Raising tax without result
It seems this Government is being the most successful at raising the rates of tax yet collecting less cash as a result – and doing untold harm to the economy as well as consumer and business confidence the same time. No, this isn’t political comment; it’s simply financially factual.
Whatever one’s politics and no, it’s...
‘Unexpected’ inflation really wasn’t
So we have been greeted with an ‘unexpected’ 3.6% inflation and unemployment rising at the same time that vacancies are diminishing (the lowest since Covid). Anyone reading these eshots and realising the increases in costs on employers would not have seen these two things as ‘unexpected’ at all.
Indeed, perhaps the Government should subscribe to...
Chancellor tears but not for us
So, very unconvincingly the Prime Minister supporting the Chancellor’s dire financial announcements brought the wrong sort of tears to her eyes, promptly seeing the cost of long-term UK Government debt rise by a whopping 5% and Sterling losing a cent instantly. Fortunately that was short-lived but we’re still paying far more than at the...
Happy Father’s Day and advice
Market news and investment
Meta and Microsoft both topped analysts’ expectations for latest quarter’s results at the same time the US economy suffered a regression of 0.3% in the first quarter’s ‘growth’ – apparently nothing whatsoever to do with President Trump of course and his actions of late.
Gold has come-off its top – an over-extended spike it might...
ISA reform looks likely – but no details as yet!
A shake-up of Cash ISAs seems on the cards as the Government has given its clearest indication yet that it is looking to reform the system. That’s a good thing as it will encourage people to see ‘investing’ as different from ‘saving’!
As reported by online financial news platform Citywire, City Minister Emma Reynolds has...
US wobbling subsides – for now
Volatile US stocks
Volatility led by the US has escalated quite dramatically. It's impacted market values – especially some US tech cos and Nasdaq has drifted 10% now but the concerns over tariffs and the Ukraine situation and the US reaction to it, let alone clumsy politics and diplomacy, have not helped. Suddenly Nvidia and Tesla aren't...
Off-piste, risk and the economy
Having grabbed a week to visit Chamonix and on one day to travel up to Aiguille du Midi (3,842 metres) to view Mont Blanc (4,805metres), gave me an opportunity to see ‘risk’ in a different context. The height, the highest I have ever been excluding flights, puts risk in a different perspective altogether
The engineering...