Our Views on the Markets and the Economy
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Not since the great financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-2008 has so much focus globally been on the stability of banks and their ability to repay depositors and investors. Our chief investment officer, Iain Barnes, answers some of the questions investors may have about the current situation and what it could mean for investment portfolios.
For many years the lifetime allowance (LTA) was a cap on what people could save into their pensions before they faced extra tax charges. In today’s budget the LTA was abolished, so what does that mean for those who want to plan effectively for their retirement?
With debt set to be 100.6% of GDP at the end of this year, the relationship between growth and interest rates becomes key. If debt remains above 100% of GDP the economy is then in a precarious position – particularly if growth disappoints and if rates stay high because of inflation. In that scenario, the economy could slip into a debt trap, where the ratio of debt keeps rising. The UK is not in this situation yet, and should avoid it, but how this plays out with the relationship between nominal GDP and interest rates in coming years is key.
It was once said that there are three things in life you can be sure of: death, taxes and financial crises. To that can be added a fourth: banking bailouts.
Social media fraud is increasingly an unfortunate reality of life. According to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, UK cybercrime in total cost over £3 billion in the year to March 2022, with more and more incidences of social media fraud.
Our new MyNetwealth service aims to transform how you manage your money with an unprecedented view of all your accounts, from all providers. Two of its most powerful features are the Wealth Tracker and the Wealth Planner. Here we offer a step-by-step guide into how to use them.
Markets continue to be concerned about where inflation and policy rates will settle. In this context, some key themes we have highlighted in recent years warrant immediate attention, as they have come to the fore of the present market debate.
Having all the right information is key to building a successful financial plan for the future. However, the challenges to obtaining this information is why we set up MyNetwealth – a unique service in the UK to help investors track all their investments in one place and make informed planning decisions around their wealth and what it can do for them.
Two years ago our focus was on the “three P’s”, now it is on the “two P’s”. Then it was about inflation, now we are referring to interest rates. In 2021, we were worried about inflation – then the question was whether rising inflation would pass-through, persist or be permanent.
Anything that makes personal finance easier is a bonus. A helpful way of thinking about our assets is to manage them across three hypothetical pots. We do this because the pots tend to represent how we live our lives, thus making financial planning more intuitive, more accessible and helping us to create better outcomes.
Team Contributors
Gerard Lyons
Charlotte Ransom
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Why we launched MyNetwealth and how it can transform financial lives
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Why transparent investing – and transparent advice – matters
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Why shouldn’t Investors Expect Greater Transparency, Better Consumer Education, plus Simple Advice?
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Missed Opportunity: How Investors Counted the Cost of being Overcautious in 2019
Thomas Salter
Iain Barnes
Simon McConnell
In The Press
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Read what the press have to say about Netwealth
