The Bank of England has increased interest rates for the 14th month in a row – meaning they now stand at 5.25 per cent. Members of the Monetary Policy Committee have been hiking rates in an effort to tackle inflation, which remains well above the Bank’s target of two per cent. But while high inflation […]
Latest News from Radcliffe Cooper
This section is regularly updated to bring you news of important developments in financial planning matters.
For many of us, our school life was defined by exams; being taught what you need to know to pass important tests. It was only once we left education that we realised we didn’t actually possess much of the information and skills we needed to thrive as adults. Financial literacy is a particularly good example […]
Investing can be a sensible and effective way of maximising your income and making sure your money is working hard for you. So why don’t more of us do it? Well, a new study by Lloyds Bank has found that fear is one big reason, as nearly half of those without investments are unwilling to […]
Overall Market Backdrop, July: The Bank Of Japan increased its limit on ten-year government-bond yields from 0.5% to 1%, leading to ten-year yields reaching c.0.6%, the highest in almost ten years. On July 26th, the Federal Reserve (Fed) increased the federal funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point to the highest level in […]
Sluggish growth and high inflation were recurring themes in many major and emerging economies last month, as central banks across the globe sought to manage the impact of global economic headwinds. But interestingly, many emerging markets bucked this trend. As always, let’s take a closer look at the details. UK The UK economy saw surprise […]
When you create a financial strategy, you’ll often have medium- to long-term goals in mind. But that doesn’t mean it should be set in stone. After all, your situation and circumstances could vary considerably over time. Perhaps you’ll land a new job that significantly increases your income, move to a bigger and more valuable property […]
It’s summer and you want to relax on holiday without worrying about what you can afford. So how can you make sure you’re able to make the most of your precious trip overseas, rather than spending time counting the pennies? Set a budget Booking travel and accommodation is expensive enough, but then there’s plenty more […]
Overall Market Backdrop, June On 22nd June the Bank of England (BoE) raised rates to 5%, with a surprise 0.5% increase (compared to market expectations of 0.25%). The BoE’s rate hike and associated movements in the UK gilt yield and swap curves (on which mortgages are typically priced) contributed to further increases in the price […]
Much of what we learn in childhood can stand us in good stead for when we set out on our own in adulthood. Maybe your parents involved you in household chores such as cooking and cleaning, so you were confident with both when you moved out and lived on your own. But did they ever […]
Overall Market Backdrop, May There was increased media focus in the last few weeks of May as the U.S. Government approached its ‘debt ceiling’, with a lack of political consensus in Washington raising concerns over the possibility of a potential default. Notably, UK core inflation (which excludes energy and food), increased from 6.2% to 6.8% […]