Being of a certain age, your writer notes that the 40th anniversary of decimalisation in the UK has passed by without a murmur, no great fanfare, no memorials, just a forgotten memory – for some of us. In recent years I have developed what my wife calls a very disturbing habit. Every time I make
Read MoreHave our elected representatives across the developed economies dealt with the credit crisis? Recent market activity would suggest that they have not and have simply delayed the further action that will be required in order to bring some stability to financial markets. In response to this, the impatience of stock markets has shown through recently
Read MoreTo start with, a very nice 21st century definition: A derivative is a contract between two parties that specifies conditions—in particular, dates and the resulting values of the underlying variables—under which payments are to be made between the parties. We have all become a lot more aware of these derivatives in the last few years
Read MoreWe are now 3 years into the economic recovery and unfortunately employment growth remains subdued. As Governments, companies and consumers continue to repay their borrowing (deleverage) in addition to spending cuts like those seen in the UK with slow consumer spending this has led to a restriction of economic and employment growth and the low
Read MoreIn this blog post, we explore how Accountants and Financial Planners, whilst not undertaking the same roles, can help you achieve your financial objectives and goals. If you were asked which one word relates to Accountancy, I should think that ‘Tax’ would be high up on your list. What your Accountant Can Do For You
Read More‘What goes up must come down’. We all remember from our school days Sir Isaac Newton for his famous law of gravity and the picture of the apple falling on his head. Sir Isaac Newton was a genius mathematician who had an input into many aspects of life in this country at the end of
Read MoreIf stock-market investment could ever truly be likened to a rollercoaster ride it would be now as we have recently experienced sharp falls and rises in global stock-markets largely due to investor sentiment as the potential impact of the deepening sovereign debt crisis and worsening economic data is revealed. It is worth reminding ourselves that
Read MoreWhy are global stock markets falling? There is a general realisation that lifting the US debt ceiling or striking a deal on Greek debt will not solve the underlying problem facing the world economy. Governments, companies and individuals in developed countries are still very much ‘over borrowed’ and therefore need to continue to ‘tighten their
Read MoreOur regular blog update takes a different turn this week as we talk about the professionals that we are able to work with and can help to deliver a first class service to their clients. With the implementation of the retail distribution review in January 2013, Independent Financial Advisers will be required to demonstrate higher
Read MoreWhen advising clients, we are often asked how state pension deferral works. Whilst the state pension is a complex area, we have provided our interpretation of the current rules surrounding this. Under current legislation, the State Pension does not have to be taken at the State Pension age. It can be deferred indefinitely and taken
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