Introduction As 2022 drew to a close, there was a mixed picture worldwide as major economies sought to respond to soaring energy prices, rising living costs and the continuing impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In our first round-up of the year, we look at where we left off in 2022 all across the world… […]
The Chancellor’s decision to protect the state pension triple lock was one of the most headline-grabbing aspects of the recent Budget. But what exactly is the triple lock and what does it mean? In short, it’s a mechanism designed to make sure the state pension doesn’t lose value, so it will go up by whichever […]
It’s a term we’ve heard a lot recently, so let’s take a close look at what open banking actually is, and how many people know about it. Open banking means allowing third-party financial services providers, such as budgeting apps, to access a person’s banking information, like their payment history and previous transactions. These services have […]
As we all know, interest rates have been steadily rising. Higher interest rates equal higher mortgage rates, which means less money for householders to spend. Then came the Autumn Statement. Tax thresholds frozen equals more to pay in taxes equals less to spend in the shops. The situation has been much the same in the […]
Overall Market Backdrop, December On Wednesday 21st December, it was announced that UK government borrowing hit £22bn for November, nearly three times the £8.1bn reached in the same month last year. UK house prices fell for the fourth consecutive month in December, marking the longest contraction since the 2008 financial crisis, as rising interest rates […]