The line between Statements and Budgets has blurred in recent years. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s second major announcement was designated as an Autumn Statement, but it will have a greater financial impact than most Budgets. A broad range of tax increases and spending cuts ensures that will be the case, regardless of the Treasury branding.
Even those with the longest careers in the financial markets are struggling to remember a year quite as tumultuous as 2022 has proved to be. Military conflict in Ukraine and sabre-rattling over Taiwan have made headline news all year and served to intensify volatility across all international financial markets.
Are you ready for some football? Not American football, but global football—otherwise known as soccer! For the five billion spectators awaiting the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this November, the sport is the epitome of speed and agility. But for the players on the 32 participating teams, it is so much more. The deceptively simple-seeming game requires years of training. It goes beyond the fundamentals of ball control to pitch awareness, anticipation, and making the right decisions under duress quickly.
Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed a new member to the team, Nahla, a 6-month-old miniature Dachshund. Nahla has been keeping us all company in the office on most Wednesdays, becoming an integral part of the team.
She fit straight into the team, providing some positivity throughout the week, and whilst there have been no chewed wires, there may have been an incident where she stole a sausage from Wayne’s lunch!
Nahla will be keeping us company most Wednesdays, so when you next come to our office, feel free to come and say hello.
What the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented to the House of Commons on Friday was definitively not a Budget; it was ‘The Growth Plan’. The sixth chancellor since 2016 was careful to avoid the B word, despite the huge sums of spending and borrowing that he announced – greater than in most, if not any, real Budgets, let alone mini-Budgets. When the Autumn Budget proper emerges – probably in November or December it is most unlikely to contain anywhere near such a wide range of radical and costly measures as were announced on 23 September.
Gary Ward, Head of Branch Financial Planning and Chairman of the Love Longridge business group shares the excitement building around the town for this years’ most talked about event: “We are delighted to be supporting this brilliant, new, fun event which is coming to Longridge in September.”
“Road closures are sorted, Kart applications have been received and the relevant teams are now busily building their perfect racing machines…. as well as choreographing dance routines to perform on the start platform!!”
“Why not see the action from close range? – volunteers are needed to help make the event run smoothly and we would love it if you would volunteer. There are all sorts of things you can do on the day, and you can volunteer as much time as you like. We will provide food and drink for everyone who helps us on the day…Go on! Be a part of the best event of the year!”
Wayne Hayhurst added: “If our involvement helps light the fire for other businesses and individuals to be involved that would be tremendous. The Soap Box Derby gives Longridge the opportunity to say to its residents and visitors, old and new, it’s not just a great place to live but has a real sense of community and purpose.”
See more pictures and details by following the link: lep.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/longridge-soap-box-derby
Ultimately, none of this would have been possible without the shear willpower of some amazing guys, our very own Gary Ward & Wayne Hayhurst.
Thank you. You should be incredibly proud of what you, the community, and the Love Longridge group have achieved. I think it’s time for a bit of well-earned R&R.
Sarah Carlin, Head of Branch Client Services at the Ribble Valley branch reflects on our recent branch audit. “We help our clients to make critical decisions about their future by understanding them, their values, goals, and aspirations”.
“As a team, we strive to operate at the very best our ability, refining our processes and implementing new ones to continue to deliver a first-class service to our clients. As a result of our efforts to stay ahead of the curve, we’re delighted to announce that we achieved the highest score attainable in our recent internal audit”.
“It is testament to the team, our hard work, and our constant drive to be the best in the business”.
The summer months are typically characterised by limited news, thin trading volumes and illiquid conditions which, can serve to accentuate moves in financial asset prices both to the up and the downside. The summer of 2022 has proved an exception.
Visualising what you want in retirement before you get there may lead to greater fulfilment, writes Alastair Brown of Raymond James
Like all major life events, transitioning into retirement will be an adjustment. One day you may go from your seat at the top as a powerful executive to an armchair in your living room. It is important that you are ready for that change, so you can step into your new life with confidence.
Without your career to define you, you may want to discover a new purpose. Finding the answer takes a lot of preparation – emotionally, physically and financially – and a lot of thought.
While the financial component is critical to a sustainable retirement people often forget to consider the psychological factors. If you can start visualising your ideal retirement now, you will set yourself up for a more satisfying and fulfilling one.
“AS YOU WORK TO FOCUS IN ON THE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL HELP YOU LIVE WELL ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, MAKE SURE YOUR VISION IS DETAILED IN A WELL-DOCUMENTED FINANCIAL PLAN”
Experts say a steady transition into retirement makes for a more successful one. One psychologist suggests focusing on these key areas to consider the life you’re looking for:
Focus on enhancing relationships. Establish weekly game nights with friends or Sunday dinners with family, for example. Be sure to maintain or expand your social life and stay connected. Studies show having friends and family for entertainment and support significantly enhances a retiree’s quality of life.
Keep your mental and physical health a priority. Set up, keep wellness appointments and exercise daily. Don’t forget to relax. You have earned it! Take time for yourself when you need to and nap when you feel like it.
Set key milestones and make sure you feel as financially secure as possible. An adviser will make sure that your financial life is well organised, so you feel in control and won’t leave a mess behind for your loved ones when your time is up. Milestones are a bit like waypoints on a long journey, they enable you to check that you’re on course, without worrying about how much longer you’ve got to travel to get to the destination. Most people’s principal financial milestone is to get to a place where money is not something they worry about, nor holds them back from living the life they want.
“ONE DAY YOU MAY GO FROM YOUR SEAT AT THE TOP AS A POWERFUL EXECUTIVE TO AN ARMCHAIR IN YOUR LIVING ROOM”
Stay young at heart. Take up an old hobby or find a new one, learn welding or Spanish, play a new instrument. The point is to plan and embark on a new adventure every week, even if that’s tutoring a student in maths or trying a new restaurant. Find something that keeps your brain firing.
Be kind. Acts of kindness make everyone feel good. Volunteer, donate time or money, or contribute to your community in another way.
As you work to focus in on the activities that will help you live well on a day-to-day basis, make sure your vision is detailed in a well-documented financial plan. Being able to clearly articulate your vision helps to prioritise your needs, wants and wishes in order to figure out how to make them a reality.
The investing environment could hardly be more challenging. Global economic activity is slowing, Western developed economies are flirting with recession, inflationary pressures are extremely elevated, and Western central banks remain committed to raising interest rates in a concerted effort to bring them under control. The geopolitical backdrop is still as dark as ever; the war in Ukraine continues, China’s bellicose threats against the United States ahead of House speaker, Mrs Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Asia have become more pointed. Europe faces a natural gas shortage over the coming winter, Dr Mario Draghi’s Italian government has collapsed, while in the UK, the same fate has befallen Mr Boris Johnson’s administration.