It’s time to think about life insurance
Posted by siteadmin on Tuesday 27th of October 2020
If you have dependents – people who rely on you financially – then you should have life insurance. In fact, if you have dependents and don’t have life insurance, you are exposing them to grave financial risk. And who would want to do that?
Life insurance tends not to feature on ‘to do’ lists because it makes us confront uncomfortable questions, such as what would happen to our loved ones if we were to die unexpectedly in the next few years.
However, we all carry a deep responsibility to ensure those we leave behind at least have sufficie...
Coming to terms with market turbulence
Posted by siteadmin on Friday 20th of March 2020
As a direct consequence of the COVID-19 outbreak, global stock markets are suffering a period of turbulence. When markets move significantly it can prove very challenging to hear through the noise and focus on the bigger picture.
Lessons from history
Over recent years many investors have become used to a variety of political, financial and economic factors impacting markets, from the Brexit Referendum and subsequent prolonged uncertainty, to the global financial crisis and even further back to the dotcom bust in the early noughties. Al...
Use your ISA allowance
Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 12th of March 2020
Statistics show many young people are not using their ISA allowance only 17% of ISA savers are under the age of 35, but half of ISA savers are aged 55. So, what are the options for ISA savers?
ISA
An ISA is an Individual savings account. It allows you to save tax-free in a cash or investment account.
Cash ISA
A Cash ISA is a savings account where you can deposit up to a yearly limit to save tax-free. There are three principle types, Instant Access, Regular Savings and Fixed rate. Anyone over the age of 18 can open one cash ISA in each ...
Spring Budget 2020
Posted by siteadmin on Wednesday 11th of March 2020
Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first Budget on 11 March, against a backdrop of uncertainty following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent financial losses. It was the first of two Budgets to be delivered in 2020, with the second to follow in the autumn.
COVID-19 and the NHS
The Chancellor wasted no time in diving into the heart of the issue on the minds of so many across the nation: the COVID-19 crisis. Taking an empathetic tone, he reassured the British public that “we will get through this together”...
Investment Update: Falling oil prices drag down shares
Posted by siteadmin on Monday 9th of March 2020
A drop in oil prices sent international shares tumbling when stock markets opened this morning.
Concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on global economic growth have weighed on demand for oil. Over the weekend, talks took place between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers about cutting output to support oil prices, but they failed to come to an agreement. In response, Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, said it would raise production and lower prices in an effort to preserve its market s...
Coronavirus Dents Recovery Hopes
Posted by siteadmin on Monday 2nd of March 2020
Data released by ONS has confirmed the UK economy stalled in the final quarter of 2019 and the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak looks set to hinder prospects of an imminent recovery.
Gross domestic product (GDP) statistics published by ONS showed the UK economy saw zero growth across the final three months of 2019, down from a rise of 0.5% in the preceding quarter. This left last year’s annual GDP growth rate at 1.4%, marginally up from 2018, but still one of the weakest rates of expansion recorded since the 2008 financial cri...
Better Budgeting
Posted by siteadmin on Friday 14th of February 2020
We are all guilty of spending cash on things we don’t need. Even the most frugal of spenders could look at their budget and find ways to cut back on non-essential items and increase their savings pot. If money is tight or you are just trying to save more here are some money saving tips.
Avoid the impulse
Before buying anything, especially those items that are more expensive like electronics and gadgets ask yourself:
- Do I need it?
- Can I afford it?
- Will I use it?
- Have I checked if it is cheaper elsewhere?
If you have answered no to an...
BREXIT what does it mean for you
Posted by siteadmin on Friday 31st of January 2020
Whichever side of the Brexit debate you have been on, Friday 31 January 2020 undoubtedly marks a momentous point in the country’s history. For at the stroke of 11pm, the UK will cease to be a member of the EU: the divorce will finally have been sealed.
It’s clearly been a long and rocky road getting to this stage with the process costing two Prime Ministers their jobs and dividing families the length and breadth of the country. However, since Boris Johnson won a landslide victory in December’s election with a mandate to ‘get Brexit done’, t...
What to expect from the next budget
Posted by siteadmin on Thursday 9th of January 2020
The planned Budget last November was cancelled in the run-up to the election. The chancellor Sajid Javid has announced the next Budget will take place on Wednesday 11 March.
The chancellor has pledged to tackle the cost of living and tear up strict budget rules to hike borrowing for infrastructure spending. He will use the Budget to:
- Fulfil government pledges on tax to “help tackle the cost of living for hard-working people.”
- “Level up” economic performance in struggling towns in northern England and the Midlands
- “Build on” recent anno...
