Dear Clients

It’s times like these that make you realise what’s truly important. The health and happiness of your family and friends will be foremost in your mind. I hope that you are all in good health and coping as well as possible during these uncertain times.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our daily lives is unprecedented and it’s natural to feel an element of fear and anxiety. With this in mind, I wanted to reassure you that Lighthouse Financial Advice remains fully operational. I am here and available to speak to you regarding any concerns or queries you may have with your investments and the current performance of the markets. Hopefully that means you at least have one less thing to worry about.

You also have the reassurance that comes from knowing we benefit from the support, expertise and financial security of being part of Quilter Financial Planning, which is part of Quilter, a leading provider of advice, investments, and wealth management both in the UK and internationally. They manage over £100 billion of investments on behalf of over 900,000 customers.

Press coverage of the current period of market volatility makes it hard to keep a sense of perspective. It can, of course, be easy to panic when investments fall in value. Over recent years, many of us have become accustomed to only seeing our investments grow in value, so it can be a natural reaction to consider selling when things fall. However, selling after markets have fallen of course means locking in losses. Therefore my advice is always to remain calm, remember your original objectives, continue to invest in a diverse manner, and potentially, where suitable, add to your portfolio, or drip-feed monies in. For those with decisions to make regarding drawing capital and/or income, a phased approach is highly likely to be preferable under the current circumstances.

One thing is certain, none of us know what will come next. That’s why it’s important to remember that investing for the long term is about sticking to the principles of investing in-line with your attitude to risk, focusing on time in the market, not timing the market, not having all of your eggs in one basket, and knowing your investments are in the hands of experienced fund managers with the skills to remain prudent while also looking for opportunities in what are rapidly changing markets. These principles remain key in these uncertain times.

I want to reassure you that current market performance also doesn’t change the key principle of making sure you use all of your annual allowances. So, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your investments or wish to make sure you’ve used all of your allowances, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

For existing clients I will be conducting your financial reviews remotely via the telephone and zoom or alternatively in my office which has social distancing measures / hand sanitizing facilities in place, however please remember to bring your mask.

To contact myself please call the office on 016973 25852 or my mobile 07946 438807

Most importantly, please stay safe and stay well.
Yours sincerely

Richard Cakans
Lighthouse Financial Advice
Hetherington House
Miller Park
Station Road
Wigton
Cumbria
CA7 9BA