“For all our disagreements, the world is undeniably heading in the right direction” At a Downing Street news conference on Sunday evening, following the conclusion of the COP26 Summit, Boris Johnson hailed the climate deal as “game-changing”, before adding that it sounds “the death knell for coal power.” Despite a late intervention by India and […]
Author archives: charlie
News in Review
“We think there will be some need to increase interest rates to bring inflation sustainably back to target” Following many hours of discussions, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to retain the Bank of England (BoE) base rate at its record low of 0.1% at its meeting last week. The decision was made despite predictions […]
Autumn Budget & Spending Review 2021
“An economy fit for a new age of optimism” Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his third Budget and the results of his Spending Review on 27 October, declaring that it begins “the work of preparing for a new economy post-COVID.” The Chancellor struck an upbeat tone during the key fiscal event, as he […]
News in Review
‘Global cooperation is key to addressing our shared challenges as we emerge from the pandemic’ Chancellor Rishi Sunak stressed the importance of nations working together to tackle supply chain issues at a meeting of G7 (Group of Seven) nations in Washington last week. The meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors discussed the importance […]
News in Review
“Household saving fell particularly strongly in the latest quarter from the record highs seen during the pandemic” The easing of COVID restrictions has resulted in an economic rebound that has exceeded initial estimates, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). During Q2, the economy grew by 5.5%, up from the 4.8% forecast […]
News in Review
“Strong policy support has fuelled a vigorous but uneven recovery” With the summer holiday season drawing to a close, travel stocks were impacted last week, following the latest announcement from the Transport Secretary. Although several additions were made to the green list, some countries moved to the red list and popular holiday spots such as […]
Is your home worth more than you think?
Do you think you know how much your property is worth? Would you be surprised if it was worth much more – or much less? Many homeowners’ estimates don’t live up to reality, with nearly half of respondents (45%) to a survey1 undervaluing their property and 25% overestimating its worth. Less than a third were […]
Taking emotion (and colour!) away from investment decisions
It is fascinating to consider the psychology of investing. There are many behavioural traps that investors could find themselves falling into during times of market volatility, when knee jerk reactions can take hold. One example being ‘the anchoring trap’, which is where investors rely too much on their perceptions of an investment, which could be […]
Is IHT change on the cards?
It’s been three years since then-Chancellor Philip Hammond asked the Office of Tax Simplification to look into potential amendments to the Inheritance Tax (IHT) regime1. Since then, no changes have been made to the tax incurred when wealth passes onto the next generation; could Rishi Sunak be the one to take up the mantle once […]
Residential Property Review – August 2021
Transition to eco homes hotting up With climate issues becoming ever more urgent, policymakers and the housing industry are increasingly turning their attention to sustainable property development. Making homes greener will play an important part in the UK’s efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050: new and existing homes together account for 20% of the […]