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Throughout our lives we don’t always make the best decisions, especially when it comes to money. Cognitive and emotional biases often influence our financial choices, steering us away from making rational decisions. These biases, sometimes called ‘thinking traps’, can have long-term impacts, which is why it’s important to understand them and learn how to manage their effects.
After a hard fought race, the US electorate delivered their verdict on the last four years of a Democrat administration, with an emphatic win for the returning Donald Trump and the Republican party. Yet what does this victory mean for US assets? Will it be an echo of Trump’s first presidency from the 2016 vote, and how should investors respond to the impending change of leadership in the world’s leading economy?
Ahead of last week’s budget there was significant speculation as to what it could mean for financial plans and, in particular, pensions. This led to some people taking pre-emptive action.
The Chancellor began her Budget speech by putting it in a historic context, citing 1945, 1964 and 1997, three years in which Labour regained power in the post-war period. The only other year in which Labour also achieved that was 1974, and while the Chancellor did not cite this year it may be more appropriate than the others. The 1970s, like now, were a difficult backdrop for the economy, in an increasingly turbulent world.
This coming Wednesday, Rachel Reeves will deliver her first Budget as Chancellor.
This will be a Tax, Borrow and Spend Budget. I expect two major components: one being a change in the definition of debt, from Public Sector Net Debt (PSND) to Public Sector Net Worth (PWNW) that will permit higher borrowing to fund public investment; and second, increased taxes to fund higher public spending, focused on the NHS.
Our CEO Charlotte Ransom regularly answers questions for readers of the i paper – helping them to better understand their investments and how to effectively plan their finances to achieve their long-term goals. Many of these questions are also highly relevant for Netwealth readers.
This year has been unusually busy for elections, with over half of the world’s adult population voting in some form. The US election on November 5th will be the most significant, politically and in terms of market impact.
Taking advantage of the tax benefits of a pension could be the boost you need to achieve your retirement goals. Yet it may be worth reassessing your pension to see if you can further improve on the benefits and its potential to help deliver a comfortable life later on.
This column by our chief economic strategist Gerard Lyons appeared in The Times on Tuesday 1st October, 2024.
The Budget on 30th October has already been foreshadowed by the government as likely to be “painful”. And while we don’t know what areas of our personal finances may be affected, those who have savings, pensions and investments will probably be impacted in some way. It could therefore be a valuable exercise to assess your own circumstances to help you prepare if you do need to act fairly promptly.
Team Contributors
Gerard Lyons
Charlotte Ransom
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“How can we limit the tax we pay when taking my partner’s £700k pension?”
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“My wife and I have £200k in our pensions. Are we on track for a good retirement?”
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I’m 68 and retiring soon. How can I limit taxes when I take out my pension?
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“How do I get the highest return taking the lowest risk on my £540,000 pension?”
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How can I protect my retirement savings and should I be using a trust?
Thomas Salter
Iain Barnes
Simon McConnell
In The Press
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Read what the press have to say about Netwealth
