Commentary and Updates
From our regular market commentary to our expert breakdowns of government budgets and statements, here’s where you can stay up to date with all the latest financial developments.
Bubbles, Budgets and Barriers: Q4 2025 Market Update.
In our latest Quarterly Market Update, Paul Kelly speaks with Dr Scott Osborne about potential stock market bubbles, the upcoming Budget, tariffs and trade wars and the portfolio's positioning.
Labour’s Autumn Budget: Which Taxes Could Rise in 2025?
It feels like only yesterday that we were talking about last year's Autumn Budget, widely billed as a once in a generation reset for the public finances. Back then, the challenge was plugging a £22 billion gap in the nation’s accounts. Fast forward not even 12 months, and here we are again, only this time, the gap is even bigger! We’ll break down the tough choices facing Rachel Reeves, look at the options on the table, and explore what they could mean for you ahead of this year’s Autumn budget.
Risk You Can Control, Uncertainty You Can’t. Why We’ve De-Risked
In our latest Quarterly Market Update, Hannah Kennedy speaks with Dr Scott Osborne about the major global macroeconomic events that have shaped recent months, from shifting trade relationships and interest rate changes to geopolitical pressures.
The Retirement Trade-off That No-one Talks About
Planning how to pay for care – a topic full of uncertainty. Will you spend all of your life savings just to get sub-par care and accommodation? Or, will you find yourself with just enough to afford the care you’d really want in later life?
Are Cash ISAs Under Threat?
Big changes could be coming to the humble Cash ISA – and if you’ve been leaning on it as your go-to savings vehicle, this is a moment to pause and reflect.
What the Headlines Missed
It’s easy to get caught up in the headlines, and there have been plenty lately. Between rising UK unemployment and Trump’s tariff chaos, you might expect your investments to be struggling. But, in this Astute Market Overview, we take a step back to look at the bigger picture, and it’s far more positive than those headlines suggest.
Dr Scott Osborne: Why Doing Nothing Was Right – Until Now
Since Donald Trump’s so called “Liberation Day” announcements triggered chaos and a trade war with China, global market volatility has soared. A 90-day pause has allowed room for negotiations, and markets responded with a strong rebound.
Practical Pension Planning to Avoid IHT (Including Business Relief)
Farmers took to the streets in protest following the agricultural relief changes in Labour’s budget.
Market Dips. What History Has Taught Us
If you have listened to any radio, watched any TV or glanced at newspaper headlines this week, you’ll have heard that markets have “plunged” following America’s tariffs on much of the rest of the world. You can watch our video from last week for more detail.
Trump’s Tariffs – Why We’re Not Worried
Yesterday was dubbed “liberation day” in the US, as Donald Trump unveiled a list of reciprocal tariffs. In this update, Hannah Kennedy is joined by Dr Scott Osborne to discuss US tariffs, what uncertainty still remains, and ultimately, why we aren’t worried.
In Trusts We Trust: Strategies to Avoid Inheritance Tax (IHT)
Inheritance Tax receipts are on the rise and are expected to grow significantly in the future, particularly owing to the changes announced in the Labour Budget in October 2024.
Spring Statement – Do the Books Balance?
How do you know it’s spring? The tulips and daffodils are in bloom, the days get longer, the fields are filled with bleating lambs – and of course, the Chancellor delivers the Spring Statement!