The Government has launched plans to make wide-ranging changes to how major pension funds are structured, with legal requirements to invest in UK assets. The plans will oversee the creation of new pension ‘megafunds’ which will manage over £25 billion in assets. This will affect major Local Government Pension Schemes (LGPS) and multi-employer defined contribution …
Price rises have accelerated to 3.5% according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) measure of inflation for April 2025, released on 21 May 2025. This means that, year-on-year, the cost of a range of goods and services is now 3.5% higher than the same period 12 months ago. It is …
Giving to charity is enormously rewarding in several ways, enabling you to support causes you’re passionate about, as well as ensuring a legacy is put towards something meaningful. Doing so in a tax-efficient way also means you can significantly increase what you’re able to give to charities close to your heart. Below is a breakdown …
Introduction It’s almost impossible to write any commentary on financial markets this year without mentioning Donald Trump. After the turmoil of April, and the dramatic tariff announcements which sent markets into a spin, May was relatively sedate in comparison. United States US equity markets bounced back in May. The S&P 500, the Nasdaq Composite and …
A weaker US dollar could have significant potential effects on the UK economy, household finances and long-term financial portfolios. Understanding these implications is important, especially given the high levels of uncertainty in the global economy and the effect of this on financial plans. Key here, amidst all the uncertainty, is ensuring decisions aren’t made rashly, …
Inheritance tax (IHT) receipts have hit another record high according to the latest figures from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). HMRC collected £8.2 billion from April 2024 to March 2025, a £750 million increase on last year’s record. Data from HMRC, released on 23 April, revealed IHT receipts continue to soar, with higher receipts during …
Wages are rising strongly while inflation falls to ‘normal’ levels – so where does this leave the Bank of England’s rate decisions? The Bank of England delivered its latest interest rate decision on 8 May, choosing to cut the base rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.25%. Rate setters take into account a number of …
Introduction April was an explosive month as President Trump’s ‘liberation day’ on 2nd April caused major market turmoil. The trade tariff war was more hostile than markets had predicted and most indices went tumbling as the news of the tariffs broke. Trump quickly rowed back on many of his ‘counter tariffs’, allowing many markets to …
President Trump declared the 2nd of April as “Liberation Day”, which signalled a seismic shift in US trade policy. On the campaign trail, we saw President Trump’s affinity for tariffs, with him labelling the word “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” and noting that he sees tariffs as a way of achieving multiple objectives: …
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her Spring Statement, outlining the UK’s latest economic and spending priorities against a backdrop of tightening fiscal constraints. Reeves didn’t downplay the difficulties ahead. She pointed directly to external forces, including Donald Trump’s reintroduction of trade tariffs, as factors compounding the strain on the public purse. These global pressures have …
