Our title is a slight exaggeration but the build up to the Budget in the media was relentless. In the end the constraints of the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR)…

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The last few years have been volatile for investors. It began with the rapid sell off, and then recovery, related to the Covid pandemic in 2020/21. It continued into 2022…

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As we come to end of the year the good news is that markets appear to be having the infamous "Santa Rally" bounce from the lows at the end of…

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In our August bulletin we said that data suggested we were nearing the end of the interest rate hikes as inflation was coming under control and falling. Whilst to an…

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It was good to see so many of our clients at our Bath Racecourse seminar in July where we were blessed with the weather for the afternoon's racing. The day…

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Sustainable investment Many of you will have heard us use the mantra "follow the money" when describing one of the reasons we think investing in Sustainable funds is a key part…

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The Budget Well not quite as only one of the limits on Pensions i.e. how much you can have in a pension fund, without paying extra tax, called the Lifetime Allowance…

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The unusual aspect of 2022 (first time in 30 years) is that both fixed interest investments, such as Government Gilts, and shares fell in tandem, when usually they counteract each…

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After the mini budget in September, the autumn statement last week from Chancellor Hunt achieved two aims of reassuring markets, by way of showing fiscal responsibility, and raising funds. It…

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With winter just around the corner and the cost of living crisis getting worse, we thought it was timely to reaffirm our support for our chosen charity, First Steps Bath. …

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What a contrast as we are used to "action speaking louder than words" being the mantra and yet last week the opposite was true of the UK and US Central…

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It's hard to work out why there was a need to push the extra unexpected tax cuts in the recent mini budget as our new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, seems…

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There's been a considerable amount of doom and gloom, particularly about the UK economy, inflation, and interest rates with what seems to be a "Top Trumps" scenario of ever-increasing predictions…

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We have all seen the unfortunate passing away of Dame Deborah James, all too soon at 40, who will be remembered as the "Bowelbabe" bringing awareness and raising £7 million…

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It's been a very mixed few weeks culminating in the Jubilee weekend which we hope you enjoyed. It proves parties still go on, but with a bit more decorum than…

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As the clocks gained their hour we thought of Spring and what progress or possible lack of it has been made through March. Stock Markets Stock Markets indeed "sprung" forward…

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Putin felt the cards were all in his favour and he had the West "over a barrel," because he thought it was disjointed and would be weak and indecisive in…

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The rapid change in the Ukraine situation has meant any bulletin becomes out of date as soon as it is written. Indeed this was the case, as we started to write…

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Market Blues We have seen a sharp rotation in markets in the last few weeks from "Growth" to "Value" style investments which has meant sectors such as Healthcare and Technology…

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In our article at the beginning of 2021 we had a positive outlook of Central Banks holding their nerve, a quicker move to Sustainable investing and finally how good…

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The unfortunate arrival of the new Covid variant Omicron led stock markets lower but given the intense global focus, more should hopefully be known in a relatively short time scale. At…

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Autumn Budget There was slight feeling of fear with so many pre budget announcements, that there would a sting in the tail on the day and with much lauded potential…

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As we came to the end of what seemed a quiet summer the heat came back with a bang and, likewise, a lot of big news. Bailey Cook Developments The highlight…

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We are looking for two enthusiastic individuals to join our busy and talented client support team, based in the beautiful city of Bath. The roles involve providing a range of…

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One of the things that has struck us over recent months is seeing the art of deflection practiced so well, and we feel it is an unfortunate consequence of Covid. …

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak presented his Spring 2021 Budget on 3 March, and in this summary we cover the main points and their implications for financial planning. Budget Summary If you have any…

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This famous quote incorrectly attributed to Benjamin Disraeli is used to explain how figures can be manipulated. It was highlighted in the UK GDP figures with the media quick to point…

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As you know, at Bailey Cook we believe in sustainable investing, where investors can benefit from investment returns to meet their own financial objectives, whilst at the same time supporting…

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Dom and Donald - Gone - well nearly, we have to wait until the end of the year. Very sorry we couldn't resist the headline and hence another Bailey Cook Blast…

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There has been a recent flurry of positive policy-level-climate-related news. Joe Biden has committed to re-joining The Paris Agreement, Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to cut emissions by 30%…

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Stock markets were booming yesterday with the UK FTSE 100 index up over 4.6% on the day and United States (US) Dow Jones index closing up by 2.9%. Part…

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We are conscious that putting in place effective financial planning requires individuals to share personal and financial information with us, and increasingly this information is shared electronically. It is therefore a…

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It feels as though we are stuck in limbo at the moment with a risk of a hard Brexit, Democrats and Republicans in the United States unable to agree a…

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We hope our clients enjoyed Phoebe Stone's presentation last week. Below is a link to a recording for you to review, at your leisure, and for those unable to…

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We mentioned last week we'd focus a bit more on possible tax raising measures that Chancellor Rishi Sunak may use and his request to the Office for Tax Simplification (OTS)…

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In April Phoebe Stone of LGT Vestra kindly presented a live video conference giving her views of the market and also touching on the sustainable investment theme of the portfolios…

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Poor FTSE 100 Index Performance At the end of July the UK FTSE 100 Stock Market Index was down 20.4% year-to-date compared to the MSCI European Index (excluding the UK) down…

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You may have seen earlier this week that Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave a 'Summer Statement' which many are regarding as a mini-Budget, and we thought you may find this summary…

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ARCHITAS Some of you will be invested in investment funds managed by Architas, which is one of our preferred fund management businesses. It was announced this week that AXA…

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We are sorry to report that our inaugural client seminar has been postponed until Spring next year. Having postponed the event once already, we were very much looking forward to seeing…

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Stock markets have rebounded since the lows in March, but there is the fear of a disconnect between stock market returns and the economic downturn due to Covid 19 which…

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Thank you very much to those of you who have kindly donated to our 2.6 mile challenge. Please see our previous news item for more details and to donate.…

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We are delighted to announce that Bailey Cook has been awarded the Pension Transfer Gold Standard accreditation by the Personal Finance Society, which is part of our professional body, the…

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When lockdown meant that our staff had to work from home, we soon found a way to boost team spirit. All seven of us have taken up the 2.6…

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As we get older time goes more quickly and yet in lock down time seems to have slowed and the hope is that the world will be a more mellow…

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We are firm believers in investment portfolios and funds made up of a wide range of different investments and are therefore not reliant on a single type of asset for…

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We want to focus on safety and that whilst you are hopefully all safe at home, be aware of intrusion into your lives by the fraudsters who inevitably want to…

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The current crisis feels so much worse as it affects our daily lives. Bath, and I'm sure everywhere else, feels like a Ghost Town. Only in the 1973 Oil crisis…

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We woke this morning to watch the BBC's Business Briefing with the usual pessimism about how Friday 13th will fare after yesterday's huge market falls. Indeed it was interesting to…

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In all the gloom of Coronavirus, volatile Stock Markets and a shockingly wet winter we have been thinking of brighter times ahead. We have great pleasure letting you know…

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You will have no doubt seen the impact on stock markets across the world this week due to Coronavirus. We have received an update from LGT Vestra (One of our…

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