Our Views on the Markets and the Economy

Articles, investment updates and economic analysis

Building for the future? Why property is an increasingly shaky foundation for retirement

Assessing how to fund our retirement should be an ongoing consideration. We could be retired for up to 30 years or more and the regulatory and wider environment require close attention. Property is increasingly difficult to rely on to solely fund retirement, so we need to be able to adapt and consider alternatives to ensure we meet our future goals.

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Anticipating a downturn: Why rates should fall next year

Last week, I looked at the Autumn Statement and fiscal policy. As I noted, it would be no surprise if in the subsequent days there was to be greater scrutiny on the effect of inflation eroding the real spending power of government departmental spending, as well as on the impact it has had on boosting tax revenues. This indeed was the case.

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Autumn Statement: do you need advice?

The Autumn Statement may or may not have an impact on your finances, yet you may find it an appropriate time to consider your overall situation – and to assess whether you could be doing more to make the most of your money, and on the right path to achieve your goals.

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Portfolio update: beating the peer group

The last few weeks have seen dramatic developments in financial markets. After a prolonged period of monetary policy tightening in the US, UK and euro area there has been a marked shift in both sentiment and market pricing. The markets now think the next moves in policy rates will be down. While we expect policy rates to fall next year, we believe that markets may be premature in expecting immediate interest rate cuts; after all the Federal Reserve, Bank of England and the European Central Bank all remain cautious about easing when inflation is still above target. Nonetheless, it is fair to say that this is an inflexion point for financial markets.

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A £93.7 billion fiscal boost in the Autumn Statement

This is an immediate assessment of the Autumn Statement. In my view, there are a number of key takeaways:

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UK inflation is falling but prices are still stubbornly high

UK inflation has decelerated sharply and looks set to fall significantly further. It has fallen from a peak of 11.1% in October 2022 to 4.6% in October 2023. We expect inflation to undershoot its 2% target by the middle of next year. While that is good news, falling inflation is not the same as falling prices. The level of prices is now settling at a high level as they have risen sharply in recent years. Indeed, consumer prices are 22% above what they were in January 2020.

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“My 62-year-old mum has £640k in the bank but a fear of investing – how can I help?”

Our CEO Charlotte Ransom answers a weekly question for readers of the i paper – helping them to better understand their investments and how to effectively plan their finances to achieve their long-term goals. Many of these questions are also highly relevant for Netwealth readers.

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What to expect in the Autumn Statement

The Chancellor will deliver his Autumn Statement on November 22nd. This is the second major fiscal event of the year following the March 2023 Budget.

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How the Liquid Reserves portfolio can meet your short-term needs

We have introduced the Liquid Reserves portfolio to offer a higher yield and lower risk option to investors who wish to take advantage of the current high interest environment. The portfolio offers compelling returns now, but you should also think about how to make the most of your money in the long term to achieve your future goals.

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Rates have peaked, markets wonder when they will pivot

This week saw both the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England leave interest rates on hold. While this may suggest that policy rates have peaked, it is not yet certain. Both central banks still retain a bias to tighten.

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