Blue Light Card is the discount service for the Emergency Services. With the support of over 8,000 regional and national partners, it rewards the hard work and commitment of members of the Police Service by offering a selection of online and in-store discounts.

It’s home to many official discounts from large national retailers and has a wide range of offers from categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and many more.

Blue light Card is delighted to be working with the Police Superintendents’ Association and is giving members access to a Blue Light card that is valid for five years completely free of charge.

To access your promotional code all you need to do is email [email protected]

Once you have your code, follow these instructions to register:

Visit www.bluelightcard.co.uk to register and start to benefit from your every day discounts.

Police Clubs Financial has over 18 years’ experience providing independent financial advice to police officers and staff, and has supported the Police Superintendents’ Association for over 12 years.

After a very challenging 2022 and with the ongoing cost of living crisis, they have launched a series of virtual presentations on a range of financial matters of benefit and interest to members.   As holistic financial planners, Police Clubs Financial will provide information on core areas associated with financial planning from mortgages, protection and regular savings to pensions and lump sum investment.

The presentations will be held from 10am to 11.30am via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:

-        Tuesday 23rd May

-        Tuesday 27th June

If you would like to attend, email [email protected] to reserve a space.

Mortgage and protection arrangements:

Police Clubs Financial has introduced a bespoke proposition for members of the Police Superintendents’ Association looking to review their mortgage and protection arrangements.

Please see their full mortgage brochure here.

The service provides independent advice for members who have particular requirements for mortgages, allowing them to mix and match key product elements such as the term, fee and product incentive, to create a solution personal to them and their circumstances.

Police Clubs Financial Director Adam Reading says: “Many clients firstly told us that they did not know we even offered advice on mortgages and protection. There is so much focus on the complex pension changes that have taken place that often basic financial issues and general planning is overlooked. We are combining our retirement planning expertise to help meet the needs of members by developing this highly regarded proposition so that immediate financial needs are kept in line with an individual’s longer term plans. Some clients often need to review their mortgage arrangements because of the impact of the pension changes or their career aspirations which often doesn’t meet with standard mortgage underwriting.  As part of this bespoke service, members will get a premium level of support with direct access to our dedicated team of advisers and support staff”.

Here’s how a client has described the service:

Ch Supt, A&S

For more details on this, or to discuss the wider range of services provided, contact [email protected] or 02890 666860

Philip Pearson provides financial advice to clients and operates on a nationwide base.  With over thirty years of experience within the financial services profession, fifteen of which were as Principal of Pearson Financial Management (PFM), Philip has been providing bespoke financial advice to senior police officers for over twenty years.  During this time, he has developed a strong reputation within the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) for providing the highest quality financial advice and for helping members make provision for their ongoing financial security.  

Philip also supports senior police officers through the provision of pre-retirement seminars.  These events are extremely popular and have proved to be an invaluable source of advice and guidance to members as they consider a life beyond policing.  The seminars, which are free of charge and to which spouses/partners are also welcome to attend, include essential topics such as:

·       Money Management

·       Investment Strategy and Risk

·       Wills/Estate planning

·       Preparing for retirement

·       Police pensions and taxation

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place is directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

The levels and bases of taxation and reliefs from taxation can change at any time and are dependent on individual circumstances.

Advice relating to a Will necessitates the referral to a service that is separate and distinct to those offered by St. James’s Place. Wills are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Philip is a Senior Financial Planning Consultant within Reflect Financial Limited, a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place Wealth Management (St. James’s Place).  St. James’s Place Wealth Management is a multi-award-winning FTSE 100 company with £129.34 bn of funds under management (as of 28th January 2021).  Philip is fully qualified as financial adviser with the Chartered Insurance Institute and through St. James’s Place’s own accreditation processes.

St. James’s Place operates a distinctive Investment Management Approach.  It retains control of its own funds and then sub-contracts their management to leading fund managers from across the globe, all of whom have been selected by the St. James’s Place Investment Committee with the help of independent consultants. Once selected and appointed, the performance of the fund managers is closely and continuously monitored.  The global reach of St. James’s Place’s selection process means that it is not restricted to recommending UK registered funds only.  St. James’s Place is committed to an ethical and responsible investing policy and has an in-house Responsible Investment Committee. 

Backed up by the technical and client services team at Reflect Financial Ltd and St. James’s Place, the strength of Philip’s advice is rooted in his experience of working with police officers over many years, together with his knowledge and understanding of the police pension schemes and the taxation regimes that impact upon them.  As a valued client, your key relationship would always be with Philip, but it is important to highlight that, below the surface, you would also have exclusive access to highly qualified and experienced specialist advice teams bringing together investment and pension specialists, banking advisers, and experts in taxation and legal matters. 

Working alongside Philip is former Chief Superintendent and National Secretary of the PSA, Tim Jackson QPM.  Having led for the Association on the reform of police pensions, and worked closely with other staff associations in relation to this, Tim has a detailed knowledge of the various police pension schemes and related taxation matters.

Points of contact:            Philip Pearson ([email protected]) 07779 325803

                                           Tim Jackson ([email protected]) 07768 301482

If you would like to reserve your place at any of these seminars, which are free to attend, please use this link to sign up to your chosen seminar - https://forms.gle/GV16VWJw7cR5VHLb7 

Shabir Hussain is a former Commander in the MPS and is the pension advisor to CPOSA.  He can provide pension/AA/LTA calculations to members of the PSAEW through his website.  He does make a charge for his services.  A link to his website can be found here

Shabir has developed an on-line pension estimators for self-service queries.  They both have screen capture tutorials which explain how they work and test sites to practice navigation and inputting.

The Police Mutual Foundation supports the welfare of police officers, police staff and their families at a time where in-force funding for health related services is under increasing pressure.

You can learn more about the Police Mutual Foundation here.

Funded by the Police Mutual Group, the Police Mutual Foundation is overseen by the Foundation Advisory Board, which provides guidance, support and insight and is made up of a number of welfare practitioners and key stakeholders from across the Service, including:

• National Police Chiefs Council

• Superintendents Association

• National Association of Retired Police Officers

• Police Federation

Please find below the link to the digital version of the wellbeing toolkit 

True Bearing Chartered Financial Planners

We offer independent financial advice to clients throughout the North West, North East, through to London. Our Financial Advisers have decades of experience in advising clients and passionately believe in face-to-face financial advice. We are extremely proud of our service and the awards we have won, but this isn’t the only reason to choose us. We were awarded the prestigious “Chartered Financial Planners” title by The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) in 2010. Chartered status is an exclusive title only awarded to 4% of all UK IFAs firms, which meet rigorous criteria relating to professionalism and capability.

 

We pride ourselves on excellent communication with our clients and in 2010 we were the first IFA to achieve Investors in People Gold accreditation in recognition of our staff and systems, we have retained the Gold accreditation ever since. In 2018 True Bearing won ‘GOLD Employer of the Year’ at the Investors in People Awards 2018 for category 50 to 249 employees. It was the first time True Bearing entered the awards as it was an opportunity to benchmark ourselves against high performing organisations, not just within the UK but on a global scale.

 

Other achievements are ‘Best Financial Firm in Lancashire’ at the Red Rose Awards in 2016 and 2018. We also achieved Professional Practice of the Year in 2016 along with an award for our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility at the BIBAs. True Bearing has over 15 years’ experience in business, and has been growing every year to become a regional leader. 

 

True Bearing is directly regulated and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We provide advice across the whole of the market and we do not sell products; our incentive is getting the best results for our clients. This is achieved through impartial, unrestricted advice that considers every financial solution on the relevant market. We have Chartered IFAs, Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA), some of whom are qualified under The Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP). True Bearing employs legal specialists to complement its financial planning for clients.

 

Having been actively involved in the retirement workshops for a number of years, True Bearing officially launched its own Pre-Retirement Workshops in 2013. Currently we work with Cumbria Constabulary, Lancashire Constabulary, Cheshire Constabulary and Merseyside Police. Since our launch we support over 60 major employers and deliver over 150 workshops per year to the private and public sectors. Following the delivery of courses to the Chief Police Officer's Staff Association, saw us recommended to other police forces throughout the UK.

 

We are thrilled to be working with the Police Superintendents Association again this year and are offering webinars and workshops noted below.

 

True Bearing Pre Retirement Workshop will cover:

If you would be interested in attending one of our Pre-Retirement Workshops please register your interest with [email protected]or (07545 834030). 

For further information on the company visit www.truebearing.co.uk.

 

The dates for 2023 are:-

·         Wednesday 7th June 2023 – Mere Golf Resort & Spa (Knutsford - Cheshire)

·         Wednesday 11th October 2023 - Nunsmere Hall, Country House Hotel (Tarporley - Cheshire)

·         Tuesday 12th December 2023 – virtual meeting via MS Teams

 

  

The PSA has launched a new membership benefits platform which is open to every member, including their families and friends.
 
The benefits on offer can be found at  https://policesupers.perkjam.com and by purchasing any ‘perk’ via the links on the website, the PSA benefits each time with an amount of commission being paid to the PSA account. 
 
The commission earned will be paid directly into a new welfare fund which has previously been requested by members to assist members who may need some financial support at a difficult time.  The welfare fund will be independently chaired with a governance board to make decisions on cases submitted.  More details on the welfare fund will be published soon. 

 
 You can create a login simply by registering on the website. You can also download the Perkjam app to your mobile phone via the app store or google play store.  Please use the platform and help the association, whilst you benefit from the branded offers. The weblink can be shared widely.

Willson Grange Mortgages is proud to be working with the Police Superintendents’ Association again this year.

 

Based on mainland UK, with a head office in the North West of England, we are a team of highly qualified and experienced mortgage and protection advisers offering impartial independent advice to senior members of the Police force.  

 

Willson Grange Mortgages is also an accredited provider to currently Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester Police Federations.

 

Director Ian Ward and his team have developed a strong reputation and a long-standing and trusted professional relationship with the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA).  They are noted for providing exceptional service, together with a completely confidential, flexible, tailored advice provision to meet senior police officers’ often complex needs.    

 

Ian has over 35-years experience in financial services, is a former Flight Lieutenant in the RAF Reserve and a qualified gliding instructor, and he was also a Special Constable with Merseyside Police.  Due to his professional and life experiences, he has an acute appreciation and recognition for all police officers, support staff and their families key financial needs. Ian understands the risks and pressures affecting officers day to day, as well as their longer-term needs and plans when retirement looms.

“Everyone has different circumstances, ambitions and areas of concern, so it’s important that we take time to understand each officer’s needs from an individual perspective,” says Ian. 

“Being independent, we’re able to research across the whole of market and come up with a range of suitable options, often with products not available on the high street”.   

“We operate on a national basis, and many senior-ranked officers have found our first-class professional service invaluable, particularly during the current volatile economic climate”

 WHAT SENIOR POLICE OFFICERS SAY ABOUT WILLSON GRANGE MORTGAGES… 

… “Exceptional friendly level of service – highly recommended.” - Supt. DJC – Lincolnshire Constabulary 

… “Excellent, and very quick professional service.” - Supt. RDC – West Yorkshire Constabulary 

… “I’ve already recommended Becky [one of the Willson Grange Mortgages team members] to a number of people. Becky went ‘above and beyond’ in her role and was there for me when there were some difficult legal questions from the solicitor’s. Her patience was second to none, particularly when I had two house sales fall through and we had to start the process all over again. Becky’s easy going and friendly nature made a stressful situation very easy. She is a credit to the team and the company.” - Supt. SJS – Lancashire Constabulary 

We know from experience that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. Simply by talking to you to find out what your current position is, and where you would like it to be, our advisers can help you to build and plan for a more secure future. Did you know, for example, that buying a new home is not the only time you could benefit from mortgage advice? We can advise on whether you might be paying too much for your current mortgage and help you switch even if you are tied in to your existing deal*. Likewise, we can also help find the most competitive offer on a remortgage if your current deal has come to an end. Debt consolidation is also an area where we can offer specialist advice.

* If you feel as though you are ‘locked-in’ to your current mortgage with a penalty payable, we are able to assess whether there’s a cost saving to be made by paying the penalty and by switching your mortgage to an even better deal. 

We’re delighted to offer senior police officers the following benefits: 

IMPARTIAL independent mortgage and protection advice

PERSONAL service from highly qualified and experienced professionals

ACCESS to the Whole Market together with mortgage providers not available on the high street

Call us for help with: 

·        Residential mortgages

·        Buy to let*

·        Low credit score and complex credit history 

·        Commercial or semi-commercial mortgages* 

·        Protection Insurances 

·        Secured loans
Short-term (bridging) and development finance* 

·        Equity release/lending into retirement 

·        Overseas mortgages** 

*Some lending is not regulated by the FCA.
 **Changes in the exchange rate may increase the sterling equivalent of your debt. 

Your home is at risk if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage or loan secured on it. Think carefully before securing debts on your home. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. There may be a fee for arranging a mortgage. The precise amount will depend upon your circumstances but we estimate it to be no more than £495.00. Willson Grange Mortgages Limited is authorised & regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Registered in England No. 12159757. Willson Grange Mortgages: 50 Grange Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 4EF.

Here at JMW we recognise that when people need to approach a lawyer it can often be a daunting experience. We have approachable, experienced lawyers who are waiting to assist you and guide you through matters using clear and simple terms. We are here to help for the ordinary issues as well as the extra-ordinary so whether you are moving house, are injured in an accident or just want to make a will – we can guide you through the process. We are ‘full service’ at JMW which means we should be able to help no matter what your query is so if you would like a no obligation conversation with one of our lawyers call us on the dedicated PSA helpline on 0161 838 2862 or email us at [email protected].

PSA employees will receive 15 minutes free legal advice on any legal matter by telephone. In addition JMW offers PSA employees a 10% discount from our normal fees in all legal matters.

See further information here and a price list here.

Hannah Cornish and Sarah Thompson have nearly 40 years’ experience between them advising serving and retired police officers on their family law issues. They train family law solicitors on the complexities of police pensions on divorce and are at the forefront of the legal profession when it comes to advising on public sector pensions on divorce.

Hannah and Sarah have unrivalled experience and knowledge in family law issues experienced by police officers and can guide you through these issues: 

• Divorce 

• Police pensions on divorce 

• Resolution of finances on divorce or separation 

• Disputes involving children, such as residence and contact arrangements, parental alienation 

• Cohabitation disputes 

• Domestic violence 

• Surrogacy and adoption 

They offer an initial free no obligation consultation and a 20% reduction in fees from their usual hourly rates. They also offer fixed fees where appropriate.
 
To find out more visit www.keystonelaw.co.uk or email [email protected] or [email protected]

Dan Gorton, a Partner of St. James’s Place, offers members personal financial advice on their pension arrangements and other financial needs.  Dan has been assisting individual members of the PSA and CPOSA across the UK for a number of years as well as offering seminars to associations in London and the South East.  Dan has been a financial adviser for 15 years and is a Chartered Fellow of the CISI and a Chartered Wealth Manager. 

Contact:           [email protected]

Tel:                   07557 683373

Web:               www.gortonwm.co.uk

​​​​​​Gorton Wealth Management is an Appointed Representative of and represents only St. James's Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and services, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St. James's Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James's Place representatives.