Introduction It is always difficult writing a report like this, as you are always trying to ‘hit a moving target.’ While you can record the stock market levels at the close of business on, say, 30th November, there is always the risk that the commentary is overtaken by events. That has never been more true than […]
Retirement should be the time of your life. No more early alarm calls, no more commuting and no more carefully counting your holiday allocation. Instead, you have the freedom to do exactly as you please. Yet retirement might not always work out as the idyllic move to a cottage by the sea it’s billed to […]
Retirement planning means taking into account a whole host of factors. You have to navigate tough questions like, ‘What will the impact of inflation be?’ or ‘When will interest rates start to creep up?’ As well as these, there is another question that must be considered: ‘How long will you live?’ This question is unanswerable […]
Introduction October was, to put it mildly, an eventful month. It was a month which saw the majority of markets on which we report down steeply, as fears of higher interest rates in the US combined with worries about the US/China trade war. There was, however, one market that went up sharply: Brazil elected a […]
Sustainable investing has grown rapidly over the last couple of decades. Investors are increasingly committed to the social and environmental impact of where they put their hard- earned money. Getting good financial returns and having a positive impact on the world are not mutually exclusive. Impact investing and ESG investments allow investors to ‘kill two […]
For some investors, stocks and shares are just not enough. Much of the investment appeal lies in the possibility of owning something truly spectacular, rather than achieving maximum returns. It’s often this that propels people to enter the rather unusual asset class of fine art. ‘Girl with Balloon’, a painting by the Bristolian street artist […]
This year Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered his autumn budget a few weeks earlier than usual. Normally the budget is released in mid-November, but this year he gave the budget on 29 October. In the run up to Brexit, Hammond didn’t release any huge announcements. Perhaps he wants to leave plenty of room to accommodate for […]
Introduction A Budget for “Strivers, Grafters and Carers” Budgets, as we all know, take place on Wednesdays. After the excitement of Prime Minister’s Questions, the Deputy Speaker calls ‘the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ and he – so far we have not had a female Chancellor – bounds to his feet, delivering an upbeat message about […]
Introduction On Tuesday, 3rd November 2020 the United States will go to the polls to elect its next President. All the indications are that Donald Trump will stand for a second term and if the words of Bill Clinton – “It’s the economy, stupid” – are to be believed, he will win. While not wanting […]