FINANCE News from PCC

Expert financial advice

By Andy Oliver, CEO of Private Client Consultancy

Financial Resolutions for 2022

With the Christmas season over, Private Client Consultancy is gearing up for the year ahead. At the beginning of every new year, so many of us set ourselves up with a list of resolutions to try and become better versions of ourselves. However, new year’s resolutions can be hard to stick to. Therefore, I am going to provide you with a guide that will make it a bit easier to achieve your financial goals for 2022.

Build savings

When it comes to financial goals, saving more is almost always at the top of the list. A good place to start is by building up your emergency fund. While it is always a good idea to have savings for a rainy day, an emergency fund can be useful in other ways. For example, it can help you avoid liquidating your assets at depressed prices when markets are particularly volatile. What you will want to consider next is if you are making the most of your savings. Some accounts only allow you to earn as little as 0.01%. If you can get at least .5% interest on a balance of any size, this will help you start earning more income. Additionally, if you have several different small accounts, you can bring them together to access a more effective interest rate. Of course, this can also help with managing your expenses more effectively.

Clear your debts

Managing debt can be stressful, but reducing and consolidating it will help relieve your tension. For example, if you have recently been given a pay rise or have taken a higher-paying position, it may benefit you to put this extra income towards your high-interest balances. Additionally, you may want to discuss strategies for reducing your loans in a cost-efficient way with one of our advisers.

Improve your credit score

Bad credit scores often prevent people from being approved for loans, credit cards, and mortgages. Not only that, but you may also be charged higher interest rates solely because of a poor score. Therefore, it is imperative to obtain a decent credit score. The first step to improving your score is actually knowing your score. Keep track of how you’re progressing and conduct annual credit reports to stay on top of it. The next step is to pay off your credit card balance on time each month. There are convenient ways for doing this, which may include setting up autopay and ensuring you will have sufficient funds at the time of payment by setting aside money for this purpose. Lastly, pay off your debts as soon as possible. This will not only raise your score, but it will also prevent you from having exorbitant interest fees.

Keep track of your pensions

Typically, people work multiple jobs throughout their lives. Because of this, many have pension funds that they have either lost track of or forgotten they even exist. Tracing old pensions can be a time consuming and tedious process, but it is necessary to obtain the funds you are entitled to. Our advisers can make the process less stressful by helping you track down your pensions. Once you have traced your pensions, you may want to discuss with a professional whether it would benefit you to move all your funds into one place. Additionally, if you can afford to max out on what your employer contributes to your pension, do so. This will increase your retirement pot. You should also review your national insurance record to ensure that you have been credited for every year you’ve worked. There are specific benefits you can claim if you are, for example, a couple with children. This has the potential to add a significant amount to your pension in retirement.

Make better investment decisions

If you are unsatisfied with the way you have been investing in the past, it may be time to sit down and contemplate what other options you have. For example, if you are interested in investing in a way that reflects your values and beliefs, you may want to consider ESG investments. Private Client Consultancy is committed to putting sustainability at the center of our investment process while still seeking

Typically, people returns. Speak with an adviser about how we can help you with these kinds of investments. work multiple jobs You may also want to review your portfolio to examine whether it is diverse enough. Spreading throughout their your money across a large range of assets lives. Because of this, and markets will allow you to maximise your opportunities for larger returns. When reviewing many have pension your portfolio, there are three elements you will want to consider: 1) Are you investing across funds that they have multiple different countries or regions? 2) Do either lost track of you own both shares and bonds? And 3) How much variety is there within the sectors you own or forgotten they (i.e., technology, retail, etc.), and can you do better? even exist. Tracing Speak to an expert to maximise your returns.

Consider your life goals when managing

old pensions can be your finances a time consuming What all of this planning ultimately leads to is providing you with a comfortable life in and tedious process, your retirement. Therefore, it is important to remember the end goal and whether you are but it is necessary to still on track to achieve it. Keep your specific obtain the funds you saving and investment goals in mind with every financial decision you make. If you feel you have are entitled to. deviated from your retirement plan in any way, speak with your adviser about how to get back on track. It pays to start planning early. If you would like to discuss your plan with a qualified adviser, please get in touch with us at info@pccwealth. com What all of this planning ultimately leads to is providing you with a comfortable life in your retirement. Therefore, it is important to remember the end goal and whether you are still on track to achieve it. Finally, on behalf of all of us at PCC, I would like to wish you a very happy and prosperous new year.

Sara de Melo Castanheira is an expert in Occupational Therapy and Quality of Life. She is also the Technical Director of SER Igual, an Association of special rehabilitation services in Tavira

LITTLE ELF

We leave a festive season with music, lights and familiar meetings. It’s the season to experiment with different flavours and foods. Christmas was here and now we've entered the New. But for little Elf this is a very challenging season. Little Elf has a divergent way of feeling things. His brain is neurodivergent so he feels and sees things in a different way. It is not a wrong way, but is a specific and unique way of seeing life and behaving, and it's ok to be different! Little Elf has what we Occupational Therapists call, a sensory processing disorder (SPD). And it means that he has a condition that affects how his brain processes sensory information (stimuli). Sensory information includes things you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. SPD can affect all of your senses, or just one. SPD usually means you're overly sensitive to stimuli that other people are not. Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. Like many illnesses, the symptoms of sensory processing disorder exist on a spectrum. In some children, for example, the sound of a leaf blower outside the window may cause them to vomit or dive under the table. They may scream when touched. They may recoil from the textures of certain foods. But others seem unresponsive to anything around them. They may fail to respond to extreme heat or cold or even pain. Many children with SPD start out as fussy babies who become anxious as they grow older. These children often don't handle change well. They may frequently throw tantrums or have meltdowns. Little Elf with his sensory processing disorder is over sensitive to things in his environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming. The light touch of a shirt chafes his skin. He is a little bit uncoordinated, bumping into things. Commonly it is hard for him to engage in conversation or play with other children and he might avoid other kids even though he wants to play with them. Sensory processing problems are commonly seen in developmental conditions like autism spectrum disorder. Can you recognise children near you that are like little Elf? I'll give you some tips so you can engage and understand better neurodivergent kids like our little Elf, especially in festive seasons like we just had and the changes a New Year can bring with it. The more we comprehend, the more we include. Children who melt down over the holidays do not mean that they are trying to ruin your fun or embarrass you, or (if you have a child like little Elf) that you are a bad parent. It does not mean that the child is a bad child or that he needs to learn a lesson, or that he's defiant and refuses to listen or even that he hates you. His behaviour may mean that he is overstimulated and needs a break, there's a lot of new people and he is feeling overwhelmed, or even that he needs your attention. It means too, that his brain is feeling flooded at that moment with emotion, and he can't think logically, and you need to take him to a safe space to let these feelings out ("I feel safe having these feelings with you, and I need you to be my calm right now"). Never forget that the child loves you and feels safe with you! For children like little Elf, Elf's best gift is someone joining his "world" and engaging with him through his world. Elf finds comfort in the familiar and in repetition. Little Elf always tells the truth, so sometimes he can be inconvenient without noticing it and he takes things very literally. Little Elf struggles with "taking turns" and always wants to win. Socialising can be physically draining and cause a 'social hangover' to this little Elf. Little Elf wishes people saw his great communication even when he can't speak correctly, but can read perfectly or create dialogues between his toys. Not everyone likes people looking at them, and so little Elf avoids looking at people and looks to the floor. Christmas jumpers are not for everyone and for our little Elf he really struggles wearing different textures. Little Elf thinks that if he likes something everyone else will like it too. Little Elf knows when he needs personal space at a party, so if you see him going to a corner you know what he is going through. Loud music, lights, crowds and decorations cause overload to this Elf. It is hard for him to manage what others give to him when he is unable to control it – little Elf likes to control everything in his life so he can

Little Elf has a predict what is going to happen and to avoid a sensory overload. Elf finds change hard and divergent way he needs to bring order in whatever way he can! Little Elf just eats specific food, because of feeling things. the sensory issue affects the way he sees and

His brain is feels food. Social skills require practice for this Elf, and sleep can be difficult sometimes. neurodivergent Sometimes Little Elf seems to ignore others. so he feels and But it's not true… he is just 100% engaged in one thing at a time. sees things in a Too many little Elfs are still excluded from their peers at school, parties or even in their friend's different way. It is family, because they are not understood. not a wrong way, If you have a little Elf at home or you know a family with a child like this little Elf, please but is a specific share this article and introduce them to and unique way Associação SER Igual in Tavira. We have a team of experts in Sensory Integration of seeing life and Evaluation that can help to best comprehend what's happening in those little Elf's worlds. behaving, and it's SER Igual is a non-profit association for ok to be different! handicap people and we have the mission to achieve more social projects, so we can have a more inclusive community. If you want to sponsor a social project or become a social investor, please come along and visit Associação SER Igual in Tavira. We will be glade to talk about our ideas and projects. If you are interested in our work, please visit us on our FB page (@SerIgualPT) and IG (@ igual.ser) or make an appointment to geral@ seronline.pt or by phone 918180020. Thanks once more for your attention. Stay safe and stay tuned for the next article.

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU PERHAPS?!

How many times do we hear of people joining the gym in January to visit only once? How many people decide to detox after their Christmas blow out and never actually do it properly?

If you start the year full of ambition, then hats off to you. However, will you last the course?! My personal view is why wait for a special day to begin looking after your health and wellbeing? Every day is a school day. Every day you have the opportunity to select healthy options or make poor choices that will reflect within our body. Your body can only take so much abuse. Typically, in your 40s you will start to experience a push back when your body begins complaining. The odd twinge, out of breath, fatigue perhaps? It’s rare to find anyone over 50 with no health challenges. Why wait until you are in crisis before taking action? Here are my top health tips to achieve and maintain a healthy immune system:-

• Detox daily – or at the very least, monthly • Check you are consuming quality nutrition – 80% of my clients are not – they have been duped by advertising spin • Take appropriate exercise – throwing yourself around a gym may not be the best course of action for you • Check your saliva and urine pH levels regularly to ensure you are not over or under acidic or alkaline. • Enjoy ‘me’ time every day to keep in balance and that your emotions are appropriately channelled • Whatever lights up your passion – do it daily • If you don’t like what you are doing – make a plan to change it

Balance is the key to living a long, healthy, and happy life. Laugh lots, love, forgive – not because the other person deserves it, but because you are worth it! Live every day in gratitude. Pay it forward. Every kind gesture you make to another individual is a gift to you too. Your body will receive a flush of happy hormones and thank you. Here’s to a happy, healthy 2022 to one and all.

Elaine Godley MBA, O.A. Dip (Psych) Elaine hails from the UK and lives in the Algarve, Portugal. Her clients live all over the world and enjoy better health, greater mobility and reduced pain. Through ‘at home’ laboratory blood tests, hair mineral tissue analysis, online metabolic testing and behaviour analysis, Elaine guides individuals on how to improve their health and wellbeing to reverse or avoid illness and disease. Elaine is an entrepreneur, former CEO, beat stage IV cancer and congenital kidney disease using an integrative approach. She blends psychology and nutrition, mentoring families and senior executives to heal their body.