Left a job? Know Your Pension Options

Opting to leave your pension untouched might seem convenient, but it’s often not advisable. This is primarily because pension schemes are not compelled to maintain communication with you or provide annual updates on your pension’s management or investments. Consequently, you lose insight and control over investment decisions.

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The Rising Cost of Education in Ireland

The annual ‘Cost of Education’ survey reveals that more families are now inclined to initiate a savings fund compared to the previous year.   Key Findings: A Shift Towards Savings: The number of families planning for future savings has surged

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The Real Costs of DIY Investing

Empowering individuals to take control of their finances is essential. However, managing investments on your own might not always be the best approach. While it might seem like a straightforward task, akin to assembling a piece of furniture, the intricacies

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What is income protection and how does it work

  Income protection insurance offers a safety net by providing a regular cash payment if you’re unable to work due to a prolonged illness, injury, or disability. This is different from private health insurance and doesn’t cover redundancy.   What

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inheritance planning couple

Estate Planning & Inheritance in Ireland

Navigating the complexities of inheritance tax can be daunting. In Ireland, it’s essential to understand the ins and outs of inheritance tax planning to ensure that your loved ones receive the maximum value of your estate without being burdened by

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cohabiting couples ireland

Inheritance Tax for Cohabiting Partners in Ireland

In Ireland today, more couples are opting for cohabitation, either delaying marriage or forgoing it altogether. The Law Society’s 2016 census revealed that out of 1.22 million families in Ireland, over 152,000 are cohabiting. This represents a 6% increase since

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Roban Financial Breakfast Seminar

We were delighted to host a Breakfast Seminar in the Riverside Park Hotel on Tuesday last 28th March in conjunction with Irish Life. Kevin Fitzsimons, Pensions Development Manager, Irish Life presented very informative and interesting presentation on the topical subject

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Budget 2023

Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D., and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath T.D., delivered the details of Budget 2023., yesterday 27th September. Jim Power, Economist summarised it by stating; “Budget 2023 can accurately be described as a very

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Budget 2022

The Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have  announced details of Budget 2022.  The budgetary preparation process is far more transparent than it has been in the past, and therefore there were no real surprises announced

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Planning for Gift & Inheritance Tax

The importance of inheritance tax planning is not in question.   However it may not be well known that there are measures you can take to alleviate at least some of the burden of same. The standard Gift and Inheritance tax

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Happy Christmas From All At Roban Financial

All of us at Roban Financial would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and Peaceful New Year. Thank you for your continued support during 2020 and we look forward to meeting you again in 2021! Our offices are

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Roban Financial are Open

We hope you are all keeping well through these uncertain times. We appreciate that while we have had to adapt the way we live our lives due to the ongoing threat of Covid 19, that our financial needs remain the

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Roban Financial – Phase 1 Re-Opening

Our Government has just commenced phased re-opening of the country, as of yesterday 18th May 2020. In adhering to Government guidelines and in the interest of public safety, to both our clients and staff alike, we would like to assure

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Roban Financial are here for you

In adhering to Government guidelines and in the interest of public safety, to both our clients and staff alike, we would like to assure you that we are taking every measure to manage and minimise the risk of COVID-19 and

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Investing in Today’s World

After a lengthy and very strong investment run, the investment markets are under a lot of scrutiny currently due to the effect of the Coronavirus. This of course is not welcome news, either in the investment industry or for any

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A New Year Financial Resolution!

Several weeks into the New Year, the media coverage and social media is yet again very focused on all our New Year Resolutions from keep fit regimes, menu planning, house decluttering and financial planning.   All of which are very positive.

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What is Multi Claim Protection Cover?

Multi‑Claim Protection Cover is a new plan introduced by Royal London who advised that it is “a severity‑based policy aligned to the progression of modern medicine and health”. So what does this mean?  In short, this means that claims are paid in line with the severity of the impact that the condition or illness may have on your life.  Each claim also has the potential for multiple payout components.

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Education planning starts now!

It’s that time of year again when parents very much feel the financial strain of the return to school and college.  And whilst September is traditionally associated with hugh expense, it is a timely reminder that to save all year

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Welcome to Laura O’Donnell, Qualified Financial Advisor

    Roban Financial are delighted to welcome Laura O’Donnell, Qualified Financial Advisor to our expanding team. Laura is a Qualified Financial Advisor with a wealth of financial services experience, particularly in the banking sector, having worked with Bank Of

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A Financial De-Clutter

Most of us will have heard of Marie Kondo this year and her de-cluttering methods which are based on the ability of all your belongings to spark (or not as the case may be!) joy. Only when they spark joy

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What is a Defined Contribution Scheme?

A defined contribution pension scheme (DC) is an employer sponsored pension scheme, where Employers make pension contributions to a pension for employees who also contribute to the pension plan.   Such a scheme aims to give you sufficient income to live

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The impact of starting pension savings early!

During our recent Auto Enrolment Seminar, Michelle Leacy of Zurich gave a short presentation on Investing.   One particular slide resonated with our audience that day as it clearly demonstrated the importance of starting to contribute to pension from an early

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Investment Options for your Deposit Funds

It is estimated that there is over €90 billion held on deposit in Ireland, in a time where deposit rates are historically low.  This is likely driven by the fear of losing money especially given the losses incurred during the

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Pension Planning – a good idea?

Pension planning is one of those issues that can be left on the to do list! And often when we as Advisers recommend Pensions, there are genuine concerns in relation to the tax efficiency of pension savings. Tax relief on

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A New Year – time to organise!

Several weeks into the New Year, the media coverage and social media is awash with 2 main themes as far as I can see; decluttering Marie Kondo style and organising your life including your financial life with to do list’s

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Happy New Year

We wish you all a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2019.  We look forward to seeing you throughout the year.

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Cyber Monday Alert

We cannot have missed the fact that not only was last Friday Black Friday but it was Black Friday Week.   And it continues with today being Cyber Monday. There has actually been a lot of discussion in the media about

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The Cost Of Education Survey 2018

Zurich Life have just released their latest Cost of Education in Ireland study.  While it feels like we have just settled into the summer holidays, many will have already started to plan for the return to school and college in September.

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Would you like an Expert Medical Opinion?

It is a harsh reality that all too many people are diagnosed with a serious illness in their lifetime.  The good news is that a lot of serious illnesses are treatable to the extent that a full recovery can be made.

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GDPR & Roban Financial

As you may be aware the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) came into effect on 25th May 2018. So what impact does this have on your relationship with Roban Financial? As a Financial Services provider, Roban Financial always

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Tax relief on pensions is often a contentious issue. One of the main arguments against actually contributing to pensions in order to fund a retirement pot as such is the perception that whilst tax relief if available on entry, effectively

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Succession Planning Tax Seminar – An Overview

Roban Financial together with Frizelle O’Leary and Doyle Fielding Accountants held a very informative Succession Planning Tax Seminar in the Riverside Hotel, Enniscorthy Tuesday night 10th April last. John O’Leary of Frizelle O’Leary focused on succession planning from a legal

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Succession Planning Tax Seminar – Thank You!

Thank you to all those who attended what was a very informative Succession Planning Tax Seminar last night in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy. The seminar drew a large attendance and feedback has been very positive. Succession Planning was the

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Wishing you all a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day & weekend. Our offices will be closed Monday 19th March and we will re-open at 9 am on Tuesday 20th March. Thank you

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The Financial Review Process

We have received a lot of queries about the financial review process recently and indeed the cost of the service. I’ve blogged about the steps in the process before but thought it no harm to recap below. In relation to

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Succession Planning Seminar Postponed

Due to the recent adverse weather conditions and continuing challenging travelling conditions, Roban Financial together with Doyle Fielding Chartered Accountants and Frizelle O’Leary, Solicitors have decided to postpone our Seminar on Wednesday next 7th March.  We will hold the Seminar

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An Expert Medical Second Opinion

Whilst we strive to empower people to provide life and serious illness assurance cover for themselves in order to protect their loved ones, we like our clients, hate to actually really think about it. None of us wants to leave

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We will be closing.

Due to the adverse weather conditions and for the safety of our employees, Roban Financial will close today Thursday, 1st March at 1 pm and remain closed tomorrow, Friday 2nd March. We hope you all stay safe over the coming

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Fail to Plan – Plan to Fail

As the saying goes “Fail to Plan, plan to Fail”. This is a very true saying in all aspects of our lives but none more so than in our financial planning lives across all areas of financial planning. We all

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A New Year Financial Resolution

Several weeks into the New Year, how are your New Year Resolutions going?  The New Year is certainly a dream for the commercial world in terms of the products and goods we see in all the supermarkets and shops this

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Happy Christmas!

All of us at Roban Financial would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas & Peaceful New Year. We would like to sincerely thank you for all your support during the year and we look forward to meeting

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The 5 Steps to a Financial Review

Proper financial planning is extremely important.   It can mean the difference between being able to enjoy life knowing you are planning and preparing for the future and simply not being prepared for life’s important events. For that reason it is important to

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We move upstairs!

Due to continued expansion, we are delighted to announce that we are moving to a larger office in the same building here in Slaney Place, Enniscorthy. We are closing tomorrow, 24th November to facilitate this move. We will have limited

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How was your tax year?

The last couple of weeks likely saw a lot of you meeting with your Accountant to get the not so good news of tax due.  Of course a higher tax bill actually means ultimately higher profits for the previous which

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October Year End & Pension Opportunities!

As we fast approach the October 31st year end (or November 14th if you file your return online) it is timely to remind you of the hugh tax savings that can be made by contributing to your pension at this time

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Roban Financial closed this afternoon

Please be advised that the offices of Roban Financial are now closed this afternoon to ensure the safety of all our staff. We would remind everyone to stay safe as we all look forward to Storm Ophelia passing.

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Data Protection Regulations will impact us all

As you may be aware the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) will place requirements on all businesses and organisations to implement strict Data Protection policies and procedures by 25th May 2018. Whether as a business or voluntary organisation,

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Budget 2018 – The Good, the Bad & the Ugly!

October 10th saw the Finance Minister Paschal Donohue unveil the most recent budget.  So how will it affect you? Here’s a brief overview of some of the changes that will likely affect most Irish households. Income Tax;  An increase of

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How you can reduce your 2016 Tax Bill!

The October 31st Tax Deadline (or Tuesday 14th November 2017 if you file and pay online) is fast approaching and no doubt Accountants & Clients alike are looking forward to the conclusion of all the paperwork that goes with same, not to

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A new society – with old rules!

We are living in a new increasingly liberal society, one which generations before us could scarcely have imagined.  Ireland, once an extremely traditional country now allows divorce and same sex marriage!   It is now common place to live together before

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A New Start!

Congratulations to all those starting their third level courses today!  No doubt those places were hard earned, with increased point requirements and level of competition for places in third level, it will have been a stressful year for many. Hopefully

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What if the Pension Age was moved to 70?

According to Media reports this week, there is a Government proposal to extend the current pension age to 70.  Whilst the Government have rejected this proposal, at least for now, we have to consider the real possibility of it happening

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Schools Out!

For many families, today is the first day of the Summer holidays!  And much like we were, our children are no doubt excited about Summer and enjoying the feeling of having a nice long, (hopefully sunny!) summer in front of

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Why avoid thinking about our Retirement?

The Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF) recently commissioned a survey to examine retirement planning in Ireland and gauge people’s opinions and expectations of their retirement. The survey concluded that many people simply avoid thinking about retirement for much of

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The Co-habiting Tax Trap

Are you co-habiting? You should be aware of the Inheritance tax implications for unmarried couples. Did you know that as a co-habiting couple, there are potentially major tax implications to you on the death of your partner, if you receive

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Plan for the long term but focus on today!

We cycled a stretch of the Waterford Greenway yesterday (from Dungarvan to Durrow to be exact) and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was nicely busy and so nice to see so many people, walking, running and cycling it, in particular lots of

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Annual Business Information Seminar – Case Studies

During our recent Annual Business Information Seminar, Justin Kelly and Richard O’Neill of Zurich Life gave excellent presentations highlighting the importance of good Business Protection planning and Succession Planning. Francis Russell of our office concluded the Seminar with an interesting presentation

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Happy Easter!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our loyal customers a very Happy Easter. Our offices will be closed tomorrow Good Friday, 14th April for the Bank Holiday weekend. We will reopen at 9 am Tuesday 18th

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Annual Business Information session

We are looking forward to our Annual Business Information session which we are holding in the Riverside Hotel, Friday 7th April next. We are holding this year’s session in conjunction with Zurich Life with a view to focusing on specialist

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I never even got an apology

These were the words of a friend of a friend to me recently, when she discovered I worked in financial services and told me her story of severe financial loss (of pension funds invested) during the recession.  My heart went

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Can you tick all the boxes?

I personally have many a “to do list” which itemises the multitude of tasks I need to deal with on a daily basis.  It is a simple and satisfying way of ticking off those tasks be it the shopping list

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Roban Financial welcomes Elaine Finn

Roban Financial are delighted to welcome Elaine Finn to our team.  Elaine has over 10 years experience in the Banking and Financial Services sector.  Elaine’s role will be to further enhance the dedicated personal review service we offer to our

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If you are co-habiting you need to read this.

Are you co-habiting? If so, you need to be aware of the Inheritance tax implications for unmarried couples in relation to the property and/or life assurance policy either or both of you hold. If as an co-habiting couple, you have

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The Luxury of Retirement?

In this part of the Country at least (Wexford) it is a wet, miserable day and the fleeting thought of the luxury of retirement might have passed your mind this morning! Retirement can be luxurious in terms of being able

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Protect your Business!

Last week, I spoke about the importance of personal cover, be it life cover, serious illness cover or income protection cover.  Having such plans in place can alleviate the stress of what would be a very tough time in any

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New Year Resolutions anyone?

A New Year symobolises a new beginning and traditionally brings with it a multitude of New Years Resolutions.  For the most part I believe, New Year Resolutions are well intentioned and are of benefit, even if they do not last the

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Phone Issue Resolved

Thank you for your patience – our phone issue has been resolved and the phone lines are fully operational again. We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you Roban Financial.

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Our phone issues are ongoing

We do apologise for the ongoing phone issues we are experiencing. If you need to contact us please contact Myles at 086 2555127 or the office by email at info@roban.ie. Thank you. Roban Financial.

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Notification of Phone Issue!

Please bear with us as our phone systems are down today, Wednesday 4th January. We hope to have this issue resolved as quickly as possible but in the meantime please contact us at 086 2555127. Thank you Roban Financial

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Happy New Year from all at Roban Financial

We would like to wish all our loyal clients a very Happy New Year and we hope the year ahead brings health, happiness and good fortune to you all. We have a Staff Training today tomorrow, Tuesday 3rd January and

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Happy Christmas from all at Roban Financial!

We would like to wish all our loyal customers a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.  May 2017 bring health and happiness. Thank for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you again in 2017. We

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Organising your Financial Life

As the year draws to a close, it is a good opportunity to think about the year ahead and while we might not always stick to our New Year Resolutions, it can be worth making and sticking to at least

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Roban Financial “Black Friday Specials”!

With its origins in the US, ‘Black Friday’ has fast become a major event here in Ireland too with all major retailers offering not only ‘Black Friday’ specials but weekly specials and beyond! It is human nature to love a

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Where does your Children’s Allowance go?

As any of you with young children will know, Children’s Allowance is paid monthly and the amount varies depending on the amount of children one has.  It will not make any of us rich but it is welcome, and for

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When is it worth paying for financial advise?

It is fair to say we are in a time when financial brokers are transitioning from offering a ‘free’ service to seeking payment from clients for their services. This is due to many factors, including the changing commission market (whereby

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Budget 2017 – How will it help you?

Most of us probably listened to countless interviews yesterday with Michael Noonan in particular, regarding Budget 2017.  It has been dubbed the “Fiver Budget” due to the fact that it gives a little to everyone.  Many feel this is not

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Budget 2017 – A Snapshot

Budget 2017 is well underway & this is what we know so far; 9% VAT rate for tourism and hospitality industry will be retained Start Your Own Business scheme to be extended for a further two years Low cost, highly flexible loan fund

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Your Pension Obligations as an Employer

You may well have heard the recent radio campaign advising Employers that if you do not find the time to put a pension scheme in place for your Employees that you are breaking the law.  The Ad in itself is

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Pensions: A Young Persons Game

Thus started a very interesting article by Charlie Weston in the Irish Independent earlier this week.  A heading that caught my eye as it’s an often quoted phrase ie. “A young persons game” but not often used in terms of

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The true value of a stay at home parent

Most of us, as parents, would love if one parent could stay at home full time with our children. The value of a stay at home parent, it can be argued, is truly priceless in terms of the emotional welfare

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The Countdown Begins!

The count down to back to school begins, and likely, depending on the age of your children, they are are loving or hating the idea of going back to school! It an expensive time for parents with not only the

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After you’re Gone

I realise the title sounds like the title of a good thriller (Google has confirmed to me that it is not, though it does seem to be popular in song lyrics!). However for the purpose of this blog, I want

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Organising your Financial Life?

Are you organized in your financial life?  If so, well done – I would hazard a guess you are one of the few who are!  I think it would be fair to say that the majority of us, for many,

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Barbeque Talk!

Happily, having been lucky to enough to have a lovely sunny Sunday, we had a barbeque and during the course of the afternoon, somehow the conversation turned to the cost of sending a child to third level education. Due purely

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What does Brexit mean for Ireland?

Much has been written in recent weeks about the impact on Ireland of the decision by the UK to leave the European Union. I think it is fair to say that for the most part, it came as a shock

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Have you got money sitting on deposit?

If you have, you’re likely kicking yourself, you did not invest before now, as time fly’s past and you realise if you’d invested it say a year ago, you would have one year of potential positive returns behind you instead

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Pensions – The Ongoing Journey 2016

Thank you to everyone who attended our hughly successful Seminar this morning. Thank you to Pat Ryan, Davy Select, Gerard Keane, Newcourt and Jim Power, Jim Power Economics, all of whom gave extremely interesting presentations.   Pat spoke about the Pensions

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Pensions – The Ongoing Journey 2016

We are looking forward to our Seminar which we are hosting in the Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy this morning and delighted to have a great line up of Guest Presenters; Gerard Keane Newcourt Retirement Fund Managers “Self Invested Pension Structures

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Could Your Business Survive Without You?

No doubt if you are running your own business, it requires all your energy, time and focus.  In fact a work life balance is an entirely different blog for another day! However the danger with focusing on the business ‘today’

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Where to get good Financial Advice?

This was the title of an Article published in the Irish Independent on Thursday 28th April last. It was an informative article on the Financial Broker market with some interesting points in relation to highlighting the different types of advisors

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Your Financial Life Plan

As you may know, Roban Financial are honored to be nominated in the Operational Excellence Award category in this year’s Wexford Business Awards. This Award recognises the Lifestyle Planning Service Roban Financial offers clients. So what is a Financial Life

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Guardians versus Godparents

I read a very interesting blog recently by Eoin O’Gorman (referenced with Eoin’s permission; please see www.ogormansolicitors.ie) , a Wexford based Solicitor who wrote about a question he often gets asked namely whether the selection of Godparents for their children

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The Stark Reality

Myles & Francis of this office attended a very informative Seminar “Pensions & Investments Seminar” held recently by Davy Select. The findings of the recent Irish Association of Pension Funds – Benefits Conference were discussed. Of particular note were the following

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Protect yourself from the unexpected

On a Monday morning most of the working population can fairly accurately predict what the rest of the week will bring. With the week more or less mapped out in advance, you can get on and apply yourself to the

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Taxation: Inheritance tax implications for unmarried couples

Unmarried co-habiting couples are frequently unaware of inheritance tax implications on claims over life cover policies and the legitimate means of managing those – according to Caledonian Life. Evidence from brokers suggests that many co-habiting couples are under the false

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75% Unhappy With Saver Rate

According to a survey of 1,000 people more than 75% of respondents were not happy with the rate of return that they were receiving on their savings, as interest rates remain at historically low levels.   Many savers have come

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Ulster Bank forced to reinstate Tracker Mortgages

BROKERS have claimed that Ulster Bank has been forced to restore large numbers of homeowners to valuable tracker mortgages.   One broker said he had secured a total of €300,000 in compensation from the bank over its failure to put

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Many paying over the odds for mortgage protection

Many paying over the odds for mortgage protection MASSIVE differences in the cost of mortgage protection insurance have prompted calls for homeowners to review their cover, writes Charlie Weston.   A couple with a home loan can save up to

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FREE €10,000 Life Cover Offer

€200,000,000 free Life Cover for 20,000 parents That’s €10,000 for each parent!   Protecting your family’s future is one of the most important things to plan for. However, many of us don’t have any life cover at all. In fact,

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