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 […]
The financial crash after the Lehman Brothers collapse saw the biggest global monetary crisis since the end of WW2. It led to a lost economic decade for many – average incomes in the UK still languish far behind their 2008 peak. 15 September 2008, the fall of Lehman sent shockwaves around the world. It was […]
In normal years, the Autumn Budget (formerly the Autumn Statement) is announced in November. However, with less than 6 months left on the countdown to Brexit, this year is far from a normal year. At the end of September, Chancellor Philip Hammond revealed that the Autumn Budget would be released on 29 October which is […]
You may well have seen the headlines that victims lost an average of £91k each in pension scams last year. Worryingly, in a recent survey, 32% of pension holders aged 45-65 said they were unsure how to verify if they were speaking to a genuine pensions adviser. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They can be […]
Introduction August used to be known as the ‘silly season’. Everyone who made the news was away on holiday, nothing happened and newspapers were desperate to fill their pages. So rather more obscure stories made it into print… That, of course, was before Donald Trump. And Brexit. And Venezuela, Argentina and Greece. And… In short, […]
The Bank of Mum and Dad is a well-known concept and we all hate to see our children struggle financially, which is why many parents continue to support their children well into adulthood. Instead of being ‘empty nesters’, many parents discover that their offspring return to the family home straight after university (that is if […]
Pensions for children? Surely that’s taking planning ahead to a whole new level? Nonetheless, if you can afford it, putting money aside in to a pension for your children or grandchildren can be a sensible option. Under the current rules, you can put £2,880 a year into a junior self-invested personal pension (SIPP) or stakeholder […]
It’s well known life begins at forty. Doesn’t it? It should be an exciting decade, full of plans and aspirations. It’s also likely to be a time of optimum earning potential. What’s more, it’s a crucial decade to take a step back and make sure your finances are on track to meet your goals. There’ll […]
Introduction The news in July really could not have been much worse. The threat of a trade war between the US and China simmered throughout the month, and then on 31st July President Trump ramped up the tension with proposals of a 25% tariff on $200bn (£152bn) of Chinese imports. China has already placed retaliatory […]
The Bank of England has raised interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75%, only the second rise in a decade. Currently, interest rates stand at their highest since 2009 and reflect what the Bank of England perceive as a general pick-up in the economy. The Bank said that a rise in household spending has strengthened the […]