What’s the state of the nation?
So the Autumn Statement is behind us. Taxes are up and so we now face the highest tax burden since WW2 as well as ‘enjoying’ the biggest public spending since the 1970s.The ‘Office for Budget Responsibility’, a relatively recently created quango and chaired by Richard Hughes, (Ed Miliband’s former policy adviser who was a...
What does the Autumn Statement mean?
The markets have been steady following the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, which came as no great surprise in its bid to tighten belts and curb public debt.
The Pound did see a slight dip but has remained firm otherwise and that was more to do with what the Dollar was doing than the Pound itself.
The budget...
The science of investment explained
So US inflation is tidier than expected and the NASDAQ rises by 7.5% on the day (as it is hoped further interest rate rises may not happen and indeed the next may be downwards) and a further 2% the next day. The mainstream market likewise rocketed and the US Dollar fell significantly too.Generally, investors...
Seeking out those elusive lost pension pots
Somewhere out there is almost £27billion in ‘lost’ pension pots, according to a recent report.
The Times tells us there are 2.8 million ‘missing’ pots out there which highlights the difficulties savers can often face keeping track of what they hold.
The startling numbers are based on a report from the Pensions Policy Institute, an industry...
What do rising interest rates mean for savers and mortgage seekers?
Should I sell my US Tech stocks?
So according to Refinitiv, the drop in US markets has seen $3.5trillion wiped-off the ‘Faang’ stocks plus Microsoft (with $250billion last week alone). Yes, that’s primarily the US Tech leaders including Facebook (Meta) which has plummeted. That’s a third off this year – ouch. Thankfully we stuck to our guns and have had...
May the new Prime Minister bring stable markets
Prime Minister resigns
I feel I can’t keep sending ‘emergency’ eshots as things are changing so fast and the consequences and implications will take some time to digest by ‘everyone and everything’.It was sad to see the Prime Minister resign today. I don’t say that in any other way than criticism at the behaviour and reactions and...
Death by a thousand cuts
Volatility has been unrelenting. Contrary to our media’s interpretation too, it’s not just ‘us’ and the whole world’s meltdown these last few weeks is not all because of our Mini Budget where only two small unannounced tax cuts were made, if we ignore bringing forward one year Rishi’s promised 1p off the Basic Rate...