For some of us there seems to be a thrill factor in leaving certain tasks or decisions to the very last minute even though we have had ample time or warning to deal with it.

Running the petrol tank down to a position where you are literally running on vapour and the dashboard is flashing and beeping at you saying the car theoretically will not do any more miles is a well-worn favourite.

Alternatively there is the time we spend in airport departures in duty free even though the final call for your flight has been and gone.

The same can be said of certain financial decisions.

Although we have had 365 days to consider making pension contributions, or funding an ISA for the tax year 2011/2012, the few days leading up to the end of the tax year remains a frantic and busy time for the financial services industry evidenced by certain institutions opening late into the evenings to cope with demand.

The stocks and shares ISA limit for 2012/2013 is £11,280.

Rather than making the contribution a few days before April 5 2013 individuals may wish to consider funding the 2012/2013 allowance now early in the financial year therefore benefiting from the potential of a year’s tax-free growth.

Alternatively you could make use of the ability to address the ISA allowance over a twelve month period rather than making the contribution in full on one given day at the end of the tax year.

Global stock markets have recently experienced periods of increased volatility.

The market downturns experienced since the beginning of the credit crunch in July 2007 and again in September 2008 have understandably caused some investors to worry about the downside risk to their investments.

However it is possible to make volatility work to your advantage. Regular monthly investing offers a potential benefit through pound cost averaging.

The theory is simple and means that if the market falls then your regular fixed monthly investment will buy more shares, because the price of each share you are buying will be lower. In a rising market fewer shares will be purchased but your existing shares will have gone up in value.