Tag: markets
May Market Commentary
“No news is good news” as the old saying goes. By that definition, April was a good month in that there were no disasters. Europe remained relatively stable, Cyprus didn’t implode, Barack Obama and Congress continued speaking to each other and Kim Jong-un kept his finger off the trigger. Mind you, the International Monetary Fund [...]
Read moreThe Prudential Regulation Authority
On 1 April 2013, the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) was abolished and the majority of its functions transferred to two new regulators: the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). On the same date, the Bank of England took over the FSA’s responsibilities for financial market infrastructures and the Financial Policy [...]
Read moreISAs in 2013/14: a basic guide
An ISA is a type of savings account which enables you to keep all that you receive from that investment and not pay any tax on it. ISAs began in 1999 and should be around for the foreseeable future. You can start with small amounts and save up to £11,520 in the tax year 2013-14. [...]
Read moreDon’t Fall in Love – the Most Common Mistakes Investors Make
This is the first part of a two part article, where we’ve taken a look at some of the common mistakes investors make when they’re buying and selling stocks and shares and other investments. We’ve identified ten mistakes – and this month, we take a look at the first five. It Costs Money Despite the [...]
Read morePlanning how to pay for a care home
When moving into, or helping a loved one into a care home, you need to fully understand about costs and affordability, including what the state provides. Paying for a care home place is often a family concern and it may be essential for everyone involved to have a good understanding of the issues. Basically, if [...]
Read moreApril Market Commentary
When I started making notes for this Bulletin at the beginning of March it was quite clear what the main ‘story’ was going to be. On March 20th Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, would deliver his Budget – and with the UK in very real danger of slipping into a ‘triple-dip’ recession and the [...]
Read moreWon’t Save, Can’t Save
The tough economic situation for many families means few are managing to put away anything in savings. Many are simply needing to support themselves and instant payday loans other family members in hard times. According to the recently published seventh annual Savings and Investment report by Scottish Widows, 31% in a survey of over 5,000 [...]
Read moreBudget Summary – March 2013
Introduction To say that George Osborne faced a difficult task when he stood up to deliver his Budget speech on 20th March was one of the year’s major understatements. Both economically and politically, the backdrop to his Budget was bleak, particularly with an increase of 48,000 in youth unemployment announced barely three hours before he [...]
Read moreMarch Market Commentary
Politics seems to impact more and more on economics – and somehow, always at the end of the month. December ended with the last minute deal which averted the Fiscal Cliff in the US; January with Spanish premier Mariano Rajoy denying acheter cialis en france livraison rapide allegations of secret payments and at the end [...]
Read moreThe State of the UK Banks and what it means for your Financial Planning
Once upon a time it was all so simple. Nothing could be safer than the UK banks. They were the cornerstone of every fund manager’s income portfolio. Do you want to build your financial planning on shares that would protect you against market fluctuations and deliver a steadily increasing dividend income? Sober, well-run, cautious businesses [...]
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