Introduction August used to be known as the ‘silly season’ – a phrase coined by the Times in 1861 to describe the lack of news in August and early September when parliament was in recess. Well, there was plenty of news in August 2020. With coronavirus and its effects, the continuing squabbles over Brexit, the …
There are many ways that value is expressed in the relationship between a financial planner and a client; the most obvious being the way that an adviser can guide a client towards their financial goals, enabling a client to live the life they want in the future. Offering clear, unbiased advice is also viewed as …
Current World Bank forecasts indicate that the Covid19 recession will be the deepest since WWII 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 more positive story. Markets are rallying across …
Introduction If there was one word that characterised July, it was tension. Tension between Beijing and Hong Kong, tension between China and the US, and tension between China and the UK over Huawei. The UK made a citizenship offer to up to 3m Hong Kong residents and duly suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong. …
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 buyers and previous owners. Sunak …
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 importantly, the value of advice …
Financial independence can seem like the holy grail. We may be striving towards it but feel bombarded by lots of conflicting messages on how best to attain it. These five points give an interesting perspective: Income is not the same thing as wealth Having a high salary can help you accumulate wealth but that’s no …
Looking back to the start of last month, June began optimistically as the Space X astronauts reached the International Space Station and ended on an even more upbeat note as Boris Johnson launched a ‘new deal’ for Britain and declared: “This is the moment to be ambitious.” All the major stock markets we cover in …
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 that was high on spending …
You may find it surprising to learn that even financial planners 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 advisers sometimes find it helpful to sit on the opposite side of the desk. To clarify goals Setting clear goals is hard, …
