259 April 2016 - Gryffe Advertizer

www.advertizer.co.uk april 2016
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with Colin Fyfe of Colcom
When faced with a technical problem on your computer a lot of us
turn to Google to find repair instructions or perhaps to find the correct
support team for the product. I have heard from numerous people who,
in following the most prominent search results, are landed into further
bother.
For example I had a customer last month
who had issues with an Epson printer. A
quick search online to find the number
of the technical helpdesk resulted in a
phone call to an otherwise professional sounding outfit, purporting to be
Epson technical support but offering little or no expertise on the issue
to hand. Furthermore, as the phone call continued with the obligatory
remote support session, my customer paid more than £100 for a useless
antivirus package and furthermore the printer was still faulty.
Another call I took regarding a ‘Tech Guru’ session resulted in the
machine being further damaged and the client paying £130 for nothing.
The client was left with the uneasy feeling that the machine was still
available to these people via remote support software.
If you ever require information for your product I would recommend a
Google search ending ‘Support’ for example ‘Epson Support’. Often
Google will come up with a box containing the correct and corroborated
number to call. I frequently hear stories of people paying needlessly for
services that should not exist. The nature of internet search and the
increasingly accessible market for this illicit foreign trade is something I
think us in Britain must get our heads around. Sad as it seems, there are
clever people around the world only too delighted to make a fast buck
on the back of our naivety online. I don’t mean to preach, naivety online
is something we are probably all guilty of.
Please do not hesitate to contact me on 0800 145 5915 or 07748 944622, or email:
colin@colcom
Financial Blog
by Carl Melvin,
Affluent Financial Planning Ltd
April 2016: New Tax year - New Opportunities
As one door closes...another opens. The new tax
year starts on 06/04/2016 and offers a number of
opportunities as well as some traps for the unwary.
So, how can you make sure you take advantage of the
new tax year opportunities?
1. Invest tax free in ISA accounts – maximum of £15,240 per person
can be tax sheltered each tax year in Cash ISA or Investment ISA.
You can use either cash or assets (such as investment funds) to
make your ISA subscription.
2. Reduce your Income Tax – by investing in a pension fund. You receive
income tax relief on your contributions up to your highest rate of
income tax equal to a 25% or 67% return on your net investment for
basic and higher rate taxpayers, before you even invest the money!
3. Beware Limits – be careful not to fall foul of pension limits as big
penalties can arise. There are limits on the total value of your pension
benefits, the amount you can invest to pension each year and the
amount of income tax relief you can claim.
4. High Earners & Pension Contributions - new rules limiting the
amount that high earners can invest each year into pensions (annual
allowance) comes into force. If your “adjusted income” (which
includes all pension contributions) is more than £150,000 your
annual allowance will start to reduce. However, if your “threshold
income” (excludes pension contributions) is £110,000 or less then
the reduction in the annual amount you can invest to pension will
not apply.
5. Pension Lifetime Allowance – the limit on the value of your total
pension benefits (known as the Lifetime Allowance or LTA) is due to
reduce, resulting in more tax for those above the new limit of £1M.
Transitional protection is available for those who are eligible.
This information is not financial advice. If you require advice, you should consult a professional
adviser. Achieving financial independence does not happen by accident – it is planned. Consider
taking professional advice. The first meeting is normally free and there is no obligation.
Call for a FREE financial review on 0141 280 0490 or 871 702 9490 or email us at info@affluentfp.
co.uk. Alternatively, pop into the Affluent office opposite Amaretto restaurant on Main Street, Bridge
of Weir. www.affluentfp.co.uk