20 July 2023The subject of interest rates has been in the headlines many times since the Covid-19 pandemic began. The central interest rate, known as the “base rate”, informs many aspects of personal finance, including: As of June 2023, the Bank of England (BoE)’s base rate is 5% – the highest it has been since […]
12 June 2023 The UK government raised a record £7.1 billion in Inheritance Tax (IHT) during the 2022/23 financial year. Compared to the previous tax year, HMRC’s figures show that IHT takings have grown by £1 billion. The chart below shows the steep trajectory in IHT tax receipts in the UK from 2000/01 to 2022/23. […]
12 June 2023 Over the last year, inflation has never been far from the headlines. The soaring costs of fuel, energy, and food have seen prices rise faster than at any point since the 1980s, with the inflation rate hitting a peak of 11.1% in October 2022. Indeed, Reuters reports that £5 in Britain today […]
12 June 2023 At its core, financial planning is all about helping you to reach your life goals. Your wealth is likely to be a means to an end, helping you to achieve all the things you want to do now and in the future. That might be as simple as a comfortable retirement or […]
16 May 2023 Preparing your wealth for the next generation’s benefit can be an intense process, with protection, your will, trusts, property, and investments all thrown into the mix. In particular, the amount of Inheritance Tax (IHT) your beneficiaries may pay could have come up in estate planning conversations, both with your close family and […]
16 May 2023 Renowned author JRR Tolkien died 50 years ago at the age of 81. Despite his passing away, his most famous works, the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings books, have lived on in true ubiquity, remaining part of Britain’s cultural canon to this day. This trilogy is a tale of heroism, […]
16 May 2023 If your investment portfolio makes up a large portion of your wealth, it is crucial to understand what will happen when you sell assets and crystallise their value. As you approach retirement, or perhaps another large milestone like providing a child with a house deposit or paying for their wedding, you might […]
20/04/2023 After an uptick in market performance at the end of 2022, Q1 2023 has brought happy news of continued stabilisation. Overall, global equities saw positive returns in Q1 as concerns around a potential recession dampened. This being said, two US bank collapses spooked consumers and economists alike, and inflation has continued to rise in many […]
20/04/2023 As you have likely read in the news over the past month, a small number of banks have collapsed in the US and Europe. Perhaps the most notable was Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the US’s 16th largest bank. After this, New York-based institution Signature Bank followed suit on 13 March. Then, in Europe, Credit […]
20/04/2023 The US’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2050 would cost $50 trillion, according to a prediction from a leading economist in an interview with Senator John Kennedy. Questioning former head of risk management at Goldman Sachs and climate policy expert Dr Robert Litterman at the Senate Budget Committee hearing in March 2023, Louisiana […]