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“FTSE 100 closes above 8,300 barrier amid global rally”
Our own dear stockmarket, as signalled by the ‘flagship’ FTSE 100 index, has led the world in recent days and even weeks. It’s at a record high of over 8300, which must be a good thing, right?
“46% of Brits fear a fall in their standard of living”
Perhaps the coda to this should be that a majority of Brits do not fear a fall in their standard of living? Would that be the same optimistic majority who voted for Brexit?
“US Market Reaction To Possible Second Trump Term Appears Unperturbed – For Now”
There’s a perception that whatever might be the consequences for the rest of the world, Trump as President should be good for business. Surely, as a business man himself, he’d be the friend of Corporate America, and everything, money-making-wise, went pretty well last time around didn’t it?
“More than a third of pots non-advised when entering drawdown”
Three headlines this week which should give rise to at least a bit of concern amongst the adviser community. More than should be are taking money, taxable as well as tax-free, from their pensions without taking advice; which might be fine, but how it’s done can have a big effect on both tax and what might be left for the future.
Economic news
“46% of Brits fear a fall in their standard of living”
Perhaps the coda to this should be that a majority of Brits do not fear a fall in their standard of living? Would that be the same optimistic majority who voted for Brexit?
“US Market Reaction To Possible Second Trump Term Appears Unperturbed – For Now”
There’s a perception that whatever might be the consequences for the rest of the world, Trump as President should be good for business. Surely, as a business man himself, he’d be the friend of Corporate America, and everything, money-making-wise, went pretty well last time around didn’t it?
“US labour market continues to show resilience with 303,000 jobs added in March”
Good news is not, of course, always good news. The US economy is doing well, higher interest rates haven’t led to unemployment and more jobs are being created rather than lost.
“UK inflation falls to lowest level since 2022”
We have been or are, depending on your point of view or choice of statistics, in the midst of a recession. The faint glimmer at the end of a long tunnel is that the economy apparently grew in January, although 0.2% isn’t exactly storming ahead.
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Financial Services
“Letter of authority: Why now is the right time for change”
This may sound like a non-issue from outside the world-of-financial-advice bubble. It is the bain, however, of the daily working lives of many of us, particularly of those paid by we advisers to do the dirty work of dealing with the many providers with whom we have to work.
“Worry for profession as young adviser numbers plummet”
There are around 31,000 advisers currently authorised by the FCA to give advice. Of these only around 6% are under 30 and 84% of all advisers are male. There are 209,000 solicitors, 7,000 young ones enter the profession each year and 52% of all solicitors are now female.
“Advisers fearful of further compliance and regulation”
We know, of course we know, that regulation is, or at least should be a ‘good thing’. If those who need or should seek advice can be confident that they’ll be told the right thing, that someone has looked at those ’too good to be true’ investments before they’re allowed to take your money; or, in the case of a Woodford, while they’re raking it in to make sure it’s going where it’s supposed to.
“New mums have enough on their plate without dangerous ‘advice’ to contend with”
The ‘dangerous advice’ in question here is not what you might hear from almost any properly authorised and regulated financial adviser.
“Is the AI hype machine losing steam?”
Many of the reviving rises in stock markets, particular in the US in the last year or so have been driven by AI. Not those buy-and-sell computerised algorithms we’ve heard so much about for years now; but the share prices of the big tech companies ‘at the heart of the AI revolution’.
Stockmarket
“Time in the Market Beats Timing the Market”
If you’re mad enough to be heading to an airport this height-of-summer-season, you’ll face the ‘which queue to join’ dilemma. Those old enough to remember having to go to a bank of a lunchtime (yes, kids, they had actual staff whom you had to talk to to get money)
“Global stock markets fall sharply amid fears over inflation and China slowdown”
Diesel at my local filling station now costs over £7.50 a gallon (kids etc.). Not my problem these days, but I’m sadly old enough to remember the furore in the 1970s when the price went up to 50p a gallon.
“Coping with a correction – will stock market falls continue?”
There haven’t been any ‘markets plummet, £billions wiped of the value of your savings’ headlines this year. I guess there’s been other stuff going on to keep the headline writers busy. However, markets have fallen, the FTSE World index is down by more than 8% since...
“Asset managers ‘largely failing’ on ESG voting, research suggests”
If you own shares, you’ll know it’s pointless voting at shareholder meetings as it’s only the big fund managers who own big chunks of companies that can make things happen. It seems that, although they’re launching green funds left, right and centre and telling us...