The world is in recession. Why is the stock market reaching ever higher?
Current World Bank forecasts indicate that the Covid-19 recession will be the deepest since World War II and the Treasury’s forecaster has suggested that it could take until the end of 2022 for the British economy to return to its pre-coronavirus peak. However, global stock markets seem to tell a…
Plan an autumn getaway
With overseas travel not looking to return to its pre-pandemic levels until next year at the earliest, most of us will be taking our holidays within the British Isles for the time being, letting us see some of the incredible beauty we have on our doorstep. Autumn is a great…
What’s your money personality?
We all have a different relationship with money. Recognising your money personality can help you better understand yours. While no member of each group has precisely the same attitude towards their finances, researchers have identified four common attitudes towards money: Money Worship, Money Avoidance, Money Vigilance and Money Status. Psychologists…
What is the value of advice?
You’re not going to be surprised that, as advisers, our firm belief is that an advised client will get a better financial outcome than a non-advised client. How to prove, though, that we’re not just biased? What is the actual value of that advice? How can it be quantified? Most…
Focus on the escalator not the yo-yo
I came across this exchange on Twitter recently: “The stock market is like someone playing with a yo-yo whilst riding the up escalator. The secret is to focus on the escalator and not the yo-yo!” “Of course, you need to know which escalator you’re on. Otherwise both are pointless.” Think…
What questions should you be asking before you access your pension?
According to HMRC, record numbers of people have been taking money out of their pensions since the beginning of the year. 348,000 people made a withdrawal between January and March, a 23% increase from 284,000 in the same quarter in 2019. The value of the payments was £2.46bn, the highest…
What does the stamp duty holiday mean for me?
In his 8 July summer statement, Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed that the stamp duty threshold will be immediately raised to £500,000 in England and Northern Ireland, in what some have dubbed the ‘stamp duty holiday’. The rise in threshold lasts until 31 March 2021 and will apply to both first-time…
The Chancellor’s Summer Statement 2020
Introduction On 11th March this year – less than four months ago – the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, presented his first Budget following the Conservative victory in the December election. That Budget was, he declared, a “People’s Budget from a People’s Government.” It was certainly a Budget…
Retirement planning in the time of COVID-19
The COVID-19 outbreak has heralded the beginning of a concerning time for everyone. As well as anxiety about our own health and the wellbeing of our loved ones, many of us are understandably worried about the financial future. Recent stock market volatility is worrying for all investors, but especially for…
Why even high-flying professionals need a financial planner
You may find it surprising to learn that even successful tax, legal, accounting and other professionals use financial planners. Surely, they know it all already, don’t they? Don’t they just follow their own advice? Let’s look at why professional advisers sometimes find it helpful to sit on the opposite side…