This Spring Statement was always intended to be a fiscal non-event. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had promised that there would only be one major economic event each year and last October’s controversial budget was most definitely intended to be it. Speculation has been rising that this Spring Statement might break that promise, and bring some surprises …
Introduction The FTSE 100 hit another record high in February, and both the UK and the Eurozone fared surprisingly well in the face of Trump’s tariff threats. How long European equity markets will continue to outpace US markets remains to be seen but for now it is with some irony that Trump’s aggressive economic policy …
Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 47th President of the USA, on arrival he has announced a raft of immediate measures and made a series of threats too. One of these threats is the imposition of new trade tariffs. He has warned both Canada and Mexico they could face 25% import tariffs to the …
Introduction The FTSE 100 hit record highs in January, as Donald Trump took office for the second time. The announcement of US trade tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China have caused some turbulence and whilst the EU seems to be in Trump’s line of sight next, there are strong hints that the UK may have …
UK Government borrowing costs have soared in the wake of its Autumn Budget, with some gilt yields reaching levels not seen since 1998. Yields on the 30-year UK Gilt have reached above 5.22% – higher than at any point since 1998, as the Government looks to sell fresh bonds in order to fund its spending …
Introduction A New Year gives us the chance to look forward. We can expect more change in 2025 for personal finances, with a new Labour budget laid out and a returning President in the US. 2024 was a year of speculation and political change across the world, with President Trump and the Labour Party the …
Introduction The US election provided another definitive moment in what has been a politically charged year. With many countries holding elections in 2024, analysts have been second guessing what markets will do for some time. Whether Trump is popular outside the US is debatable, but his election victory was convincing and markets have responded positively …
The headlines will focus on the government’s decision to charge inheritance tax on any unused pension funds or death benefits. This is only part of the story, and there are a number of changes in the budget which makes a review of potential inheritance tax liabilities more important than ever. These measures are forecast to …
The Laffer Curve is a concept accredited to economist Dr. Arthur Laffer. Laffer admitted that whilst he gave it a name, it’s been around as an idea in one form or another since the 14th century, when Muslim philosopher Ibn Khaldun wrote about it. It was also referenced in John Maynard Keynes work. In simple …
Introduction Labour’s first budget for 14 years dominated the headlines, but with a US election in early November and constant attention paid to inflation figures, corporate results and interest cuts around the world, there was plenty of other financial news throughout October. UK £40bn of additional tax revenue was announced by the new Chancellor, Rachel …
