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New Year, Fresh Start Finance, Careers & Personal Development


New year. True you


Every January, people are encouraged to think about their goals for the year ahead


But there’s a quieter, more important question that often goes unasked. It’s not always what someone wants


to achieve that should come first, it’s who they want to be. What does a true you look like


— the version of you that makes those goals and aspirations possible? Goals rarely fail because of a lack


A fresh start for your finances


A new year often brings a renewed focus on finances


For current and aspiring home- owners, 2026 is shaping up to be a strong year. With rates easing, lender appetite improving and choice widening, many borrowers now have more opportunities. For homeowners with a rate end-


ing in 2026, now is an ideal time to explore options. Acting early can help you secure a competitive rate, avoid drifting onto a higher varia- ble rate and ensure any borrowing remains affordable. Later life lend- ing has also evolved significantly.


Homeowners aged 55 and over now have access to more flexible solutions, designed to support retirement while allowing them to remain in their home. J Finance is an independent


mortgage adviser offering clear, jargon-free advice to help clients make confident decisions in a changing landscape.


of desire. Tey tend to fail when they’re built on an unhelpful or out- dated identity. One that isn’t aligned, sustainable or authentic. Sustainable change begins by


becoming clearer. Clearer about who someone wants to be. Clearer about the person they need to become in order to meet the goals. When identity leads, behaviour fol-


lows and habits become more natural. Tis year doesn’t need a “new you”.


It needs a truer you. One that leads with intention and clarity.


JAMES PHILLIPS, MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH


Promotional Content • Saturday 24th January 2026


But where to start? A free life audit offers a clear, honest snapshot of where you are today.


jfinance.co.uk


YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE


James Phillips, mental performance coach. Because life’s performance is mental. Scan the QR code or visit alwayspotential.com for more information.


Independent, specialist, focused


Brickwood Asset Management was launched in 2024 as a dedicated value equities boutique. Owned by its founders, it was created to deliver superior investment performance and an exceptional client experience


Before creating Brickwood, the in- vestment team worked at large glob- al financial institutions where they gathered 60 years of combined val- ue investing experience. Brickwood brings together the shared passion, expertise and belief in value investing from some of the largest dedicated value teams in London. Te team have a passion for constant improvement and are always looking for ways in which they can enhance their process and the way in which they operate. Using a value-based investment ap-


proach, Brickwood scours the world for lowly valued shares where the stock market has over-reacted due to shorter-term worries over the future of the business. Te worries might be over the economy, management or capital allocation. Humans have al- ways been prone to making emotion- ally driven decisions, and within in- vesting, this tendency can create the opportunity to buy good businesses at low prices. Low prices are important to Brick-


wood because over 100 years of stock market evidence suggests that paying low prices for shares leads to high- er-than-average returns. Brickwood’s disciplined and re-


peatable approach allows it to con- centrate on areas where it believes it has an edge. Te team avoid making


Contact Brickwood at: enquiries@brickwoodam.com


economic forecasts, but instead con- centrate on understanding the indi- vidual companies they invest in. Tis approach doesn’t deliver above aver- age returns every year, but with some patience,


have proven attractive. In 2025, Brickwood launched two


funds, one focused on global equities and one on the UK. Te UK is among the cheapest developed markets glob- ally, giving the company confidence in the outlook for the TM Brickwood UK Value Fund. Te TM Brickwood Global Value


Fund looks very different from its benchmark,


the MSCI All Compa-


nies World Index. Te index is heavily skewed to the US market, while Brick- wood’s fund has much lower exposure to the US. Brickwood is comfortable being different. Current investment platform avail-


ability includes Hargreaves Lans- down, AJ Bell, AEGON Institutional, AVIVA Investors Platform, Charles Stanley, Interactive Investor and Best Invest.


the medium-term returns


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