LIVE and kicking

FINANCIAL Mail LIVE kicked off in style, drawing hundreds of keen savers and investors to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster today.

Introducing the conference, Jeff Prestridge, Mail on Sunday Personal Finance Editor, said: 'Stock markets remain jittery, the threat of recession looms. More than ever, the need for sound, solid financial advice is all important, which is where Financial Mail LIVE comes in.'

A series of workshops and seminars run by experts is being held over the two days of the conference. Topics include, how to build an investment portfolio, alternative investments, how to start an investment club, finance from a woman‘s perspective and property as an investment.

The aim of the event is to give Financial Mail and This Is Money readers the opportunity to seek advice and reassurance from the country‘s top financial experts.

The first seminar, chaired by This Is Money editor Steve McDowell, was attended by almost 200 delegates.

The talk, entitled Information For Investors: What You Need And How To Find It, explained how to use the tools of the internet to their best advantage when gathering financial information and choosing products.

To read Steve McDowell‘s speech in full, complete with a host of useful links, online click here .

Stephen Womack of Financial Mail on Sunday held a seminar discussing pension issues.

Independent financial advisers Danny Cox of Hargreaves Lansdown and Adrian Shandley of Southport-based Balmoral Associates gave their top tips for pension and general retirement planning.

Cox said: 'Think of retirement as the longest holiday of your life. We all now know the state won‘t provide. The average person will see a 77% cut in their income on retirement, so it‘s vital to plan ahead.'

Among the 51 companies and organisations exhibiting at the conference are the Association of Investment Trusts (AITC), Bloomberg TV, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), Cantor Index, Chase de Vere, Friends Provident, Gartmore, Jupiter Asset Management, Scottish Widows, and National Savings.

The conference continues tomorrow, Saturday 26 January at 9am. Tickets are available on the door at £20 (admits two).

Win a £5,000 share portfolio