US: Recession worries mount

Worries about recession outweighed any relief that existed from signs that inflation was falling. Retail sales dropped 1.1% in December as Americans pulled back from non-essential purchases and a slowdown in sales at petrol stations. Industrial production also dropped sharply in December indicating a slowdown in the manufacturing sector.

Japan: China reopening boosts confidence

Investor sentiment was uplifted by the prospect of China’s reopening, boosting the global economy and hopes that the major central bank...

You are unable to carry any unused allowances over into the 2023-2024 tax year. If you are unsure on what ISAs are available to you and what they could do for you and your money, here’s how you can make the most of them.

ISA

An ISA is an individual savings account that allows you to save money tax-free in a cash or investment account, so you could end up getting more for your money. An ISA is a medium to long term investment, which aims to increase the value of the money you invest for growth, income, or both. There are a few different typ...

US: Inflation falls more than expected

Inflation in the US fell more than expected in December, easing concerns of an overheating economy. This provides, the Central Bank and the Federal Reserve, more space to breathe and potentially slow down further interest rate hikes. Jobless claims and consumer sentiment data also suggested the economy was still in good shape.

Japan: Inflation moves to a 40-year high

Investor sentiment was supported by the weaker inflation in the US. Meanwhile, inflation in Japan has moved to 4%, a 40-year high, s...

Value-added services are benefits included in an insurance policy that you might not be aware of – but could help improve your overall health and wellbeing.

When you take out an insurance plan like life insurance, critical illness, or income protection, you get the financial protection in the form of a payout, but there are also other services available to you as parts of those plans.

These ‘value-added services’ or ‘wellbeing services’ are designed to provide customers with a range of emotional and practical support services throughout th...

US: Strong job market restores faith in ‘soft landing’

The official payrolls report showed that unemployment fell in December and that the number of people in jobs had increased. This appeared to boost investor sentiment back by raising hopes that the economy could be on its way to a “soft landing,” i.e., inflation falling without a significant recession. The average hourly earnings rose below what was expected, which was also seen as positive, suggesting that wage inflation is coming down – something that the central bank in the US is k...

Hardly a day goes by without the cost of living hitting the headlines. For many homeowners the increasing costs of owning and running a home is having a huge impact on household budgets. For those borrowers with a fixed rate mortgage, the recent increase in mortgage interest rates may not have an immediate impact. However, as mortgages are more expensive now than they were two years ago, you may see your mortgage payments rise when you next come to remortgage.

Overpaying on your mortgage now could save you more on interest down the line and...

With over 10 years of record low interest rates, fixed rate mortgages offer borrowers the stability of knowing what the mortgage payment will be for a set period, which helps with budgeting.

Because of the way many lenders decide what rates to offer, we’re currently seeing tracker products priced a lot more competitively than fixed rate products.

Unlike a fixed rate, the monthly payment of a tracker mortgage fluctuates and the rate charged on the mortgage ‘tracks’ the Bank Rate usually for a set period. Whilst you may have to pay a penalty...

US: Strong economic data dampens hopes of less aggressive interest rate hikes

Some surprisingly strong economic data dampened hopes that the Federal Reserve might soon be able to curb its program of raising interest rates to cool inflation. Defensive areas such as health care, consumer essentials and utilities sectors did the best during the week, whereas energy stocks fell sharply as oil prices tumbled to their lowest level since January. The financial sector also performed poorly as some banks, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan offered...

US: Fed points to slowdown in interest rate hikes

Comments made by the chair of ‘the Fed’ suggested that the pace at which interest rates rise could slow down from here, which boosted markets. However, Powell also suggested that interest rates would go higher than they had originally expected and that they could remain higher for longer. On Friday, data showed that the labour market in the US was proving to be resilient. A strong labour market could mean the Fed doesn’t slow down quite as much and markets did fall somewhat on Friday as a re...