Showing posts with label Investment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Investment. Show all posts

Monday, 13 October 2014

Chapters Financial Market View



The autumn of 2014 has kicked off with additional market turbulence due to many factors, each affecting sentiment in different ways. With market values falling at the time of writing this blog (10th October), I wanted to provide our blog readers with some views on the current conditions. 

Chapters Financial continues to advocate diversification of investment assets, with clients maintaining cash positions with other assets to cover unforeseen circumstances. Investors should hold risky assets only in the proportions they would be comfortable to maintain for the duration of a downturn, if this was to occur. 

Two issues that are causing the markets to focus in unison with each other are as follows.  

  • The first is that, the Federal Reserve (Fed) will make its last purchase of treasuries and mortgage-backed bonds in October. When the first phase of Quantitative Easing (QE1) was paused in America, US equities fell, the same happened when the second phase was paused (QE2). With this current third phase now ending (QE3), we have seen US equities markets reacting with new falls. 
  • The second factor is what some perceive to be relatively high equity market valuations. A possible correction of values to draw in line with historic norms (these are obviously not guides to future performance). 

Other factors, such as the various current geo-political situations, have a bearing on market sentiment and I cannot see this changing in the very short term. Europe remains an economic problem and we have advocated a small/limited allocation to this investment area for some time. Other areas, such as Japan, continue to weigh on investment returns and are actively avoided where possible. 

With investment diversification, the risk of exposure to volatility can be reduced, but not extinguished. We still see yields (dividends as an example) remaining high in coming months. The Chapters Financial view is to remain invested and to allow these issues to move through the system. This may mean that we see further volatility ahead; however, any overreaction may well cause detriment. 

If you would like to consider the points noted above further then please do not hesitate to contact the team at Chapters Financial, who will be able to help you further with your pension enquiries. No individual advice is provided during the course of this blog. If you would like to receive further information regarding your own individual situation and circumstances, please contact the Chapters Financial team in either Guildford or Woking.


Keith Churchouse BA Hons FPFS
Director, Chapters Financial Limited
Chartered Financial Planner
Certified Financial Planner
ISO22222 Personal Financial Planner


Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.
 

Friday, 10 October 2014

Are Your Children's Savings Invested Appropriately

How do you save for your children’s future, and are you saving with a particular goal – such as university fees – in mind? If so, are the funds invested in assets appropriate to the length of time until the money is needed?

With the current geopolitical situation causing stock market volatility, parents and grandparents may well be concerned over where best to save for the younger members of the family. However, it is important to bear in mind that most investments made for children are for a term of 10 years plus, and therefore investing in stocks & shares could well be a suitable route to take, on the basis that the investment is regularly reviewed.

It is interesting to note that three quarters of the £578 million subscribed to Junior ISA (JISA) accounts in 2013-14 is invested in cash, with only a quarter subscribed to stocks & shares arrangements. Although the interest rates offered on cash JISAs are superior to those offered to adults, with the majority currently paying between 2% - 3.5% gross AER per annum (source: Money Advice Service), any gains made are at risk of significant erosion by inflation over time. Investing in ‘real’ assets such as stocks & shares can help to protect against inflation and improve the overall return over time (not guaranteed).

Junior ISAs – a popular and tax-efficient way to save

JISA accounts have been available since 1 November 2011 to children under the age of 18 who do not own a Child Trust Fund (CTF) account (CTFs were available to eligible children born on or between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011).
According to recently published Government statistics, JISA account openings rose by 46% in the tax year 2013/2014, the second full financial year since the JISA took over from the CTF. £578 million was subscribed to JISA accounts in 2013-14 (source: HMRC ISA Statistics 2014 - http://tinyurl.com/n4l86sx ).

Chapters Financial is not responsible for the content of external websites
 
We expect this figure to continue to rise, with a boost from April 2015 when parents will be allowed to switch funds currently held in CTFs to JISA accounts. It is likely that JISA accounts will prove more flexible and better value than the older CTF arrangements and we would encourage parents to seek advice on the new options available.

Are you taking enough investment risk?

In the current tax year (2014/15), parents and grandparents can invest up to £4,000 in a JISA. Even if you don’t save to this limit, and choose to set aside a small amount each month, this can add up to a substantial amount over an 18 year timescale if invested appropriately.
Understandably, some people will not be comfortable with exposing their savings on behalf of their children to stock market volatility. However, given the long time period over which money is likely to be invested, sheltering the funds in cash may prove counterproductive. An (example) 18 year period provides enough time to absorb short-term stock market movements and investments in stocks & shares offer the potential for real capital growth (not guaranteed).

Maximising the tax efficiency of saving for children

Children are entitled to the same income tax personal allowance as adults (currently £10,000 in the 2014/15 tax year). Most children won’t have ‘earnings’ as such, so this allowance is applied to the income they may receive from sources such as deposit savings or investments. If the return the child receives in a tax year is less than the personal allowance for that year, no tax will be due.
An important point to watch is that if you give your children money outside a tax-efficient investment such as a JISA, and this generates interest of over £100 gross in a tax year, the whole amount of this income will be taxed as if it were your own income, at your highest marginal rate.

This limit applies to parental gifts only, not to gifts from other family members. With Christmas approaching, it may be a good time for grandparents to consider gifting money to their grandchildren, either into a JISA if contributions have not been maximised, or into a savings account or other arrangement. This gifting would have the added advantage of using the grandparents’ annual gift allowance, if not already used. Each individual is allowed to give away gifts worth up to £3,000 in total in each tax year and these will be exempt from inheritance tax from the date of the gift. Any unused part of the annual exemption can be carried forward to the following year.

Summary

If you would like support and advice on saving for your children or grandchildren’s future and maximising the tax efficiency of gifting and investing then please do not hesitate to contact the team at Chapters Financial, who will be able to help you further. No individual advice is provided during the course of this blog. If you would like to receive further information regarding your own family situation and circumstances, please contact the Chapters Financial team in either Guildford or Woking.



Vicky Fulcher
Trainee Financial planner

Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899

Monday, 1 September 2014

Back to school, back to school fees

Ah! The start of a new school year – the joys of trying to gather together all the sports kit and school books that you stowed away in July thinking that September was weeks away. There’s nothing like last-minute preparation. Great for uniforms, but not for planning school fees.

If you are considering independent / private schooling as a future (or current) option for your children, achieving careful financial planning as early as possible will help you to gauge affordability, maximise your options for fee payment and could save you substantial amounts of money in the future. If your children are already at private school, you will no doubt have had school fees on your mind way before the start of the new term.

School fees, pupil age and inflation

The Independent Schools Council (ISC) Annual Census 2014, which is based on data gathered in January 2014 from the ISC membership of over 1,250 independent schools, states that the overall average termly fee across the membership is currently £4,998 (excluding nursery fees). The average boarding fee is £9,596 per term and the average day fee is £4,241 per term. Fees will of course vary depending on factors such as geographical location and reputation, and the differences can be extreme.

It is also important to bear in mind that school fees do not remain level. The amount you pay will increase in two ways. Firstly, the fees will increase by school year/pupil age – i.e. you will pay more for a child in Year 6 than for a child in Year 2. Secondly, fees across the board are likely to increase every year by far more than inflation.

ISC figures suggest that the cost of sending a child to private school has risen by approximately 40% since 2007. In its Annual Census 2014 the ISC notes that the average fee across its member schools (excluding nursery fees) has risen by 3.9% from January 2013. This is the lowest annual fee rise since 1994. However, it is still significantly higher than the rate of inflation over the same period which was 1.9% as measured by growth in the Consumer Prices Index/CPI (source: Office for National Statistics).

The ISC Annual Census 2014 may be viewed here:
Chapters Financial is not responsible for the content of external websites

School fees are usually not inclusive of extras

When parents try to assess the affordability of private education, or work out a savings plan for future fees, the figures used are often the basic fees quoted in the prospectus or on the school website. The ‘extras’ are often left out of the calculation and can bump up the cost considerably. From personal experience, the main potential areas of additional expenditure are as follows:
  • Uniform: the biggest single outlay takes place when the child joins a new school and requires a whole new set of uniform and sports kit. Bought new, it can be cripplingly expensive, especially if the school has a dedicated shop from which all uniform must be purchased. In this situation, an initial outlay of £400 would not be unexpected. It is worth checking whether any generic items can be bought through other sources and it’s definitely worth looking at the school’s second-hand uniform shop. It’s also important to bear in mind that many private schools change the uniform requirement or design fairly regularly, so you should be prepared to replace items of clothing /sports kit that are ‘out of date’. Particularly frustrating when the ‘old’ kit still fits…
  • Out of hours care: many schools now offer wrap-around care (e.g. breakfast and after-school clubs), which are particularly useful where the parent(s) work full-time. However, this service comes at a cost, which is often forgotten in budget planning. As an example, the cost of putting a Year 6 child in one local private school into breakfast and after-school clubs every day (care from 7.30am to 6.30pm) would currently amount to nearly £700 per term.
  • Trips: in many cases, the cost of outings and residential trips offered by private schools is charged on top of the basic fees. It is sensible to plan in another £100-£200 per term to cover these eventualities, and potentially more for senior school children.
  • Lunches: some private schools charge extra to provide lunch, whereas for others this is a service included within the basic fees. If lunch is not included, this could add in the region of a further £100 per term to the bill.
  • Extracurricular lessons and clubs: there will often be a wide range of additional activities available, from music lessons to sports clubs. Again, most of these will cost extra - for one-to-one piano lessons alone, for example, I would suggest factoring in another £120 per term.
 
It’s easy to see, therefore, how the ‘extras’ can mount up – for a child entering a new school and requiring wrap-around care five days a week, the additional costs over and above the basic fees could well amount to over £1000 in the first term. 

Funding 
 
Early preparation is key. Paying for school fees out of net income (after-tax income) can have a significant impact. For example, a year’s school fees of £15,000 would be £25,000 before tax for a 40% taxpayer. However, with some forward planning, this situation can be at least partially improved. Strategies to consider include:
 
  • Saving / investing: As early as possible. ISAs (or New ISAs/NISAs as they are now known) are a tax-efficient way to put aside money every year for future private education commitments. The NISA allowance for the 2014/2015 tax year is currently £15,000 and this can be invested in stocks and shares, cash or a combination of the two, according to your needs and your attitude to risk. Obviously the earlier you start saving, the more you can accumulate before school fees begin.
  • Scholarships and bursaries: It is sensible to investigate the availability of scholarships and bursaries. Bear in mind, though, that bursaries are generally means-tested, although every school will have a different system in place. Scholarships are awarded for prowess in a particular academic or other area, such as music or sport.
  • Family help: It may be the case that grandparents or other family members are willing to help out with school fees. If this is the case, a ‘bare’ trust arrangement could be a tax-efficient way for them to provide support. A ‘bare’ trust can be set up by anyone for a specific child or children. The trustees will withdraw money as required to pay towards the school fees. Gifts to the bare trust are usually treated as Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETs) and will usually fall out of the estate of the donor for Inheritance Tax purposes after seven years.
 
Summary 
 
Private school fees can be a significant drain on your household income and advance planning is the key to assessing affordability and minimising the financial impact as far as possible. If you would like support and advice on planning for school fees then please do not hesitate to contact the team at Chapters Financial, who will be able to help you further. No individual advice is provided during the course of this blog. If you would like to receive further information regarding your own family situation and circumstances, please contact the Chapters Financial team in either Guildford or Woking.  
 
 
Vicky Fulcher Dip PFS
Trainee Financial Planner
  
Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.
 

 


Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Financial Review, but also re-balance

At Chapters Financial, we have always noted the benefits of clients reviewing their finances on a regular basis to ensure their existing planning meets with their needs and objectives. Individual circumstances change, markets change and the asset allocation of funds can also change. A review may occur once a year or more regularly, dependent on the needs of the client.

The asset allocation of an investment portfolio is informed by the risk profile of a client and the returns that are sought. Over time, market movements can cause one or more asset classes to drift from their initial targets, resulting in the investor holding a portfolio that may not reflect either their attitude to risk or their investment goals. Rebalancing, as one financial planning solution, is about controlling risk and ensuring that your portfolio is not overly exposed to the success or failure of one particular asset class.

Rebalancing can be an important part of financial planning. Simply put, the process involves periodically buying or selling assets in a portfolio to bring it back to its original asset allocation level. However, there is no accepted industry-wide ‘best practice’ on how and when to rebalance a portfolio. Some providers offer an automatic rebalancing model as part of a passive investment approach. There is much data to suggest that this can work, particularly if fairly wide tolerance bands on both the upside and the downside are in place to avoid excessive trades and associated charges which could erode returns. However, automatic rebalancing is just that – automatic – client portfolios are rebalanced once they drift beyond set tolerance bands. If this is set to occur at pre-determined times over the year, e.g. quarterly, it will take place even if market conditions at the time are not optimal.

Chapters Financial prefers to take a more active approach to investment management and review. Our view is that calendar-based rebalancing alone is not the best approach – at each review, it is important to consider the prevailing market conditions, the specific circumstances of the portfolio in question and to tailor the solution to the needs of the client. We are all different and our investments are likely to mirror this.

At a review, we would anticipate examining the performance of the funds, recommending changes where required to improve the potential to meet the client’s investment objectives and also re-allocating fund balances to meet with a client’s attitude to investment risk. Our active approach means that we can take a view on the ongoing performance of each asset class within a portfolio, rather than just following a set of systematic rules for rebalancing. Given the levels of volatility that all financial markets can experience, we believe that this individual and ‘hands-on’ approach offers the best way to work towards our clients’ investment objectives within agreed risk parameters. This does not mean that at a review you would anticipate a wholesale change of your holdings. However, areas of underperformance can be addressed and areas of good performance may see a ‘profit-take’ situation.

As suggested, each of you is individual and your investments are likely to be the same. No individual advice has been provided during the course of this blog. If you would like financial advice on the allocation of your funds/ investment strategy, then please contact the Chapters Financial team in Woking (01483 330800) or Guildford (01483 578800).

Keith Churchouse BA Hons FPFS
Director, Chapters Financial Limited
Chartered Financial Planner
Certified Financial Planner
ISO22222 Personal Financial Planner

Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.

Monday, 2 June 2014

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Topping up your State Pension: is it worth it?

Financial planning and retirement planning can get complicated when coming to the right solution for each individual. The new flexibility introduced in the Budget 2014 is very welcome, however it is very important not to forget the basics, such as the State Pension available to each individual.

Normally, as part of our standard process, we ask individuals to check their State Pension benefit accumulation to ensure that the correct value is being achieved. This may not always be the case and it is important that allowances, such as the Home Responsibilities Allowance, are accounted for. This can be achieved by using a BR19 State Pension Forecast form, which may be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-a-state-pension-statement-form-br19-interactive-pdf or by going online to check the value of future benefits here: https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension

It should be clear that in most cases there is real value in maximising the index-linked income from the State Pension, and reviewing the benefits, in our opinion is usually worthwhile (not in all cases), especially if you have the opportunity to increase their value.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

From October 2015, pensioners will be able to ‘buy’ up to £25 a week of extra State Pension. This option will be open to anyone who reaches State Pension Age before April 2016 – in other words, women born before 6 April 1953 and men born before 6 April 1951. The scheme aims to compensate the millions of pensioners who will miss out on the new flat-rate State Pension, which will come into effect from April 2016 and will pay around £155 a week.

If you qualify, there is only a short window of opportunity to increase your State Pension under this new top-up scheme: the scheme will run for 18 months, from 12 October 2015 to 1 April 2017.

Is this a new top-up scheme?

Yes, although there’s already a system whereby you can top up your basic State Pension. You currently need 30 years of full National Insurance contributions to qualify for the full basic State Pension. If you’ve accrued fewer years, you can make a lump-sum payment to increase the amount of basic State Pension you will receive on retirement.

The new scheme doesn’t replace this system and it’s important that you check that you have full entitlement to the full basic State Pension before you subscribe to the new top-up scheme. This is because your money will buy you significantly greater benefits under the existing scheme – for example, a sum of £890 would currently buy a 65 year old £4.64 a week of extra basic State Pension, whereas under the new scheme the same sum would boost your income by just £1.

What benefits can I ‘buy’ extra?

You can choose to top up your State Pension by between £1 and a maximum of £25 per week. How much you’ll need to contribute depends on how much extra pension you want to get each week and how old you are when you make the contribution.

For example, you are 68 years old in October 2015. You decide that you want an extra £5 per week (£260 a year) on top of your pension. The cost of an extra £1 per week for a 68 year old is £827, so you multiply £827 by 5. Therefore, you’ll make a lump sum payment of £4,135.

An online calculator is available at https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-topup . This will give you an idea of the cost and value of buying extra State Pension income at your current age.
Chapters Financial Limited is not responsible for the content of external webpages.

Does the new scheme offer value for money?

It could, for many people. The scheme works like an annuity, in that you are buying a guaranteed (and index-linked) income for life with a lump sum payment. Thus, your investment will only pay off if you live long enough to recoup the cost of buying the income and subsequently start earning a ‘return’. So those in good health should benefit from topping up their State Pension.

The maximum additional benefit of £25 a week costs £22,250 for a 65 year old. This is equivalent to an annuity rate of 5.84% - significantly higher than the current market rate of just over 3%. The return is higher still for older pensioners – a 70 year old will pay £19,475 for an additional income of £25, which is equivalent to an annuity rate of 6.67%.

Spouses and civil partners will also be able to inherit 50% of the top-up on the death of the pensioner, and the resulting income payments will remain index-linked.

The scheme may offer poorer value for money for a range of individuals:
  • Single pensioners – as they have no spouse/civil partner to inherit 50% of their top-up
  • Those with shorter life expectancies – as they may not live long enough to benefit from their investment
  • Those who need access to their capital in retirement – rather than committing their lump sum to buying an income
What are the alternatives?

There are alternatives and each individual case is different. This is where high quality financial planning advice can help you understand the options and to allow appropriate decisions to be made as to the ways clients and enquirers use their capital to gain income.

The Chapters teams in Guildford and Woking are well placed to advise you on the impact of current and future changes to pensions legislation on your finances. No individual advice is provided during the course of this Blog. If you would like to receive further information regarding your own individual situation and circumstances, please contact the Chapters team in either Guildford or Woking.

Vicky Fulcher
Trainee Financial planner
 
Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.


Thursday, 15 May 2014

What’s new about the NISA?



All Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) will become New ISAs (NISAs) from 1 July 2014. This applies to all existing ISAs and new accounts opened after 1 July. The new name reflects the significantly increased limits and flexibility that will be available to account holders following the Budget 2014. Some use this medium as a savings vehicle for retirement and have campaigned to see the limits available under this tax efficient savings vehicle extended.

New limits

The current limit for ISA investment is £11,880 for the new tax year 2014/2015. From July, the annual limit will increase to £15,000 – the biggest ever increase to ISA limits. It is planned that this investment limit will then rise by inflation every year going forward.

You won’t be able to invest the full £15,000 ISA allowance until July. Between 6 April and 30 June 2014, the total amount you can pay into a Cash ISA is £5,940. If you have a Stocks and Shares ISA, you can also pay into that account, but the combined amount you pay into your Cash and Stocks and Shares ISAs must not exceed £11,880.

New flexibility

When the new rules come into play, you will be able to split the amount you pay into an ISA between a Cash NISA and a Stocks and Shares NISA as you choose – up to the new overall annual ISA limit of £15,000. Previously, it was only possible to save up to half the overall ISA subscription into a Cash ISA. This should be a particularly valuable feature for those who are keen to protect their capital from exposure to movements in the stock market.

It will also be possible to transfer between cash and stocks and shares ISAs (either way) to meet your needs and attitude to investment risk. If you want to transfer funds from a Stocks and Shares NISA to a cash NISA after 1 July, different rules will apply depending on when you paid the relevant amounts into your Stocks & Shares ISA. If it was in the current tax year (i.e. after 6 April 2014), you must transfer these savings as a whole. Any savings related to earlier tax years can be transferred to a cash NISA in whole or in part (but you’ll need to check with your ISA provider that they allow part transfers).

New for juniors

If you are aged between 16 and 18, you can hold an adult Cash NISA but cannot open a Stocks and Shares NISA. From 1 July 2014, you will be pay up to £15,000 into your Cash NISA for the tax year 2014/15. This equates to an increase of £9,060 in the amount that a young person can save in an ISA account – a significant step forward in encouraging a savings habit in the younger generation.

For those up to the age of 18, the Junior ISA limit has increased to £3,840 in this tax year. One possible way of saving for university costs.   

Old ISA providers…

If you’ve already paid into a Cash ISA account in this tax year, you may find that the terms and conditions of your account don’t allow further amounts to be added when the new rules come into play. However, you can make additional payments by opening a Stocks & Shares ISA account, or by transferring your Cash ISA to another provider that will allow additional amounts to be added.

Nicer ISAs

This new flexibility will give you far greater freedom of choice in how you shelter your capital from tax. If you don’t want to brave the vagaries of the stock market, you will now have the opportunity to save a significant amount more cash in a tax-efficient manner. If you’re keen to take more of a risk, there’s a whole world of investments out there – and the Chapters Financial team would be pleased to advise you on those that will best meet your financial objectives and your attitude to risk. 

Don’t forget the additional opportunity (for those eligible) introduced in the Budget 2014 of the Pensioner Bonds due to be released in early January 2015 which will also offer attractive savings options for amounts up to a total of £20,000.


No individual advice is provided during the course of this Blog. If you would like to receive further information regarding your own individual situation and circumstances, please contact the Chapters team in either Guildford or Woking.

Vicky Fulcher
Trainee Financial planner
 
Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.

Monday, 2 December 2013

USA Leading or UK Lagging?



We have all witnessed a degree of increased globalisation over the last 20 years as a result of the information age.  Many large corporations have expanded their global presence and ventured more into overseas markets than ever before. This in turn has led to the major stock markets, and correspondingly the indices, being more closely correlated over time. 

We are all very aware of the Credit Crunch and the following aftermath in the markets, in currencies, cash-flow and economies around the world. However, we are now starting to witness much more positive data regarding the recovery of the UK economy as well as that of the USA. 

Obviously past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. 

This raises the question, are they recovering at the same rate?

USA Leading?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed above 16,000 for the first time on Thursday 21 November 2013, finishing at 16,009.99. This has seen the index growing over 22% from 02 January 2013, when the index opened at 13,104.30.

Even looking at the S&P 500 Index, which some believe to be a better ‘yardstick’ of the US stock market than the DJIA, this has risen 25% from opening at 1,426.19 on 02 January 2013 to close at 1,795.85 on 21 November 2013.

UK Lagging?

In comparison, the rise in the FTSE100 (as an example) is somewhat short of this increase, showing a growth of just 13% from an opening of 5,897.19 on 02 January 2013 to close at 6,681.33 on 21 November 2013. Therefore, if we are using the FTSE100 as the measurement of the recovery of the UK equity market, the UK is only recovering at approximately half the rate of the USA. This is an interesting observation, rather than a direct comparison. 

Some might argue that the difference could be due to the Sterling to Dollar exchange rate at these dates, which is an important consideration. However, the currency exchange rates on these dates were £1 = $1.6249 (02 January 2013) and £1 = $1.6199 (21 November 2013), therefore the impact of the exchange rate is less than 0.5% between these dates.

Which market / economy will correct and when?

The soon to retire Mr Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, has already indicated that he may taper or slow down the fiscal stimulus into the US economy. Many economists believe that the markets have already factored in his statement in this regard, but if they have not, the impact may not occur until March 2014. 

The Bank of England has provided its own stimulus to the economy in the form of Quantitative Easing (QE) to the tune of £375BN. In comparison with the USA, it has not increased this QE programme since July 2012.

It is believed that Mr Bernanke will continue to signal the reduction in the stimulus as the US data on production, employment and other economic factors improve. This could mean that the indices in the US stock markets (DJIA / S&P 500) will not rise when compared with the UK index (FTSE 100) as the fiscal stimulus package in the USA is reduced and eventually stopped. How long will this take? I believe it will be at least 12 months before we see a significant correction between the correlation of the USA and UK equity markets, possibly even longer.

No individual advice has been given in the course of this blog. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Investment values can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed.

If you would like to discuss the investment opportunities with regards to your own individual situation and circumstances or any aspects of financial planning, both personal and business (SME), then please contact the team, either in Guildford or Woking.

Simon Hewitt BSc (Hons) DipPFS
Financial Planner
Chapters Financial Limited

Chapters Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, number 402899.