What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm

1st Financial Foundations

Home
United Kingdom
Milton Keynes
1st Financial Foundations

We show you how to develop long-term financial security and wealth, no matter where you are in your

1st Financial Foundations Independent Financial Advisers provide an expert, flexible approach to managing our clients' wealth. We work with our clients to understand their requirements, and we bring these together with retirement, investment, protection and personal long-term financial solutions to enable them to achieve their life goals. You’ll find our refreshingly honest and down-to-earth approach is based on personal, practical experience. There’s nothing we recommend that we haven’t personally utilised ourselves. And, because we are independent, our advice and guidance is based on what we believe will generate the greatest wealth for our clients' circumstances, NOT what products we have to sell.

03/11/2026

John Healey has rebalanced things, taking a little more from some and giving it back to others. I'd call this a Robin Hood Budget.

Banks and people with savings or property income will pay more. Households get help with energy bills, and the £20,000 cash ISA allowance stays. There were no drastic steps on tax. But some taxes are still coming, and income tax thresholds stay frozen until 2031.

What I was hoping for was something on pensions, but from April 2027, most unused pension funds will still count towards your estate for inheritance tax.

So if you were waiting to see whether the rules would soften before you planned your next big financial moves, you now have your answer.

If you'd like to talk through what this means for your pension or your estate, I'm happy to chat, whether you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations or not. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

This is for information only and is not financial advice.

02/11/2026

Compared with buying property in Dubai, the delays from purchase to completion for UK homebuyers can get very frustrating.

The good news is the UK is looking to speed things up. In June, the Government announced reforms to the home buying process in England and Wales, aiming to cut around four weeks off the time it takes to buy.

Right now, an average purchase takes around 120 days. For what is usually one of the largest purchases you'll ever make, that matters. While it drags on, the money you've set aside isn't earning for you.

The reforms won't change a purchase you're in today, so getting your finance lined up early is still one of the best ways to avoid delays.

Whether or not you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations, email [email protected] or call 01908 523420 to talk through your next purchase. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

01/11/2026

Founder & Family is a new show for UK families who want to grow and protect their wealth, and it's live now on YouTube.

In every episode, we sit down with founders and members of the financial ecosystem to talk about how wealth is actually built, grown and protected for the people you love the most.

Real stories, real questions and real conversations on money, wealth and protection, brought to you by 1st Financial Foundations.

Watch Founder & Family on the 1st Financial Foundations YouTube channel and tell me in the comments what you'd like to see on the show. You can also email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

29/10/2026

UK households, the daily standing charge on your gas bill is being scrapped.

Chancellor John Healey announced it on Budget day, 28 October. Right now that fixed charge averages around £108 a year under the price cap, however much gas you actually use.

The plan is for that cost to move into the unit rate from 2027, the price you pay per kilowatt hour of gas you use. So your bill will follow your usage more closely.

The Government estimates around 60% of households could save an average of £45 a year. But if you use a lot of gas, the saving may not reach you.

It's a good moment to look at your household outgoings as a whole, from utility bills to your mortgage, so you know what you're working with going into next year.

Whether or not you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations, email [email protected] or call 01908 523420 to talk through your overall financial position.

28/10/2026

Chancellor John Healey brings good news for UK savers. Your cash ISA allowance is staying at £20,000.

The planned cut to £12,000 a year for under-65s was announced in the 2025 Budget and due to start in April 2027. It has now been scrapped in the Autumn Budget, today, 28th October.

That means you can keep putting up to the full £20,000 a year into a cash ISA, with the interest tax-free.

If you're saving for a house deposit, an emergency fund or both, it's worth checking how your ISA allowance fits with your other plans, including your next move and your mortgage.

Email [email protected] or call 01908 523420 to get in touch with us at 1st Financial Foundations about what concerns you following John Healey's Budget announcement.

22/10/2026

2-year fix or 5-year fix? After almost 30 years in UK mortgages, I can usually tell which one a client will choose. It comes down to their attitude to interest rates, and what they want their mortgage to do for them.

The more cautious, those not overly concerned about chasing the lowest rate, tend to fix for 5 years. They value certainty and would rather not remortgage every couple of years. For plenty of people, that's the right call.

Others are very conscious of cost. They want the lowest rate available, so they typically go for a 2-year fix. This is often the case for those using their mortgage as good debt to grow their assets. Borrowing to invest carries risk, so it has to fit your wider plans.

Horses for courses. Neither choice is right or wrong, it just has to fit your needs.

Whichever camp you're in, we can help. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Happy to talk it through, whether you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations or not. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

21/10/2026

Tax solicitor? Independent financial adviser? Pensions expert? Most people looking for financial advice in the UK don't know which one they need, and end up unsure whether what they're getting fits their goals.

At 1st Financial Foundations, we work with you on an ongoing basis and give advice tailored to you. Every piece of that advice is regulated, because we are directly authorised by the FCA.

For wealth planning, I always start with cash flow planning. That means a full audit of everything you have. Your inflows and outflows, then your pensions, investments and protection. If you own a company, we look at that too, and how it fits your wider goals.

There's a reason we're called 1st Financial Foundations. Get the foundation right first, then build on it.

If you'd like a free 45-minute chat to see how this would work for you, email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

20/10/2026

Income protection typically replaces around 66% of your income. It won't be the full amount, and coverage usually comes in set terms of 1, 2 or 5 years, or until retirement.

Two other things worth knowing.
1. Make sure the policy has been properly underwritten and no past medical issues have been left off the application.
2. Making a claim doesn't end your plan. You could claim for a number of months or a couple of years, go back to work, and as long as the plan is still active, claim again for a different illness or injury later on.

If you'd like to talk through the level and term of cover that would suit you, email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free, no strings attached.

19/10/2026

Thinking of leaving the UK because of where tax is heading? Check it isn't only because someone you know is doing it.

I've seen this play out before. Quite a few people moved to Singapore or Dubai when UK taxes went up. Some of them have since come back, and the taxes waiting for them now are higher than when they left.

It's natural to want to do something, it might even be prudent to be proactive. But a move abroad is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make, so you need to know it's the right one before you go. Where do your cashflows stand? What will the move cost? What would it cost if you came back? And does it fit your long-term goals?

If you're weighing up a move, let's look at the full picture before you decide. Book a free 45-minute chat. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420.

18/10/2026

A lower mortgage rate can look great on paper, until you see what it actually costs upfront.

Some of the lowest rates come with a much higher product fee. You either pay it upfront or add it to your loan, and if you add it to the loan, you pay interest on it too.

So the cheapest-looking deal isn't always the cheapest deal. On a smaller mortgage, a slightly higher rate with little or no fee can work out better over the fixed term. On a larger mortgage, the lower rate may still come out on top. It depends on your numbers.

That's why we look at the total cost over the term, not just the rate.

Before you apply for the deal you've seen online, let's run the numbers together. Email me at [email protected] or call the office on 01908 523420. Happy to talk it through, whether you're a client of 1st Financial Foundations or not. Your 1st 45-minute consultation is free.

Address

Milton Keynes

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://1stff.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when 1st Financial Foundations posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.