Introduction On Monday March 23rd 2020, the UK went into its first lockdown, following the outbreak and rapid spread of coronavirus. At this point, Rishi Sunak had been Chancellor of the Exchequer for little more than a month, having replaced Sajid Javid on February 13th. He delivered his first Budget a month later, presenting what […]
Introduction Not the election of Donald Trump, not the US/China trade dispute. Not even Brexit. In all the time we have been writing this Monthly Bulletin, no single issue has so completely dominated a month’s news – or threatened to have such serious consequences – as the outbreak of Coronavirus in China. That was how […]
Retirement is one of those major life events that can throw up all sorts of emotions, from excitement to blind panic. But your reaction to this looming milestone can depend largely on how you deal with it in advance. If you’re prepared for retirement and have taken the right advice, you can look forward to […]
For many over-50s, the prospect of enjoying a long and fulfilling retirement doesn’t seem that far away. So now is the time for them to make sure they have their finances in order, so they can be sure of a steady income in retirement that lets them have the lifestyle that they want. However, a […]
“Events, dear boy, events.” This famous quote is often attributed to former prime minister Harold Macmillan after being asked what could knock his government off course. This could be a timely quote right now, as the horrific events in Ukraine look set to impact on consumers and businesses across the world. The UK government will […]
Overall Market Backdrop, February February marks the second month running that global equities have seen negative returns. The previous downward pressure coming from monetary policy tightening and inflation concerns have been seen to be trumped by the ongoing war in eastern Europe. Negative equity returns were not the only thing that remained persistent throughout February, […]
Current situation On the 22nd of February when Putin announced that Russia recognises the two regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as separatist governments, this was the first proclamation of war which has now escalated to troops driving deeper into the country having attacked Ukraine from 3 directions. The world has been taken by surprise by […]