The Lowdown
As we begin a new year, I’m proud to share some exciting updates and achievements from our team We recently welcomed new members to our growing company and we continue to make a difference in the local community through our charitable efforts Our efforts include a clothing and essentials donation to the people of Wrexham, and participating in the Glasgow Hyrox competition for Macmillan Cancer Support We are also celebrating some remarkable personal achievements across the sporting and academic spaces
In other news, St James’s Place have been making updates to improve your online experience and will be implementing a new process for viewing your Online Services - the details have been outlined in this issue As we approach tax year-end, we have some helpful resources, including an upcoming webinar and article, to guide you and your loved ones through this critical period
We are excited to share these updates and I couldn’t be prouder of the collective efforts of our team. Thank you for your continued support as we work together towards another successful year!
Best wishes,
Warren Hadlow, Director
Team Expansion New Year Donation
We are thrilled to introduce two new members of our paraplanning team who will bring a fresh new energy and expertise to our company
First, we welcome Jasmine Robinson Jasmine brings her many years in financial services and paraplanner experience to Hadlow Edwards
We are also excited to welcome Charlotte Clarke who has come from a Wealth Management background and is DipPFS qualified
I hope you will join us in giving them both a warm welcome as they help us continue to provide exceptional service to our clients
We are proud to share that our company organised a donation to the Wrexham Outreach Team for those living on the streets of Wrexham We donated essential toiletries, socks, underwear, and dog food which are constantly in demand at the charity This initiative reflects our commitment to giving back and supporting vulnerable members of our community We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the hard work of Wrexham Outreach Team who make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need
STAFF NEWS
CHARITY NEWS
Marathon Victory
CHARITY NEWS
Charity Hyrox Race
We are excited to share that two of our Paraplanning team, Chantel Moore and Grace Chester, are gearing up to compete as a double in the Glasgow Hyrox Competition on 13th-16th March in aid of Macmillan
Cancer Support.
Hyrox tests strength, endurance, and determination – and Chantel and Grace have been training hard to take on the challenge They will each have to complete a 1km run, followed by 1 functional workout station to be completed between them, repeated 8 times The functional workout stations included are:
1000m Ski Erg
50m Sled Push
50m Sled Pull
80m Burpee Broad Jumps
1000m Rowing
200m Farmers Carry
100m Sandbag Lunges
100x Wall Balls
“We both wanted to challenge ourselves this year We have been going to the gym occasionally before now, but we wanted to push ourselves to work as hard as we possibly could and Hyrox has given us the motivation to do that
It is an event that anyone can take part in, but it is very physically demanding so it has been a real test of character having to increase our training to be able to take on the challenge As two people who aren’t runners, this is going to be particularly challenging as there is 8km worth of running involved
We applied for a charity place on a whim and, as we were selected by the charity to take one of their spaces, we have been working hard to raise as much as possible for this amazing cause and do it justice. We know how important the work that Macmillan does for a lot of people, so we hope to do them proud and smash the fundraising and the event!”
Grace Chester, Paraplanner, & Chantel Moore, Assistant Paraplanner Team Leader
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Case Manager, Samantha Coffin, and Financial Adviser, Adam Tilston, triumphed in their first marathon in the Chester Marathon in October of last year. Their dedication, perseverance, and months of training leading up to the event truly paid off to give them to reach this incredible milestone
Sam completed her run in an incredible 3 hours 35 minutes. “I felt very stiff at the end but overjoyed to have accomplished running the furthest distance I have ever run The training was a real challenge and to say there were many tears along the way would be an understatement! I was relieved to have completed it, and very proud of the time I did too
Having suffered injuries in my training previously, I was spurred on by completing the Chester Half Marathon in May, and I wanted to keep my momentum going to reach the next level to say I was a Marathon runner too
I have now signed up to another Half Marathon and my ultimate goal is to complete the London Marathon”
Adam had a similar experience, completing the Chester Triple with his run: “It was such a great experience for my first marathon; I was surprised to have enjoyed it as much as I did The hardest part for me was the dedication to the training, particularly when it came to the higher mileage weeks where it became normal for me to run a half marathon after a long day’s work. I am thankful that my training was able to be done in the light nights of the summer months, which made the evening runs much more bearable I am excited to see what comes next!”
COMPANY NEWS
Exam Success
Congratulations are in order for Team Leaders Shirley Gleadhill, Emily Mooney, and Lucy Iball, and Paraplanner, Grace Chester, on their recent academic achievements Shirley and Emily earned their Level 3 qualification in Leadership and Management, Lucy passed her CII Personal Taxation exam, and Grace passed her CII Financial Protection exam
Their hard work and enthusiasm for furthering their skills and education is inspiring and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments We are excited to see how their new skills will benefit both the team and our clients
Well done to all four for their incredible achievements!
IronWoman
We're delighted to share the success of our Paraplanner Team Leader, Lucy Iball, who competed in the Ironman 70 3 World Championships in New Zealand in December
Lucy finished an incredible 53rd in her age group, managing an explosive start and coming out of the first leg of the swim in 2nd place in her age group
"I am so proud of myself There have been many times over the last 12 months that I didn't think I would make it to the start line through post-viral fatigue, injury, and other health issues, but I got there in the end. It may not have been the perfect race, but I am so proud to have been on the start line racing with the best of the best and giving it everything I had on the day"
Well done Lucy!
Tax Year-End Mythbuster
When it comes to managing finances, everyone has a perspective –whether it’s on building a solid pension, saving on taxes, or selecting the right investments And while seeking advice is a good habit, it’s essential to filter through the noise Not every tip you hear is grounded in fact. Here are a couple of common myths around financial advice that we can cut through the clutter and debunk, helping you build habits based on trusted information
MYTH: “I am too young to start thinking about a pension”
FACT: Starting a pension doesn’t mean you’re about to stop work But starting one early means that when you do, you should have a considerable pot of money So, you’re never too young The longer you save, the more you have the potential to benefit from compound interest. And you get the benefit of tax relief for longer too. Tax relief is where the government also contributes up to a certain amount, so your pension is a tax-efficient place to put your money.
MYTH: “Tax year-end is something for accountants, not me”
FACT: Tax year-end – 5th April – is much more than a date It’s an opportunity Almost all of us have tax-free allowances and many of those are annual After 5th April each year, your annual personal allowance, ISA allowance, pension contribution allowance and gifting allowances all reset to zero – so tax-savvy savers max out their ISAs, top up their pension or make gifts to loved ones before tax year-end Which makes 5th April a definite ‘Save the Date’.
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Are you ready for Tax-Year End?
DATE: Thursday 6th February 2025
TIME: 12:30 to 13:30
Speakers:
Niki Patel | Financial Tax Specialist
Claire Trott | Divisional Director - Retirement and Holistic Planning, Technical Connection
Just like building a fitness routine strengthens your body, smart tax planning builds a secure financial future Our webinar, Ready for Tax Year-End? is here to help you make confident decisions and establish strong habits for years to come
covered:
ng off your Year-End Tax Checklist with ease oring tax-saving opportunities tailored to you aring for inheritance tax considerations ewing personalised business and income tax hts
ducting a supportive financial health check
ilding your financial muscle today by joining this where you’ll learn practical strategies to grow nfidence and set yourself up for success
ls and bases of taxation, and reliefs from , can change at any time The value of any tax dependent on individual circumstances
If you, or someone you know, would like to hear from our SJP experts as they discuss the personal and business tax year-end opportunities to consider, you can register for the webinar here or by scanning the QR code opposite
Retirement of the Online Wealth Account
SJP’s Online Services has grown, and continues to grow, with new features and improvements that evolve with our clients’ needs With this in mind, the original Online Wealth Account will be decommissioned on the 23rd May and the New SJP Online Services will be the principal way in which you can access your accounts
The New SJP Online Services enables you to register and use the same login details across any devicemobile, tablet, or laptop The fresher, simpler design from the mobile app has been extended to the laptop and tablet views to make it even easier to navigate
If you have already downloaded and registered for the SJP App on your mobile - great! You can continue to use your app and you will now be able to use your login details on your laptop or tablet as well.
If you are currently only registered for the original Online Services, you will need to make sure you sign up to the New Online Services before the 23rd May to continue to access your accounts seamlessly and, if you have opted for paperless, to make sure this preference is translated If you register after this date, you will need to reset your preferences to paperless again
If you aren’t registered for Online services at all and you would like to be, you can use the following instructions to do so You will be able to view current values, find helpful graphs showing past and current performance, and see all correspondence relating to your SJP accounts
How to sign up to the New Online Services
You will need to make sure you have any of your SJP plan numbers, and your passport or driving licence, to hand for the registration process You will also be asked to take a photo or upload an image of yourself
Download the SJP App
Go to your device’s App Store and search ‘SJP App’, or you can scan the QR codes below
Follow the link online Visit https://online sjp co uk, click ‘sign up’ and then follow the instructions on screen
If you would like to know more about any of these topics, or if you or someone you know would like a no obligation financial review, please feel free to get in touch with us.
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