It has no doubt not escaped your attention that the political agenda both in the UK and in the US has at times been febrile of late. Much like the weather here in the UK, the political climate has also been stormy and inclement. This has reflected in market volatility across all developed and
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With no significant tax or pension changes in yesterday’s Budget, the key financial planning points are: Income tax The personal allowance and higher rate threshold will increase earlier than expected to £12,500 and £50,000 respectively from April 2019. The income tax rates and bands for Scottish taxpayers will be announced in Scottish Budget on
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You will have seen a reduction in global stock markets of late back to where they were at the start of 2018 – why is this happening now? Interest Rates Rising Interest rates in the US is causing bond yields to rise which makes them more attractive for investors looking for income. Consequently, this
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The Dangers of Brexit Given the unprecedented nature of Brexit, many investors are becoming cautious in their approach, which possibly means they may be inclined to invest elsewhere, which is no doubt influenced by the noise of daily politics. Yet, the truth is that the Brexit uncertainty is well recognised, so while people are
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Today the base rate rose to its highest level since the financial crisis 10 years ago, with the Bank of England increasing it to 0.75%. All 9 members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), chaired by Mark Carney, voted to raise the rate. This was widely expected by both the market and commentators, given that
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Stock-Market Volatility – February 2018 After a lengthy stretch of calm, stock market volatility has returned this week. On Monday, the Dow Jones index fell 1,175 points, the single largest one-day drop in history. This has affected the UK stock-markets also. The FTSE 100 has dropped over the last week, with six consecutive days of
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As we enter 2018 it is conceivable that the world’s leading economies will continue to display strength and resilience. The US economy is strong and the eurozone economies are improving along with an increase in global trade. This improvement among developed economies should also have a positive impact on the manufacturing economies of East Asia
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