Introduction August started with US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan. We comment on China’s reaction below – and we also describe the environmental and economic challenges facing the country. With domestic crises brewing at home, some commentators have noted the convenience of an external crisis for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party). “The position of the […]
Overall Market Backdrop, August Developed markets struggled in August as they continue to battle against high inflation, monetary tightening and lower growth expectations. The US 10-Year Treasury yields saw a change in trend and dropped by 33 basis points, ending at 2.64%. Momentum was the best performing factor for August, returning 1.91%. In the UK we […]
At the beginning of July, an article appeared in City AM, stating: ‘UK business bosses most pessimistic since the start of the pandemic’. It started by describing business leaders as ‘disheartened’, saying that ‘soaring inflation and Brexit pains’ had ‘crippled confidence’. (In the interests of balance and fairness, we should point out here that City AM has consistently […]
Despite the current economic pressure the UK Private Medical Insurance (PMI) market continues to see strong growth as many households prioritise the longer term protection of their health. This growth is being driven by the ongoing deterioration of the NHS after many consecutive years of underfunding and the compounded pressure of the Covid-19 related treatment delays. Unfortunately, […]
A happy retirement doesn’t just happen by itself. You’ve got to make it happen, and that involves lots of careful planning and asking yourself what you really want from your post-working life. The most obvious answer to that question is money, as we’ll all want financial security when we retire. But that’s not all. We’ll […]