Nine financial and retirement solutions to support your plans for the future

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published 6 September 2022

From investing in wine to finding the perfect retreat for your retirement, here are some ways to make better use of your money so you can get ready for life after work.

1. Unlock your potential with the right financial support

Portman Asset Finance was established in 2007 to provide SMEs with access to a range of finance options under one roof. As both a lender and a broker, Portman provides business loans, finance lease, hire purchase and equipment refinance options. The company helps businesses get the equipment, machinery, vehicles or refurbishment they need to grow. It works with private sector businesses of any size and considers all types of credit history. It can get approvals within hours and can build tailored finance packages. There’s no complex call centre or departments, just one dedicated account manager who serves as your contact from start to finish. Visit portmanassetfinance.co.uk to discuss finance options for your business.

Wine can be a lucrative investment opportunity, especially in an age of rising inflation, provided you have all the tools to do it right. Wine investment company Oeno could help you get there, working with three Masters of Wine — Justin Knock MW, Oeno’s director of wine, as well as Almudena Alberca MW and Gabriele Gorelli MW, the group’s Spanish and Italian ambassadors — as well as collaborating with some of the world’s most trusted anti-fraud wine experts (the company has its own in-house antifraud unit). Oeno is the only wine investment company that’s two built-in exit strategies (liquidation pathways): Oeno Trade, focused on supplying top UK hospitality venues, and Oeno House, a fine wine boutique, at the Royal Exchange. Contact the team at invest.oenogroup.com/cam.

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Deciding where to live during retirement is essential. With easy access to a range of facilities, as well as community support, Enterprise Retirement Living’s villages could be for you. You can either buy or rent one of the village’s properties surrounded by lovely landscaped gardens. Buying will give you a new place to call home, while renting offers the flexibility to move on, if you wish, after the first 12 months. Whichever you choose to do, you’ll enjoy frequent events and daytime activities. Unsure this is for you? Spend a complimentary night in the ‘Try Before You Buy’ apartment to meet other owners, explore the grounds and see if the community is your next step. Visit erl.uk.com.

CRM software is key when it comes to keeping your business organised. Capsule is a smart, simple online CRM that helps businesses know more about their customers, build strong relationships and make the most of sales opportunities. Core features include contact management, project management, task management, sales pipeline, opportunity management and sales analytics. Email marketing is delivered via Capsule’s Transpond application, which provides an easy-to-use campaign and template builder, powerful automations, dynamic content and greater insight through its analytics suite. Capsule integrates with an ever-growing range of applications, including Outlook, Gmail, Xero and Mailchimp. There’s also a mobile app available on iOS and Android, so you can access it from anywhere. Visit capsulecrm.com for a free 30-day trial of Capsule.

As well as trading in bullion, Baird & Co offers CGT-exempt coins and produces its own bars in various sizes. Both can be used for investment purposes. Individual customers or businesses can purchase gold as assets to add to an existing SIPP (self-invested personal pension) or SASS (small, self-administered scheme). Customers can take advantage of a loyalty scheme, as well as the Baird & Co buy-back scheme, and buy and sell their allocation at competitive prices. With industrial products, numismatic coins and manufacturing materials such as casting grains, sheet, fancy wires, stampings and bespoke products, Baird & Co is a one-stop shop for all your precious metal needs. The company sources much of its feedstock from the secondary market, meaning that most of its bullion doesn't require additional extractive or environmentally damaging processes. Visit bairdmint.com, call 020 7474 1000 or visit the store at 48 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8EX.

When planning ahead, comfort is an important factor to consider. Unsteadiness is often part of aging, so consider investing in an efficient walking aid. Trionic’s outdoor one could be for you. As the primary innovator of outdoor walkers, the company has been helping customers return to a more active lifestyle for the past 15 years. Its terrain-taking model, the Veloped, can overtake curbs, rocks, roots and other obstacles without losing ground contact, making it one of the most reliable walking aids on the market. The sturdy design and air-filled tyres minimise vibrations and offer a smoother ride on gravel, grass, cobblestone and forest tracks. To find out more and request a free brochure, visit trionic.uk/outdoor.

Looking to secure a property for retirement? Willoway Country Park in Suffolk’s Red Lodge village offers prospective buyers over the age of 45 residential park homes, with prices starting at £195,000. The park is ideally located, close to the towns of Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket, with great transport links to local amenities and the wider area. It also has electronic gates ensuring maximum security, with all homes being brand new and coming with a 10-year warranty. If none of them are to your liking, you can even design your own, using the company’s bespoke service. Willoway Country Park offers 100% current market value, part-exchange service with no agent fees involved. Book a VIP viewing at willowaycountrypark.co.uk.

Oakmount & Partners has a simple aim — to optimise investment performance over the medium to long term without exposing customers to unnecessary risk. Offering compelling opportunities leading to 2025 and beyond, the company’s goal is to achieve a greater rate of return on investment for its clients while maintaining the same high level of personal and professional service it has continued to deliver for more than a decade. Oakmount & Partners provides premium-quality, asset-backed and secured investment opportunities with a strategic focus on clean energy, commodities, green mining, tech and IPOs. Contact the team for more information by calling 01279 874392. Subject to status, T&Cs apply. oakmountpartners.com.

Tingdene Residential Parks offers modern living for the retired and semi-retired over 45. The company creates park home communities in rural, coastal and town areas across England, with all essential amenities nearby. Your brand-new, fully furnished home could lower your cost of living, with reduced energy consumption and A-band council tax. These low-maintenance houses comprise one floor and come with a 10-year warranty. Once you’ve chosen the park and style of home you want to live in, you can choose your own furniture and colours to personalise it. Private outdoor space — garden and driveway — is included, as is a garage at an additional cost. To join a ready-made community of like-minded people in a safe environment visit tingdene-parks.net. Part exchange and assisted move schemes are available.

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