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Last week was generally negative for equity markets. Most regions sold-off around -1%, with the FTSE All Share Index in the UK down -1.5% and the S&P 500 in the US down -1.6%.  There were some exceptions to this, with MSCI Japan +3.6% and MSCI China +1.1%.  Our overweight exposure to Japanese equities will have…

Current account switching was until recently a lucrative pursuit which could reward dedicated switchers with hundreds of pounds a year. But in recent times, and especially during the pandemic, the offers available have collapsed. That now seems to be changing though as high street banks up the stakes to attract new customers. But anyone thinking…

With the release of ‘No Time To Die’, James Bond star Daniel Craig says he’d prefer to spend or give his money away than leave it to his kids. Actor Daniel Craig announced in an interview that he intends to give away most of his wealth when he dies, rather than leave it to his…

Savings rates have been in the doldrums for some time but are beginning to move upwards across the board for the first time in years. Unfortunately, though, rates are still historically low, despite the reversal in fortune. Why do savings rates matter? The interest rate you get on your cash savings matters principally because of…

Wages are rising at a rapid pace across the economy, latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest. As per the most recent wage growth data, workers are due to get a bumper 8.8% increase in their pay packets.  This number has been called into question however, amongst concerns that base effects of falls in…

The information below shows a breakdown of your pension options.   Source: www.finder.com/UK-pension-statistics Source: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-pensions Source https://www.yourpension.gov.uk/ Source: https://www.unbiased.co.uk/life/pensions-retirement

After hosting a successful Olympic and Paralympic games, it is now all change for Japan.  After just a year as the country’s prime minister, Yoshihide Suga will be stepping down amid continuing criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the general election, to be held by the end of November, Suga announced…

Equity markets delivered positive returns last week, with the MSCI All Country World Index delivering +1.1% in sterling terms, while the FTSE All Share Index pretty much delivered the same return.  The best performing region and country was MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI China, which generated +3.3% and +3.8% respectively.  Returns over the last few…