Morningstar supports Financial Planning Week

UPDATE: Find out how Morningstar is helping the Institute of Financial Planning to raise awareness of successful financial planning

Holly Cook 3 September, 2009 | 1:43PM
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Morningstar strives to provide investors with the data, research, tools and know-how to make informed investment decisions. Having financial goals and understanding the choices available to you are central to making successful investment decisions. As such, all this week, Morningstar is partnering the Institute of Financial Planning in promoting Financial Planning Week.

Each day this week, we are addressing financial planning according to five key life stages: Young, Free and Single; Making Commitments; Young Families; Making Choices and In Retirement. With the help of independent financial planners, we are encouraging you to ensure your finances are organised in accordance with your financial goals and offering you the opportunity to garner invaluable tips. Whether you are a recent graduate or school leaver about to start receiving your first full-time salary, a young professional on the verge of buying a home, a parent looking to protect your family from the unexpected, a seasoned investor finally free from dependents, or a pensioner enjoying a well-earned break from the world of work, all this week we are highlighting easy steps towards successfully planning your finances.

Daily polls
Throughout the week we are asking you to participate in our daily poll—submit your details and you will be entered into our prize draw to be in with a chance of winning one of five prizes of an hour’s free and independent financial advice from one of the IFP’s members. And each day we are commenting on the collated results and, in conjunction with independent financial advisers, suggesting additional planning techniques.

Monday's poll offered some encouraging signs among younger generations

Tuesday's poll highlighted issues amongst those about to make life changes

Wednesday's poll gave a mixed picture when it comes to dealing with disaster

Thursday's poll results revealed pre-retirees are failing to prepare

Friday's poll reaffirms the need to manage expectations and take stock of goals

Daily quizzes
We are also running daily quizzes so you can test whether you’re on top of your financial planning. There’s a picnic hamper up for grabs for one lucky winner who will be selected at random from the Morningstar.co.uk Editor’s hat.

Click here for Monday's savings quiz and here for the answers

Click here for Tuesday's emergency fund quiz and here for the answers

Click here for Wednesday's unforeseen circumstances quiz and here for the answers

Click here for Thursday's investing long-term quiz and here for the answers

Click here for Friday's risk & return quiz and here for the answers

Case studies
In addition, we are running a series of case studies and the IFP’s members will be on hand to offer advice. To be in with a chance of having your financial planning question or scenario addressed by an independent planner, fill out our form by clicking here.

Click here for Monday's debt-laden youngster case study

Click here for Tuesday's investing-newcomer case study

Click here for Wednesday's young family case study and here for the CTF case study

Click here for Thursday's pensions case study

Click here for Friday's retiring abroad case study

Financial planning articles
Don’t have a portfolio? Don’t worry. Financial Planning isn’t about having plenty of money or investing it, it’s about having financial goals that are right for what you want out of life and about having a better understanding of how to achieve these goals. All this week we will be publishing articles that aim to help you highlight your financial objectives and accommodate any lifestyle changes—both those that you desire and those that, unfortunately, you cannot avoid.

Click here for Monday's Young, Free & Single article

Click here for Tuesday's Making Commitments article

Click here for Wednesday's Young Families article

Click here for Thursday's Making Choices article

Click here for Friday's In Retirement article

Investing tools
We’re not just talking the talk: we’ve also got several tools to help you as well as an archive of articles geared towards informing you of your financial planning and investment choices. For example, sign up for our free Portfolio Manager tool and in a matter of minutes you will be able to track your investment funds portfolio—real or imaginary—and analyse its performance.

We also have an Instant X-Ray tool that provides an instant breakdown of your portfolio by asset, region, sector, investment style and holdings, and monitors its performance against any chosen benchmark. Again, you can use it to ensure your current portfolio is diversified or you can use it to play around with a fantasy portfolio and learn a bit more about what investing is all about.

Be sure to check in with www.morningstar.co.uk throughout the week of 7th-11th September to take advantage of all these features, and many more.

The information contained within is for educational and informational purposes ONLY. It is not intended nor should it be considered an invitation or inducement to buy or sell a security or securities noted within nor should it be viewed as a communication intended to persuade or incite you to buy or sell security or securities noted within. Any commentary provided is the opinion of the author and should not be considered a personalised recommendation. The information contained within should not be a person's sole basis for making an investment decision. Please contact your financial professional before making an investment decision.

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About Author

Holly Cook

Holly Cook  is Manager, Morningstar EMEA Websites

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