Current Position Inflation figures for June revealed an unexpected fall in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate to 2.6% after seven months of rising rates and May’s high of 2.9%. Possibly, inflation is now at, or close to, its post-Brexit-vote peak, and an interest rate rise may not be forthcoming after all. The recent inflation dip
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It is now clear that our Prime Minister underestimated the strength of populist sentiment and we are now in a position where no party has managed to achieve a parliamentary majority. The opinion polls prior to last Thursday’s vote pointed to a Conservative win although not the landslide that was expected just a few weeks
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Following the announcement for a ‘snap-election’ on the 8th June, there has been speculative activity among traders with sharp moves in the value of the pound and UK companies. What Happened and Why? Theresa May is said to want greater power and leverage in the Brexit negotiations which she expects to be gained from a
Read MoreSpring Budget 2017 Update Yesterday, Philip Hammond the Chancellor of the Exchequer, delivered the last Spring Budget (although as he joked, we’ve been told that before, by Norman Lamont in 1992). There were no significant tax or pension changes in yesterday’s Budget that will have any immediate impact, allowing all to plan for the tax
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Yesterday, the Prime Minister finally delivered her 12-point plan for taking the UK out of the EU. In her detailed speech, she set out her vision for a ‘managed Brexit’ that would seek ‘a new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union’. Here we comment briefly on global economic progress and the
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This will be the last Autumn Statement. In future, the Budget Day will switch from spring to autumn, with a toned down statement on the economy delivered each March. This will give welcome breathing space between the announcement of budget changes and their introduction. Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Statement didn’t contain any major tax or
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As with Brexit, not may people foresaw Donald Trump emerging as winner of the US presidential election. There is obviously a considerable amount of discontent and frustration across Western democracies. This election result is a vote against the political establishment from a large part of society that is angry that government policy has done little
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We have all had our chance to vote and have judged the benefits of an independent life outside the EU to be worth the costs of leaving it. In spite of the more emotional appeals to the contrary, this is not a disaster. The UK will certainly suffer an economic impact as businesses consider their
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How has the Brexit uncertainty affected the UK market? Although the EU referendum is dominating headlines in the UK, not all stock market movements are a result of the forthcoming vote. There are also a lot of global factors affecting ours and international markets. The year started with extreme pessimism about Chinese and global growth
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Pensions – no news is good news Its business as usual for pension saving as the Chancellor confirmed there will be no imminent changes to pension tax relief. The introduction of the new Lifetime ISA (LISA) saving vehicle from April 2017 adds another complementary option to the saving landscape. Other pension news Salary sacrifice is
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