Welcome to the spring edition of the Bluesky Bulletin.
In this edition, we look forward to 2026, offer a hearty welcome to a new member of staff and reflect on other events coming up this year.
2026 – A new beginning
The tulips and crocuses have been slowly brightening up grassy patches in the editor’s garden, there are days when you brave going out without a coat, and it no longer gets dark at 4 pm. Spring is definitely on the way. Soon, we’ll all be complaining about how hot it is (such is the way of the people who live in the UK).
Spring is a time of renewal and planning and this editor remembers a quote from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy:
‘Spring is the time of plans and projects.’
As we move into a new tax year, now is the time to start planning for next year. If possible, make sure you’ve used all your tax-efficient allowances (ISAs, pensions, etc).
If you’re thinking about that dream purchase or holiday project, don’t put it off any longer; do it while you can. This is the benefit of the cashflow model that all our clients have in place. The model will always tell you whether that dream is possible and even whether you can maximise these valuable allowances by using other sources of funds (cash savings, for example).
A look back at 2025
From an investment point of view, 2025 was a very good year – despite the tariffs announced in April. Markets have grown strongly, driven by the growth in US technology companies associated with AI. However, we have seen a slowdown in US equities over the last three months, leading some to question whether the easing in enthusiasm for AI will impact global growth.
This is a perfect example of why a diversified portfolio is so important, as the slowdown in US equity growth has been offset by an increase in UK, European, and Far Eastern equities as investment moves from the US to other global markets.
According to the Bank of America, the share of new investment in global equities in 2025 was only 26% for the US, which was the lowest figure since 2020. By having a diversified portfolio, drops in some markets can be offset by increases in other markets.
What will 2026 bring?
Who knows, but Jeremy, head of our Investment Committee, continues to be a strong believer that a diversified portfolio is the optimal approach for all our clients.
A comment on Iran
At the time of writing, markets have been rattled by events in the Middle East. The situation is evolving, so there is no clear picture of how events will play out. Markets dislike uncertainty more than anything, and the recent spike in gas and oil prices has led to falls in global equity markets.
At times like this, it is worth remembering that volatility (daily fluctuations in markets) is the price paid for superior investment returns when compared to leaving funds in cash.
We must accept that none of us (even the experts) know how the situation in the Middle East will develop or how financial markets will respond to these developments. However, we do know that trying to predict the future is impossible and that diversification is the best protection against uncertainty.
We must also remember that humans make poor decisions when emotions are heightened.
Should you wish to talk to your planner about the recent uncertainty and how it might impact your long-term plans, please get in touch.
Mill Lane
As some of our clients have experienced, Mill Lane is prone to flooding at the bottom of the road by the two small bridges next to the hotel. We always endeavour to phone clients the day before a meeting in the office if this has occurred so they can approach the office from the top of Mill Lane (from the Nirvana Spa end).
Please accept our apologies if you have been delayed.
Bluesky company days
As previous staff bulletins have detailed, each quarter, we hold an offsite day where all the staff get together for a day of company updates and training. We believe these days are invaluable to ensure we take time to reflect on what went well over the previous quarter and consider areas where we can improve.
The day is not all work and this time, Neil ran The Global Trading Game, which is a team building game where several teams compete to build shapes and then sell to the Banker.
The difficulty is each team has different resources which mimic real life. Advanced teams have technology, such as scissors and rulers, but no paper with which to build the shapes. Developing teams have resources, such as paper, but no technology.
The skill is to trade surplus items for other items that you do not possess. Completed shapes are sold for money and the winner is the team who makes the most.
In the afternoon, Neil ran a session based on the popular TV program and parlour game, The Traitors. Several colleagues were picked to be Traitors, and the game was run to uncover them.
Of the four Traitors picked, none remained at the end of the game, and the Faithful proved themselves very adept at uncovering the Traitors.
We extend a hearty welcome to Alison
We are pleased to say that we have bolstered our paraplanning team (our technical experts) with the addition of a very experienced paraplanner, Alison.
This is her personal bio:
‘Originally from Ruislip, Middlesex, I relocated to Berkshire in 2004, and currently live with my son and daughter in Finchampstead in a house that is over 100 years old and required serious renovating to make it habitable.
I have worked in financial services for over 30 years, having started my first ‘proper’ job in a high street bank in 1994 after finishing my A-Levels. I spent a few years studying for my Diploma in Financial Services, finally completing it in December 2010, a week before my daughter was born. I am especially proud of achieving a Distinction in my Tax exam.
I am a keen skier with annual trips to the Three Valleys in France. I also enjoy baking as I love to follow recipes and find I am completely lost without one! I have recently got back into reading and am treating myself to re-reading my entire Terry Pratchett collection.’
Alison has fitted in extremely well, and we look forward to having her in the team.
Pension on divorce webinar series 2025
Every year, we put on a series of webinars aimed at family lawyers and mediators who assist couples going through divorce.
Over two sessions, we presented to more than 250 family law professionals, which shows the high regard that family lawyers have for Bluesky’s expertise in this field.
We thought it would be nice to share some of the feedback we received from our attendees after the series finished in December:
“The in-depth pension offsetting webinar sounds fantastic. These PAG webinars have been brilliant, thank you very much.”
“Thanks so much for this excellent insight into the minefield of pensions on divorce!”
We pride ourselves on our endeavours to make complex pension issues as clear as possible, so we were especially pleased to receive this feedback.
We also hosted the private client team from Blandy and Blandy solicitors in January. As experts in wills, estate planning, trusts, and Lasting Powers of Attorney, their knowledge and skills perfectly complement our financial planning expertise.
As estate planning becomes even more complex, due to changes in UK legislation, a team approach is going to become the norm for our clients.
Joint charity evening
In May, Bluesky and Blanchards Law will be joining forces to participate in an evening of bingo for our colleagues across both companies. We aim to have lots of fun, and most importantly, raise money for worthy causes.
While the evening promises to be a good time for all, once again, we are working in tandem with an increasing number of solicitors to help provide the best outcomes for our clients. With legislation becoming ever more complex, the team approach is ever more important, and building ties with local firms helps to cement relationships.
Referrals and reviews
The sign of a company that does good work is usually first seen via its online reviews. For our profession, Vouched For is probably the most popular review site for new clients looking for financial planning services.
We are proud that Jeremy, Rob and Mike have been included in the Vouched For “Top Rated” guide for 2026!
This will be published in the Times and Telegraph, and is a continuing reflection on the work we do for our clients and the feedback they give in return.
We also had a significant number of new clients join us in 2025. This was due, in large part, to a record number of existing clients telling their friends and family about the services we provide and the client support we offer. This is extremely important to Rob and Jeremy, but we don’t take it for granted.
We always strive to be the best and are always happy to receive feedback on how we can improve.
End of the 2025/26 tax year
5 April marks the end of the current tax year, and the weeks leading up to this can be a very busy time for our clients and us. As you know, we try to pick up potential end of tax year items during our annual review meetings with you all, but there may be other actions required, particularly if circumstances have changed.
One of our tax year end actions is to write to clients that we have identified as having actions to take, such as ISA or pension top-ups.
These letters should have been received by now, but we would urge any of you to contact us as soon as possible if there are potential actions you would like to discuss. This commonly will include making ISA contributions, making pension contributions or using tax allowances (e.g. Capital Gains Tax Annual Exempt Amount).
We hope you have enjoyed reading this quarter’s Bluesky Bulletin, and look out for our next update in June 2026.
Get in touch
Email info@blueskyifas.co.uk or call us on 01189 876655.