What’s the biggest shock investors could face this year? Well, not a shock to hear that it’s inflation, the fund-manager-as-horoscope-writer equivalent of ‘there’s a full moon in Pisces, so you may meet an old friend this year. Or make a new one.’ Prices will go up. But maybe not as much as we think, or maybe by more than we think. In other words, no-one knows, expect the worst then you can’t blame us if everything is worse than you think it might be. Particularly as this time last year, none of us thought it would be as bad as it was or is. The bottom line to the bottom line is, no-one really knows. Here’s my prediction again, for what it’s worth as I’m generally a glass half-full type of guy: Your investments will do better than they did last year. If I’m wrong, I will have advised you to keep enough in the bank or Premium Bonds to get by and weather any continuing storms. And if I am wrong, remember, it will be alright in the end. And if it’s not alright, it’s not the end yet. QED. (Kid etc.) Keep the faith.
“UK slips into recession as economy contracts 0.1% in December”
This week’s big economic and bad election news is that we are, or certainly have been, officially in a recession. You may not have thought you were, or you may have thought you have been for some time, as we and its effects are all different.