyone who gets in touch with them. This is not always the case.

Dec 5, 20234 min read

Death by a thousand cuts - when portfolios go sideways

The returns of globally diversified portfolios have been subdued in the last few years. How does this impact our clients' retirement plans?

Dec 4, 202310 min read

St James Place: Fees, performance, and what you should be asking

Reports of St James Place's poor performance and high fees regularly feature in the press. Is this criticism justified?

Dec 2, 20232 min read

Pyrford Financial Planning is granted CISI Chartered Firm™ status

Pyrford Financial Planning is now a CISI Chartered Firm™. Why obtaining this designation is important to us and our clients.

Dec 2, 20234 min read

The "No-Brainer" portfolio - a stupid idea?

Surely successful investing outcomes require complexity? The No-Brainer portfolio shows why this isn't necessarily the case.

Dec 1, 20234 min read

Investing for the long term

Focusing on asset classes that have performed well over the last few years is tempting. Keeping a longer-term perspective is key.

Dec 1, 20234 min read

Why should portfolios be rebalanced?

It can sometimes be easy to wonder what the point of rebalancing a portfolio is. We look at this in the context of recent bond performance.

Sep 24, 20234 min read

Auric Goldfinger: A sustainable retirement?

Auric Goldfinger loved gold. But should you include it in your retirement portfolio, and how does it compare to other assets?

Sep 17, 20234 min read

Investment management is commoditised

We believe the "investment problem" has been solved, but this doesn't mean that the financial adviser's role is redundant.

Sep 16, 20235 min read

How we invest our clients' (and our own) money

Potential clients often ask us how we invest our money. We outline our investment beliefs and suggest that simple is often better.