If you are starting to plan a birthday party, or simply want to check that you’ve thought of everything – take a look at our  free guide.

It’s full of birthday tips, decoration and party food ideas, and even provides a simple recipe to make cupcakes!

Parents’ Guide to Children’s Birthday Parties
parents_guide_childrens_birthday_parties.pdf

Platforms:	Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7
Category:	Existing Customers

1.4 MB

“Forester Life continues to diversify and grow through strong acquisitions. We are pleased that our larger organisation will ensure increased financial security and improved returns to TCM investors and Foresters members alike, in keeping with our focus on family and community,”

said Euan Allison, UK Group Managing Director of Forester Life.

As a result of the transfer Forester Life is responsible for 1.4 million plans and funds under management in excess of £2.8bn. The transfer will enable TCM members to be part of a larger organisation, supported by the parent of Forester Life, Canadian-based Foresters, an international financial services organisation which operates on a similar basis to a UK friendly society.

At its Special General Meeting held on 11th February 2013 eligible TCM members voted 98% in favour of the transfer of their Society into Forester Life. With the transfer complete, these members will enjoy increased financial security and potentially improved returns due to reduced plan administration costs. Other TCM customers including those with Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs will continue to benefit from the same successful products and service as previously.

This transfer is part of Forester Life’s ongoing strategy to grow both organically and through acquisition.

-ENDS-

About Forester Life

Forester Life is a UK life company based in Bromley, Kent and provides a range of straightforward financial solutions to help address protection, saving, investing and pension planning. Its products are designed to meet today’s needs for flexible terms, low charges and clear and simple plan conditions. Its UK network of financial advisers provides a home-based personal financial planning service backed up by award-winning technology.

Forester Life, as part of Foresters™, shares its financial strength with members across the UK, USA and Canada. Internationally, Foresters has over £10bn funds under management and maintains an ‘A’ excellent rating by A.M. Best.¹ Foresters is driven to share not shareholder driven, and throughout its 135 year history has believed in enriching the lives of its members, their families and the communities they live in. For more information, please visit foresters.com

Notes to Editors

For more information or additional comment please contact:
Elspeth Rothwell/Katie Spreadbury, Consolidated PR, on 020 7781 2300

“We welcome the announcement in today’s Budget that a full consultation will be undertaken into whether Child Trust Fund customers will be able to transfer into Junior ISAs.

“The Child Trust Fund continues to be successful. This year we have actually seen the highest level of customer payments into Child Trust Funds since they started and we very much want this to continue.

“Having a full consultation will enable the best outcome for customers to be fully investigated and we look forward to being a part of this. Any disruption that may cause customer confusion and as a result impact negatively on savings for children is something we would want to avoid.”

About The Children’s Mutual

• The Children’s Mutual’s mission is to help parents, grandparents, family and friends fulfil their hopes for today’s children. We offer both a shares-based Junior ISA and Child Trust Funds, so whichever your child is eligible for, we could help you aim for a great start in life for them.
• The Children’s Mutual has been focusing on family finance for nearly 130 years and has championed children’s savings for over a quarter of a century.
• The Children’s Mutual is a trading name of the Tunbridge Wells Equitable Group, which includes the parent firm – Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society Limited, which is a mutual organisation, launched in 1881.

The Society’s Board is pleased to announce that the two special resolutions proposed at the SGM of the Society held on 11 February 2013 were duly passed by the members of the Society as special resolutions by way of poll. Details of the voting are provided below and further information regarding the transfer can be found on our Transfer page.

Members and other interested parties can make representations to the FSA about the transfer to Forester Life and notices advising how to make representations have been published on 12 February 2013 in the UK press and local newspapers in Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey and copies of these notices can be downloaded below:

Legal Notice: Transfer of Engagements
legal-notice-transfer-of-engagements.pdf

Category:

Transfer

8.4 KB

The transfer to Forester Life is expected to become effective on 3 April 2013 or on such date as the FSA provides its approval and confirmation. Further information in this regard will be provided on this website when FSA approval is received.

What is happening?

The Society’s Board has unanimously recommended that Members support a proposal that the whole of the Society’s business be transferred to Forester Life Limited.

A Special General Meeting of the Society is being convened on 11 February 2013 to consider this proposal. If you are a Member of the Society and aged 18 or over, you will be eligible to vote to approve this proposed transfer.

On 7 January 2013, Members and policyholders of the Society were sent an information pack about the proposed transfer, including the notice of Special General Meeting detailing the date, time and place for this meeting, a question and answer section and a detailed explanatory booklet and covering letter to Members and policyholders.

 
[Voting has now closed. Please see our results page]

 
If the proposed transfer is approved by the Members of the Society at the Special General Meeting and subject to the approval of the Financial Services Authority and various other conditions being satisfied or waived, the transfer to Forester Life is expected to be effective on 2 April 2013.  The Society will cease to exist after that date.  All policies written by the Society will be transferred into a separate fund within Forester Life.

We will update this site with the results of the voting at the Special General Meeting and if approved at the Special General Meeting, we will provide details of subsequent events leading up to the transfer becoming effective.

Information

Information about the proposed transfer including copies of the information pack sent to Members is available to download below, along with other relevant information.

Letter to Members (68.9 KB)

Explanatory Booklet (413.9 KB)

Questions and Answers (212.2 KB)

Forester Life introduction letter (599.9 KB)

Notice of Special General Meeting (198.4 KB)

Proxy Form (447.0 KB)

Independent Actuary’s report (639.9 KB)

Instrument of Transfer of Engagements (201.6 KB)

Post transfer Principles of Practice and Financial Management (Tunbridge Wells Fund PPFM) (1.3 MB)

Jersey and Guernsey resident policyholders

If you are resident in Jersey and Guernsey, further information about the transfers affecting your policy can be found at Jersey and Guernsey page.

For Members and policyholders in Jersey and Guernsey

What is happening?

The Society’s Board has unanimously recommended that Members support a proposal that the whole of the Society’s business be transferred to Forester Life Limited.

Details about a Special General Meeting of the Society to consider this proposal and further information about the proposed transfer can be read by going to the main webpage about the transfer and SGM.

The Society has a small number of policies included in the proposed transfer where policyholders are resident in Guernsey or hold a policy that forms part of the business carried on by the Society in Jersey. These policies will be transferred by insurance business schemes in Jersey & Guernsey and approved by the Royal Court of Jersey and the Royal court of Guernsey respectively, if the proposed transfer is approved by the Members of the Society at the Special General Meeting and various other conditions are satisfied or waived, including the approval of the transfer by the Financial Services Authority.

Information

Information about the proposed transfer is available on the main page and further information which is specific to Jersey and Guernsey policyholders is available below to download:

Jersey:

Jersey Representation to the Royal Court of Jersey (324.5 KB)

Jersey Scheme (583.6 KB)

Guernsey:

Guernsey application to the Royal Court of Guernsey (55.1 KB)

Guernsey Scheme (66.6 KB)

This is according to new research from Prudential and the main reason for this is that people are worried about having an awkward conversation.

Some 15 per cent of those questioned said they feel uncomfortable with the topic being out in the open, while money worries was found to be the third most likely topic to cause an argument – behind family disputes and household chores.

Vince Smith-Hughes, retirement expert at Prudential said: "Money can be a tough topic to discuss at the best of times. Many couples prefer to steer clear of conversations about finances, and especially discussions about longer-term issues like retirement."

However, he added the old adage that honesty is the best policy applies here, as couples should never shy away from these types of conversations.

In terms of what is the financial subjects most frequently discussed by couples, everyday living costs (60 per cent) came out on top, followed by household bills (52 per cent) and home improvements (34 per cent).

Figures from the Office for National Statistics highlights the scale of the underemployment problem facing the nation at present.

With around one-in-four people in part-time jobs in need of additional hours, many families may be struggling to get by.

Indeed, between 2008 and 2012 the number of individuals looking for more shifts increased by one million, which shows how the economic downturn has affected the employment situation for some people.

East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the north-east were picked out as the three regions with the worst underemployment problems.

School crossing assistants and bar staff are the two occupations struggling more than any others to find enough hours.

Andrew Sissons, researcher at The Work Foundation, stated the statistics highlight how serious an issue underemployment is.

"Not only are underemployed workers struggling to make ends meet, they are also increasing the competition for jobs, making it even harder to reduce unemployment," he added.

Research from Deloitte has found many people are keen to save money and so this could lead to a rise in DIY financial planning.

More than one-quarter (27 per cent) of respondents said they will just go direct to the product provider having made their own product choices, while 31 per cent do not have enough confidence in their own knowledge and will seek help.

As part of RDR – which will be introduced from January 1st 2013 – charges for the adviser's services have to be agreed in advance.

James O'Riordan, lead insurance partner at Deloitte, said: "Consumers will change their buying behaviour following these regulatory changes and product providers will have to use improved segmentation strategies to understand how to reach them."

He added people should still take advice if they are large sums of money at stake.

This is according to Workingmums.co.uk's annual survey, which found that four per cent had a part-time role, while 16 per cent have another type of arrangement with their employer.

Despite the fact that 35 per cent of females are now the main breadwinners – up from 30 per cent last year – it is still members of this sex who usually seek out flexible working.

When asked what makes for a family-friendly employer, the most popular response was one that offered full-time flexible jobs.

Gillian Nissim, founder of Workingmums.co.uk, noted there seems to be a significant number of companies resistant to change.

"There is still a long way to go to change our work culture so that both employers and employees benefit from smarter working practices," she added.

However, Ms Nissim did welcome the recent announcement by the government that will see a radical shake-up of the current leave arrangements, which are designed to make it easier for mums and dads to hold down full-time positions.