Newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, delivered his first Budget on 11 March, against a backdrop of uncertainty following the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent financial losses. It was the first of two Budgets to be delivered in 2020, with the second to follow in the autumn.

COVID-19 and the NHS
The Chancellor wasted no time in diving into the heart of the issue on the minds of so many across the nation: the COVID-19 crisis. Taking an empathetic tone, he reassured the British public that “we will get through this together...

A drop in oil prices sent international shares tumbling when stock markets opened this morning.

Concerns about the impact of the coronavirus on global economic growth have weighed on demand for oil. Over the weekend, talks took place between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other producers about cutting output to support oil prices, but they failed to come to an agreement. In response, Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s de facto leader, said it would raise production and lower prices in an effort to preserve its market sha...

Global stock markets fell sharply yesterday (Monday 24 February) as reports from Japan, South Korea, Iran and Italy stoked fears over the global spread of the coronavirus. Among the notable falls, FTSE MIB index of Italian shares ended the day 5.4% lower after authorities moved to lock down ten towns in the country’s north to prevent the virus spreading. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 index of US shares fell 3.4%, erasing its year-to-date gains. While stock markets dropped, safe haven assets which investors typically turn to in times of market turbu...

Since the introduction of automatic enrolment, over 10 million eligible employees have been signed up to a workplace pension scheme. But for self-employed people, no such scheme exists, meaning that many of those who work for themselves are struggling to prioritise their pension.

While there are many benefits to being your own boss, including the flexibility to work your preferred hours, better work-life balance and tax-deductible expenses, pension provision is unfortunately not among them. The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PL...

Planning ahead and starting early can really help when it comes to building up a financial future for the children in your life. The Junior ISA (JISA) is a popular choice for many, but one often overlooked investment option is the ability to open a pension for your child, to help set them up for retirement.

Increasingly popular choice
Although retirement is a very long way off for your child, putting some money aside now means they can be one step ahead when they come to plan their retirement. Any parent or legal guardian can set up a pension,...

As the United Kingdom finally left the EU on 31 January 2020, there is now a transition period until the end of the year, while the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements.  The current rules on trade, travel, and business for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period.

Globally, all attention has been on China where the coronavirus has now spread to 27 countries and territories worldwide, with 17,488 confirmed cases and 362 deaths (as of 3 February 2020).

The FTSE 100 ended January at 7,286.01 which was 3.4% low...

The planned Budget last November was cancelled in the run-up to the election. The chancellor Sajid Javid has announced the next Budget will take place on Wednesday 11 March.

The chancellor has pledged to tackle the cost of living and tear up strict budget rules to hike borrowing for infrastructure spending. He will use the Budget to:

• Fulfil government pledges on tax to “help tackle the cost of living for hard-working people.”
• “Level up” economic performance in struggling towns in northern England and the Midlands
• “Build on” recent anno...