Financial planning can all too easily be overlooked when you have more immediate pressures on your wallet. Yet by devoting a small amount of time to planning ahead now, you will give yourself the best chance of avoiding the worst of life’s financial pitfalls.

Life assurance and income protection
Paying relatively small sums into various protection policies now can protect you and your family from unnecessary financial grief. A life assurance policy can pay off debts still owed when you die, whilst income protection can help you to maintain your quality of life should you find yourself unable to work because of illness or injury.

Savings and investments
Regular savings needn’t go straight into the bank and be forgotten about. If you’re saving for long-term goals, you can perhaps afford to take more risk in the hope of achieving a greater reward. Cairn Independent can recommend collective investments to suit your financial goals and your perspective on risk.

Retirement planning
Giving up work may seem like a distant dream, but beginning to pay into a pension now rather than 10 years down the line could make all the difference to your future. Starting to save today may even double the size of the fund available to you at retirement (Source: unbiased.com).