Boutique investment bank and management consultancy Raven has announced a new strategic partnership between its Raven Wealth Planning service line and premium investment management firm Aspen Advisers.

Through the collaboration, Raven Wealth Planning will integrate the Aspen portfolio range into its full suite of service offerings.

This strategic partnership reflects Raven’s “ongoing commitment” to enhancing the value and quality of services provided through its Raven Wealth Planning service line.

By including Aspen’s portfolios, Raven is broadening its core range of tailored investment solutions, designed to meet each client’s unique financial objectives, while still providing fair value.

Raven partner Simon Thompson said: “This collaboration brings together two teams dedicated to delivering innovative wealth management solutions, empowering our clients to achieve their financial goals with confidence.

“We are excited to work closely with Aspen, whose proven expertise and forward-thinking approach position them perfectly to support our clients’ evolving needs.”

Aspen founder and chief executive Andrew Spence added: “Many of the clients at Raven have relatively complex planning and investment requirements.

“We believe we are well placed at Aspen to support such clients with our broad and diverse range of investment solutions.

“Getting to know the Raven team on a recent trip to Edinburgh confirms the strong cultural alignment between the two businesses.”

Aspen is one of the fastest growing providers of managed portfolios on the market.

The partnership will allow Raven Wealth Planning to leverage industry-leading solutions.

The firms said that they are dedicated to providing clients with the tools and guidance they need to achieve their long-term financial goals.

Raven was created through consolidation of four independent yet complementary businesses, each of which served the same ecosystem but from a different service standpoint.

The business provides specialist advice to clients through its management consultancy, corporate finance, and wealth management services.

Through a boutique investment banking model, Raven is focused on helping its clients to plan, create and protect wealth, through growth-focused operational and transactional activity.

Headquartered in Belfast with a satellite office in China, Raven works with private and public organisations, investors, and shareholders internationally.

Aspen exclusively partners with financial planners to offer a comprehensive managed portfolio service.

It helps advice firms focus on delivering an exceptional client experience in order to achieve their goals.

IF your thermostat is in the wrong place you could end up paying hundreds of pounds more in energy bills.

As temperatures drop and you begin turning on the heating, it’s vital to ensure that your thermostat is not driving up your energy costs because it’s misjudging the temperature of your home.

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Thermostats are used to control how your heating and monitor when your home has reached your desired temperature.

But if the thermostat is placed in the wrong place, it could be reporting inaccurate temperatures for the rest of the house, meaning your heating is working harder than necessary.

Heating the home typically makes up half of a UK household’s energy costs in winter, so has a big impact on your bills.

Joanna Flowers, service and repair engineer at British Gas, explained: “When deciding where to place your thermostat, the main thing is to ensure you don’t place it somewhere colder or warmer than the centre of your home.

“If you place your thermostat in the heart of your home – we often suggest internal hallways or living rooms – it will make sure you get your desired temperature and save on bills by only using as much heating as you need.”

With energy costs remaining stubbornly high and the winter fuel payment having been axed for some pensioners, it’s particularly important to make sure your heating is being accurately controlled.

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) has advised fitting thermostatic radiator valves, as well as a programmer and a room thermostat, to help optimise your central heating system.

The organisation says together the controls could reduce your energy bills by £95 annually.

When it comes to your thermostat the EST stressed the importance of ensuring it is in the right spot and set to the lowest comfortable temperature to minimise costs.

A spokesperson said: “Room thermostats need a free flow of air to sense the temperature, so they should not be blocked by curtains or furniture, or placed near heat sources that could give them false readings. 

“If you’re feeling warm enough, lowering your thermostat from 22°C to 21°C can save you £80 annually. Reducing it further from 21°C to 18°C can save you £230 each year.

“The World Health Organisation states that the most comfortable temperature range for most people is between 18°C and 21°C.” 

Where should I place my thermostat?

Placing your thermostat in the right place will make sure your home is heated effectively.

British Gas’ Flowers advised: “We suggest an interior wall as external walls are often much cooler, so the thermostat will tell the boiler to warm the house up when it might not need to.

“It should be at medium height because heat rises and you should avoid it being too close to radiators, cookers, direct sunlight or near draughts.”

A checklist for where to install your thermostat includes an interior wall, in a frequently used room near the centre of your home at a height of about 5ft.

The heating experts at Bestheating.com advise avoiding the following areas to make sure accurate temperature readings:

• In direct sunlight
• In the kitchen
• Near windows or doors
• In the hallway
• Above air vents
• Above a radiator

Any area that experiences sudden changes in temperatures, such as kitchens, bathrooms or draughty spots, could lead to inaccurate readings.

Similarly, you should avoid the coldest or warmest rooms in your house.

What should I do if I can’t move my thermostat?

Check if your thermostat is wired into your wall, if not you should be able to unscrew it and move it easily.

If so, you may need to upgrade to a wireless thermostat that will give you much more control over your heating.

A new smart thermostat can cost between £120 to £220, according to Checkatrade.com.

But this doesn’t factor in the thermostat’s installation cost, which is usually around £30 to £80 depending on how long it takes.

How else can I cut my heating bills?

If you turn your boiler’s flow temperature down as well as any thermostatic radiator valves in some rooms – you could save around £180 annually on your energy bills.

A couple managed to cut £400 off their EDF Energy bill by turning off their immersion heater.

Topping up loft insulation and switching to a smart meter can also bring a household further savings.

Reducing draughts and heat loss will also help to cut your heating costs so grab some draught excluders and consider increasing your insulation.

It’s also important to consider which rooms in your home need heating.

You won’t be using each one 24/7 so make sure the heating is off in any rooms that aren’t occupied.

There is also a list of other common boiler problems we’ve rounded up that could be pumping up your bills.

A noisy boiler could also indicate that your water pressure is low or there’s a pump failure.

If you spot rust on your boiler then it could mean you’re paying more than you need to on using your appliance.

Although rust itself does not cause issues, it could be a sign that there is a leak – which indicates there is a problem with your boiler.

It can also upset the temperature balance in your boiler, making it run less efficiently and ramping up costs.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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HOME insurance can help soften the blow of any damage to your home or items, but it’s worth figuring out exactly what you need before taking out a policy.

Home insurance is not a legal requirement, but it can save you potentially thousands of pounds if you come to need it.

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And, if you’re a homeowner, some form of cover may be a condition of your mortgage.

There are two main elements to home insurance – buildings and contents.

Buildings insurance covers the bricks and mortar of your property – the walls, floors and roof. This is usually a requirement from mortgage lenders.

Meanwhile, contents insurance covers everything inside your home that would fall out if it was tipped upside down, such as TVs, fridges and furniture.

You can buy a combined “home insurance” policy, which covers both your contents and the building itself, or you can take out each policy separately.

Depending on whether you are renting, a leaseholder or freeholder, it’s worth figuring out what type of cover is worth your while.

Below, we break down the two different types of home insurance, whether you need to take them out and how much you should expect to pay.

Buildings cover

Buildings insurance tends to cover you following unforeseen events like floods, fire and storms.

It pays out if any damage is done to permanent fixtures in your property too, such as fitted kitchens and bathroom suites.

Confused.com says the average building insurance policy costs £164.64 for a house and £167.48 for a flat.

You don’t have to take out buildings insurance by law, however most lenders will make it a stipulation of giving you a mortgage.

Nathan Blackler, from GoCompare Home insurance, said: “Most mortgage lenders will require that you also take out buildings insurance before you exchange contracts – this is because they will want insurance in place to protect their financial interest in the property.”

Even if you own your home outright and therefore don’t need to repay a lender, it could still be worth taking out buildings insurance so you are covered.

This may be more worthwhile if you live in an older property – although insuring an older home is typically more expensive than a new build.

But what should you do if you are a living in a flat?

It may depend on the tenure.

A “freehold” property is where you own the building and the land it is built on, whereas “leasehold” means you don’t own the land.

If you own a freehold flat or house, it may be worth taking out buildings insurance – often freehold in flats is split between all the residents, so you may want to take out cover together.

But if you are leaseholder, you may find the freeholder is responsible for paying buildings insurance and you pay your share of it through the service charge.

It depends on the condition of your lease though, so you should check your paperwork.

Even if your freeholder – the person who owns the land your flat is on – is paying for buildings insurance, you might still have to take out your own cover too.

Nathan, from GoCompare, explained: “Although the leasehold flat that you are buying might be covered by the freeholder’s buildings insurance, your mortgage lender will still require that you take out buildings insurance before you exchange.

“After you have bought the property, and if your leasehold flat has shared buildings insurance, or you pay part of that insurance through your service charge, then it’s up to you whether you renew that buildings insurance, as it’s not a legal requirement, but a mortgage requirement.”

Contents cover

Contents insurance can be useful to cover what is inside your property, and in some cases, whatever you’re carrying around.

The Government says the average UK household owns around £52,000 worth of goods, and Confused.com says the average contents policy based on this figure is £68.29 a year.

The exact cover you get with contents insurance varies depending on the insurer and each individual policy, but most will help pay for repairs or replacements caused by theft, fire, floods or loss.

You can also pay extra to include cover for lost or stolen items outside of your home, high-value items and accidental damage.

But while you will likely need to take out buildings insurance to get approved for a mortgage, most lenders don’t require you to take out a contents policy.

If you’re in a leasehold property, the freeholder won’t be responsible for your contents, so it can be worth taking out a policy.

Nathan said: “While contents insurance isn’t legally required, it is a good idea to have.

“Whether you own your property or are renting, it can offer you financial protection should the worst happen.” 

How to get the best price for buildings and contents insurance

The ABI said between April and June, the average cost of a combined building and contents premium was £396, up from £329 last year.

It is the highest price home insurance has been since 2017, when a premium would have set you back £406 at one point.

So now has never been a more important time to look for ways to cut costs on home insurance, whether that be buildings or a contents policy.

Luckily, there are ways to cut costs.

When it comes to buildings insurance, insurance brokers should be able to help you find the best cover and price.

Bear in mind brokers do charge you a fee for their services though.

Another way to save money is by getting a surveyor in to figure out an accurate figure on how much it would cost to rebuild your home.

You can find one via https://www.ricsfirms.com/commercial/legal-financial/property-insurance/.

The rebuild cost of a home is the amount it would cost to completely rebuild your home if it was destroyed beyond repair, and includes the price of labour and materials.

Get this figure wrong and if your home were to be hit with a flood or fire and destroyed, you may not be adequately covered meaning you would have to foot some of the bill with your insurer.

When it comes to contents insurance, the quickest way to get the best deal is by using price comparison sites like Compare the Market, MoneySuperMarket and Confused.com.

It’s also worth checking deals that aren’t on comparison sites too, like Coverbaloo and Urban Jungle.

And you can try using an insurance broker who will scope out the best deals for you too.

Once you’ve decided on a deal, see if you can get cashback on it by buying it through a cashback site like Quidco or Topcashback.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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GEN Z and millennial pet owners are spending the most on their four-legged friends – splashing out £936 on all the essentials each year.

A study of 2,000 cat and dog owners found those aged between 18 and 34 spend £78 each month on their furry companions – well above the national average of £64.

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While older pet owners aged 45 and over are much more frugal – forking out just £52 every month, and £623 over the course of a year.

Toys (17 per cent) are among the biggest expenses for young pet owners – compared to just eight per cent of their older counterparts.

But overall, 47 per cent of all owners want their pets to enjoy their meals and are willing to pay for it – with two thirds of pet spend going on food.

The research was commissioned by Pet Drugs Online to mark the launch of The Top to Tail Report.

Dr Sarah Page-Jones, the retailers’ lead veterinary surgeon, said: “What your pet eats can have a huge impact on their health and wellbeing.

“For example, cats are obligate carnivores, so they can’t get all the nutrients they require from plant-based foods.

“It’s also important to consider your pet’s age, breed and activity levels to allow you to tailor their nutrition to their needs.

“Giving your pet both wet and dry food helps to provide good levels of flavour, nutrition and hydration.”

It also emerged that play (68 per cent), treats (67 per cent) and talking to their pets (67 per cent) are the top ways owners show affection.

And 19 per cent take their dogs on holiday with them.

But while owners were keen to ensure their pets’ happiness, medical treatments were lower on the list of priorities – with 48 per cent admitting they don’t regularly take their pet for check-ups at the vet.

Four in 10 (39 per cent) aren’t frequently treating for fleas, 45 per cent won’t regularly worm their pet, and 58 per cent aren’t providing tick treatment.

And 45 per cent don’t routinely vaccinate their four-legged friends.

Although interest in holistic health treatments is on the rise – with 26 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, opting for these to better support their pet’s wellbeing.

While the same percentage (26 per cent) also give them supplements.

Dr Sarah Page-Jones added: “Taking your pet to the vet at least once a year can provide a wealth of benefits.

“It allows your pet to receive a general health assessment where any subtle changes may be noticed, ensures you’re up to date with the latest vaccinations, as well as discussing any additional care that may be needed.

“Also, if you’re exploring a holistic approach to your pet’s health, it’s always worth discussing with your vet first hand.”

SAVVY shoppers at one major supermarket can now bag a huge range of new food discounts at nearly 1,000 of its UK stores.

Asda has partnered with food waste platform Too Good To Go to offer its customers “surprise bags” which contain £9 worth of food for just £3.30.

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The bags will include a variety of different items which are near their use-by date, such as salads, ready meals, baked goods and food to go.

Although the items are near their expiry date they are still safe to eat and would otherwise go to waste.

Customers will be able to purchase a bag at nearly 1,000 sites including Asda Express stores.

They can also be picked up at restaurants located inside Asda stores such as Leon, Greggs, Sbarro and Subway.

Bags from Asda Express, Greggs, Sbarro and Subway will vary in price depending on the contents but they could include breakfast food, lunch, cakes or pastries.

Leon fans will also be able to get their hands on a brand-new Surprise Bag offer which will feature cakes and pastries which would otherwise be wasted.

For £3.50 customers can get over £10.50 worth of treats that would otherwise have been thrown away.

To cash in on the deal shoppers will need to search for a nearby Asda supermarket or Asda Express store in the free Too Good To Go app.

Shoppers can also choose when they want to pick up their bag.

Sophie Trueman, country director at Too Good To Go UK and Ireland, said: “We’re so pleased to be extending our partnership with Asda, helping to combat food waste and provide great value to customers. 

“We believe that saving food from going to waste is a win-win-win – businesses can recover the sunk cost of would-be wasted food, consumers can get good food for less, and with one simple action, we’re collectively doing something great for the planet by stopping that food from ending up in landfill.”

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How does Too Good To Go work?

To use Too Good To Go you need to download its app on your smartphone and create an account.

You can then choose your area by entering your location and drop a pin on where you will pick up your surplus food bags.

There is an option to collect your food straight away or later for dinner.

You can also select the distance you are willing to travel based on whether you will be using public transport, walking or driving.

The app will then show you all the Too Good To Go locations in your area.

These are broken down into categories including supermarkets, baked goods and groceries.

You can scroll through the app to see what’s available and click “see all” to check the options in each category.

The app will tell you how much you can save with each surprise bag.

Prices usually range between £2 and £6 depending on the contents of the bag and shoppers usually save at least 30% on every order.

Once you have decided on what food you want to pick up you simply click on the “reserve” button which will ensure that it is assigned to you.

If you have added your payment method then you can simply click to confirm your reservation.

If you have not entered this information then you will be asked for your bank details when you place a reservation.

Once you have paid you will receive an email which will include an invoice and the time of your collection.

To pick up your food go to the shop at the assigned time and show your collection on the app to a member of staff.

Asda is not the only supermarket to be available on Too Good to Go.

Aldi customers can nab a surprise bag at one of the supermarket’s 990 stores across the UK.

The bags contain £10 worth of food for just £3.30 and can be reserved almost 24 hours before collection.

You could get anything from fruit and veg, dairy products, meat and snacks for a fraction of the normal price.

Meanwhile, Morrisons shoppers can buy a surprise bag from one of the supermarket’s 930 convenience stores.

The bags cost £3.09 and contain fresh produce and bakery items.

Other schemes to avoid food waste

Another scheme which gives you free or discounted supermarket food is Olio.

The app lists food from shoppers and supermarkets including Tesco and Waitrose which can be picked up by for free.

Often this food is unwanted or near its sell-by date.

To get started simply download the Olio app and enter your postcode to find free food available near you.

Yellow stickers are another great way to shave precious pounds off the cost of your supermarket shop.

Shops including M&S, Tesco and Morrisons apply yellow stickers to food items that are nearing their best-before date.

These can include sandwiches, baked goods and ready meals.

The stickers are applied by some supermarkets at set times while others will introduce them throughout the day.

Read our article to find out the exact time to find yellow sticker bargains at each supermarket.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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BIG CHANGES are coming to McDonald’s menu this October much to the delight of fast-food lovers.

The home of the Golden Arches is switching up its menu as we head into the autumn months.

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It is not uncommon for the Big Mac maker to shake up what is sold across its over 1,400 stores to make way for new items.

As many fans will already know, September saw the return of McDonald’s popular Monopoly game.

To celebrate the launch the franchise added six new items to the menu, including a never-before-seen Twix Latte.

The sticker-collecting contest, which is based on the popular board game, will come to a halt on 11:59pm on October 16.

And that means the latte alongside other seasonal food items will also be axed.

While this may be a disappointment to some customers, it is also worth bearing in mind that this could be when new menu items make an appearance.

We already know that one new item is coming to stores then, but diners are still in the dark about what else could be resurfacing.

What’s coming to McDonald’s in October?

McDonald’s has confirmed an all-new breakfast item is set to arrive in stores this October.

From Ocotber 16, the fast-food chain will start selling mini hashbrowns across its stores.

The potato bites will come in either a portion of five for £1.49 or 15 for £2.29.

Maccies already sells regular-sized hashbrowns for £1.19.

Many customers have said the product reminds them of Tater Tots, which are a popular side dish in America.

Commenting on a social media post one user said: “Looks like Tater Tots to me.”

“Otherwise known as a Tater Tot,” said another.

It is still unclear whether or not the morning snack will become a permanent menu item or will only be available for a limited period.

All you need to know about McDonald’s

HERE’S all the crucial information about McDonald’s you’ve always wanted to know…

Talk of a menu shake-up comes just weeks after Maccies hinted the McRib could once again land in stores.

A test notification for the boneless pork burger was sent out on the McDonald’s rewards app.

When asked if the McRib is coming back, a spokesperson said: “McDonald’s is always looking to innovate with new and exciting menu items, as well as bringing back the fan favourites.

“If you’re keen to be the first to receive more info from McDonald’s stay tuned.”

The McRib was first added to the main UK McDonald’s menu in 1981 but was taken off just four years later.

It has made sporadic returns since.

What’s out?

Customers will have to wave goodbye to six menu items this coming October. These include:

• Philly Cheese Stack
• Chicken Big Mac
• Mozzarella Dippers
• Galaxy Chocolate McFlurry
• Twix Caramel McFlurry
• Twix Latte

The items were rolled out across stores on September 4, in conjunction with the return of McDonald’s Monopoly.

But when the game ends during the first week in October, these items will also be removed.

There are still around two weeks left to play the game, which allows participants to peel stickers that represent train stations or colour-coordinated streets. 

If you are curious about how the game works and what prizes you can win, read our article here. 

It is worth bearing in mind that McDonald’s regularly updates its menu,  so it is always worth reading updates online to avoid missing out.