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Rising prices and stagnant wage growth have resulted in the first fall in living standards in two and a half years, according to official figures. Labour market data from the Office for National Statistics showed that regular pay in the UK in February was 1.9% higher than a year earlier and is running below the 2.3% increase in prices. Despite a fresh fall in unemployment and record job vacancies, economists expect the squeeze on real inflation-adjusted wages to intensify over the […]

In his first and last ‘Spring Budget’, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, declared a “new chapter” in the UK’s history as the country embarks on its journey to exit the European Union via Brexit. Much of the Budget’s focus was on social care and a rise in National Insurance costs for the self-employed. There was little that will significantly affect personal financial planning apart from a reduction next year in the £5,000 tax-free dividend allowance.   OBR PROJECTIONS […]

Whichever way you voted, 23 June 2016 will be remembered as a momentous day in the history of not only the UK, but also Europe and beyond. After months of uncertainty andmarketvolatility,thepeopleofthe UKvotedtoleavetheEuropeanUnion (EU) by 51.9% to 48.1%, after 43 years of membership. The decision inevitably brings some uncertainty and confusion to the markets, sterling and the political landscape. Events will continue to unfold at a rapid rate. What is unclear is how long that uncertainty and confusion will continue. […]