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David Williams Independent Financial Advisers are one of the county’s best-known names in financial services and are recognised for delivering quality service allied to traditional values. Based in Cliftonville, Northampton, the Practice continues to grow and develop, having recently appointed two new Partners, Phil Cox and Nick Beal.
As a result of the considerable increase in demand for their mortgage service, and in keeping with their strategic growth plan, David Williams Independent Financial Advisers have increased their team of mortgage specialists to three, along with a fully dedicated admin support team.
Plans for further expansion are in place for later this year. David Knight, Partner said “It is vitally important for a business like ours
to have a mortgage team that offers clients the help and service that they have become accustomed to over the years, as well as our new
clients who may be experiencing this level of service for the first time.
Our team of advisers – Alison, Lucy and Claire – have the breadth and depth of knowledge to advise on all aspects of securing a mortgage, for
both personal and commercial clients.” “Your mortgage is likely to be your single largest financial commitment”, commented department head, Alison Davies. “So, it is therefore essential that you make the best possible choice, and we have immediate access to all the leading lenders and mortgage schemes including fixed, capped and discounted variable rates. If you ‘go it alone’, it is very diffi cult to access the full range of options, quite apart from understanding the associated technicalities. Making a decision based on interest rates alone can leave you exposed to hidden charges that only emerge when it is too late – it really does make sense to call on a professional for help and guidance.” And it’s not just finding a mortgage that’s right for you – it’s all the form filling that goes with it. Alison added “We also take care of all the paperwork, deal with the lenders, and liaise with solicitors and estate agents on your behalf. Our mortgage team know who to contact and how to find them quickly.
David Williams Independent Financial Advisers have been arranging mortgages for clients for over 30 years and unlike many other mortgage advisers are able to provide clients with a comprehensive service and do not charge fees as the cost of their advice is covered by payments received direct from mortgage lenders. The next time you need some help with a mortgage, speak to Alison, Lucy or Claire.

Alistair Darling has delivered his first Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer. His focus was very much on stability against a backdrop of economic slowdown and turbulence in the global financial markets. His 50-minute speech delivered few shocks as Mr
Darling said the Government would do everything in its power to keep Britain’s economy strong and inflation low.

A reminder of some of the key previous announcements:

The pre-Budget report in October 2007 laid the foundation for the main Budget, although several of the proposed changes have since undergone substantial change, notably capital gains tax (CGT) and non-domicile measures.
Summary of main proposals:

• The main rate of corporation tax will fall from 30% to 28% from April 2008 and taxes for small companies will be simplified.
• The 18% flat rate of capital gains tax, and a 10% rate for the first £1 million of lifetime gains – known as entrepreneur’s relief – was confirmed as taking effect from 6th April 2008.
• The £30,000 levy on long-term non-domiciles to pay their tax on a remittance basis was confirmed as taking effect from 6th April 2008.
It had already been announced that the top-rate income tax threshold will rise to £43,000 from 6th April 2008.
The 10% starting rate is abolished from April 2008, with the basic rate falling from 22% to 20% at the same time.

Residence and domiciles

Key changes to proposals to residence and domicile reforms announced in the pre-Budget report include:
• Income and gains from offshore trusts will only be taxed when remitted to the UK, even if they come from UK assets.
• The annual £30,000 charge on non-domiciles resident for more than seven of the last 10 years will
not be paid by children and should be creditable against foreign tax.
• People with unremitted offshore income and gains of under £2,000 are exempt from the £30,000 charge and changes in personal allowances.
• Day counting tests for residence have been amended so that physical presence in the UK at
midnight counts as a whole day but are modified for those in the UK in transit.

Savings/ISAs

Mr Darling confirmed the reform to the Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) announced in 2007. From April 2008, more than 17 million ISA savers will be able to invest a total annual limit of £7,200 - £3,600 in cash and £3,600 in stocks and shares.

Housing and mortgages

Mr Darling said that from April 2008 key workers, such as teachers and nurses, would be able to borrow up to 50% of the cost of a property through shared equity schemes, instead of the current 75%. Stamp duty on shared ownership homes will not be
payable until people own 80% of the property. He said he wanted to extend the opportunities for homebuyers to take out long-term, fixed rate mortgages, and that these should be moor flexible, to protect them from fluctuating interest rates. He stated that these mortgages would help to reduce some of the risks involved in taking out mortgages, particularly for first-time buyers and people on low incomes, and
that he would develop this further in the pre-Budget report for the autumn.

One of Northamptonshire’s best known and largest independent financial advisers are celebrating another milestone as they welcome two new Partners from within. David Williams Independent Financial Advisers based in Cliftonville, Northampton are pleased to announce the appointment of Phillip Cox and Nick Beal as they join the Partnership of this long established firm.

“We are delighted that Nick and Phil have accepted our offer,” said senior Partner David Sparrow. “The contribution they have made to the Practice since becoming Associates has been tremendous and their appointment is fully deserved.” Fellow Partner David Knight agreed “Nick and Phil’s enthusiasm and wide expertise will complement and strengthen our existing management team as the business continues to expand.” Phil has over 30 years in the industry with a background in the traditional life office sector and more recently as a specialist pensions independent financial adviser. By his own admission Phil has always been something of a ‘Techie’ and is therefore ideally suited to be at the forefront of all of the firm’s IT initiatives.

Nick , who joined David Williams in 2000, is probably known to sports fans as one of the former favourites of the Northampton Saints rugby
squad however before turning professional Nick spent seven years becoming fully qualified in financial services. Nick commented “when deciding upon my career beyond rugby it made sense to build upon my financial services experience and I chose David Williams IFA’s knowing the quality of service they provide to their clients (I was one) and also the potential they could offer for the future.”

Established over 30 years ago David Williams Independent Financial Advisers provide a comprehensive financial planning service to private
and corporate clients. The business has grown and developed over the years gaining clients almost entirely through personal and professional recommendation with many local solicitors and accountants happy to refer their clients to ‘DWIFA’ for their specialist financial planning
services.

Their ethos is based on integrity and competency and with Nick and Phil on board the Partnership now holds a level of professional qualifications that are amongst the highest in the industry. David Sparrow adds “Our aim is to build long-standing relationships
with clients providing consistency and continuity – and one of our proudest claims is that we give advice to some local families spanning
four generations. ”David continued “We have just completed our best year ever in business and with Nick and Phil now committed to us for
the future the outlook could hardly be better.”

Growth is a positive thing, but only if the fundamental values - client-driven, personal service - remain the same, according to Northamptonshire’s largest independent financial adviser David Williams IFA.

In the past six years, since their move into premises in Cliftonville, Northampton, the company has seen the team of advisers grow from four to twelve, offering a wider range of specialist areas and, of course, the opportunity for the company to grow and develop. Existing partners David Sparrow, David Knight and Ian Lowe were joined last year by new partners Nick Beal and Phillip Cox, while the mortgage advice team, headed by Alison Davies, was increased to fi ve, with three advisers working alongside two administrators.
“David Williams is the largest truly independent IFA in Northampton and we are proud of that fact and of the way the company has continued to grow and develop over the past few years,” said partner David Knight.
“We’re also proud of the fact that 97 per cent of our business comes from either recommendation or organic growth, and word-of-mouth referrals are so important in this business.

“The good relationships we are intent on maintaining with clients will not be affected by the growth of the company. We remain committed to friendly,
personal service, offering a fi rst class service on a one to one basis backed up by long standing administrative staff, and will never lose sight of that.”
Financial advice has to come from the experts, but clients also need reassurance that their money is being invested wisely to best facilitate their
personal requirements.

At David Williams Independent Financial Advisers, structures are in place to ensure clients receive the service they need. Each client has their own personal fi nancial adviser, however, where any substantial investment is involved, the adviser will call upon a colleague to endorse the advice given - what the team calls their “four-eyes approach”.

“We believe it is often appropriate to take an overview, to have some input and to share knowledge of different areas of fi nance to obtain the best advice for
our clients,” said David Knight. We work hard to ensure that the expansion of the company does not compromise our ethos of providing the very best financial advice along with first class service from a team who care.