CEO and investment market update
What a year it's been! Rising interest rates, rising cost of living, rising taxation and volatility across the global financial markets driven by various unsettling events and dynamics.
- 5 May 2023
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Login to Standard Life Login to 7IMWhat a year it's been! Rising interest rates, rising cost of living, rising taxation and volatility across the global financial markets driven by various unsettling events and dynamics.
Over the fourth quarter, which took us to 31 December 2022, inflation remained elevated and further interest rate increases occurred in the UK, US and Europe. As we enter the new year, investors will be hoping for greater stability with an eye remaining focused on inflation and central bank policy. The combination of rate increases should allow inflation to retreat across the year.
The third financial quarter (1 July to 30 September 2022) was dominated by rising inflation and further increases in interest rates in the UK and US. The European Central Bank (ECB) has also started to tighten rates to curb inflation across the region. Central Banks continue to try and strike a difficult balance - the need to control inflation and the need to maintain growth in the economy.
Over the last two years we have experienced increasing numbers of clients looking to take stock of their finances and focus more on future financial projections to ascertain if ensure they are on track to meet their life goals. This is a perfectly natural concern when we are faced with uncertainty as has been the case with, for example, the onset of Covid and the current situation in Ukraine.
The first quarter of 2022 was dominated by the conflict in the Ukraine. Looking beyond the humanitarian impact, the crisis has created volatility and distorted markets. Central banks have remained on guard as inflation numbers have increased and this has led to interest rates rises in the UK and US. Energy companies have clearly been the biggest beneficiaries in the short term as prices have spiked.
We're pleased to announce that we've hired Adam & Co advice director Ken Davidson to lead our Glasgow office. Ken takes up the role of chartered financial planner, following over seven years with Adam & Co in Edinburgh. He was previously an associate director at HSBC Private Bank, and was with the Royal Bank of Scotland for more than 13 years.
We keep a close eye on global market developments, and each quarter we share an overview with our clients to keep you up to date and informed. In Q4 (October to December 2021) the economic backdrop remained relatively stable on the whole with growth being strong in most areas, despite the new variant Omicron creating volatility which started to ease as we found out more about the impact from the scientists. Manufacturing and servicing continue to
We keep a close eye on global market developments, and each quarter we share an overview with our clients to keep you up to date and informed. In Q3 (June to September 2021) the economic backdrop remained relatively stable on the whole with growth being strong in most areas. Manufacturing and servicing continue to show expansion, and corporate earnings have seen more upgrades than downgrades as they improve and economies continue to reopen.
Can I afford to stop working? Will my kids have financial security during my retirement? How much should I be saving this month? If you’ve ever asked yourself any of these questions, this podcast is worth listening to.
The new tax year has arrived. We’ve welcomed 2021/22 and a Budget that brought very little changes to the tax landscape.