15th Oct, 2018
Before I started work in this profession I used to think of budgets as only being useful when someone is struggling to make ends meet. Over time I realised that a budget is the bedrock of any financial plan, whether you have relatively little wealth or are very wealthy. In this post I will explain […]
Read More2nd Aug, 2018
The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee has voted unanimously to hike interest rates from 0.5% to 0.75%, taking the Base Rate above 0.5% for the first time since March 2009. In this post I have answered some common questions about this change. Many mortgages and new retirement annuities will be affected by this change. […]
Read More10th May, 2018
At its May meeting, the Bank of England voted (7-2) to maintain it’s base interest rate at 0.5%. This was in spite of earlier indications it would raise rates by 0.25%. In this post I set out the reasons why the Bank of England has backtracked and the implications for financial markets. If you are […]
Read More8th Feb, 2018
Today (8th February) the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held its monthly interest rate setting meeting. The vote to hold the base rate at its current level of 0.5% was unanimous and was in line with analysts’ expectations. However in a surprise announcement the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, said […]
Read More15th Aug, 2016
Unfortunately many people who approach us for advice on life insurance have an existing medical condition and they worry this could affect their application. In this post I will set out the possible outcomes in this scenario and answer some common questions.
Read More4th Aug, 2016
Earlier today the Governor of the Bank of England and Chairman of the Monetary Policy Committe, Mark Carney, announced a number of changes including a reduction in the headline interest rate. The cut from 0.5% to 0.25% is the first since the global financial crisis of 2009. In this post I set out the key […]
Read More14th Jul, 2016
Earlier today, in a move that surprised financial markets, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted 8-1 in favour of leaving the Bank of England base rate at 0.5%.
Read More25th Jun, 2016
In the wake of the EU referendum you might have heard that UK interest rates could either rise or fall. In this post I will explain the link between Brexit and interest rates and weigh up which is more or less likely.
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