The past few years have been challenging for investors with a series of unforeseen events and rising geopolitical tensions weighing heavily on global markets and, as a new year dawns, many issues remain unresolved. However, while such times are disconcerting for investors, the best way to achieve financial empowerment is by sticking to a sound […]
Category archives: General Financial News
Getting the economy “back on track”
With the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) predicting modest UK economic growth of 0.7% this year and 1.4% in 2025, during the Autumn Statement Chancellor Jeremy Hunt outlined 110 growth measures intended to get more people into work, cut business taxes and raise business investment, to get the economy “back on track.” Contrary to speculation, […]
A financial and wellbeing safety net
Life has a funny way of turning out differently to how we expect it. When faced with the unpredictable twists and turns of fate, it is comforting to have the support of the right protection cover for your needs. Rising bills reinforce need for protection Increased household bills, mortgage and rent costs, mean that protection […]
Gender division and money matters
Despite women’s earning power increasing significantly over recent decades, the division of financial responsibilities does not appear to have evolved. A survey1 of 4,000 UK adults earlier this year found that women still typically have greater oversight of domestically focused financial matters, such as household costs (67% of women versus 51% of men) and utility […]
Your behavioural biases
As an investor, you will have your own financial personality and preferences, which your adviser will consider when helping you to make financial decisions. Parallels with F1 You may not think so, but parallels can be drawn between Formula One (F1) and investing. In F1, drivers may make suboptimal decisions during races due to cognitive […]
‘Dog funds’
According to the latest data1, the number of ‘dog’ funds have increased by 27% since February this year, that represents 56 equity investment funds versus 44 earlier in the year, but a reduction on the 86 dog funds identified in January 2022. A ‘dog’ fund is defined as one which has failed to beat its […]
FIRE investing
Many of us dream about retiring early so we can devote more time to things we enjoy; but financial realities inevitably mean few of us actually realise those dreams. A growing number of people though are turbo-charging their chances of early retirement success by embracing the FIRE principles of investing. We didn’t start the fire […]
Interest-only searches on the up
The number of searches relating to interest-only mortgages soared by 53% in June, as borrowers sought out ways to lower their monthly expenditure. More interest in interest-only Research1 shows that ‘interest-only mortgages’ was the most common search term in August, ahead of other staples like ‘buy-to-let’ and ‘fixed-term’. The jump is likely to be linked […]
Tax toll on prudent savers
Taxes on savings and dividends are set to top £24bn this fiscal year in what is being seen by some as a fresh attack on savers who have shown prudence and thrift. Savers hit… Higher interest rates mean that more savers are being drawn into paying tax by crossing the Income Tax savings threshold. Interest […]
Let’s talk it through
A pandemic closely followed by a cost-of-living crisis has undoubtedly created a challenging financial backdrop for us all and inevitably heightened money-related stress and anxieties. At times like these, it’s more important than ever to open up and talk any concerns through with loved ones or a professional adviser in order to protect both financial […]