Introduction Once again, the market commentary for our clients is dominated by events in Ukraine. As in March, we have included a special section on Ukraine and – as before – we must stress that ‘at the time of writing’ very much applies to the comments. This month’s market commentary was written on Friday April […]
It is now a well-documented fact that the pandemic was good for billionaires. According to Oxfam’s annual report on global inequality – always released to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos – the pandemic saw a new billionaire created every day. The world’s ten richest men more than doubled their collective wealth between […]
The UK is facing a cost of living crisis, with inflation hitting 6.2% in February 2022, and according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, it could average at 7.4% this year. But people’s wages aren’t going up at the same rate, despite the words “high wages” effortlessly tripping off the tongues of government ministers only […]
As the saying goes, you can’t take your money with you when you die, so it’s only natural that you might want to leave your wealth to those people closest to your heart, such as your children. But this isn’t the only option open to you, as you can leave your money to a cause […]
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 […]