Worldwide Financial Planning

Markets initially welcomed the EU/US deal but enthusiasm was short-lived as the latest agreements – like the other deals already signed – lack substance and leave a considerable amount of detail to be agreed. Meanwhile, companies including Games Warehouse in the UK, Ford in the US and Adidas in Germany have added to warnings about the financial cost of high US tariffs.

It's not too often we wake up thinking 'today’s a belting day to plan my death duties'. Yet every year, families are blindsided by the bureaucratic mess and tax bill which can follow a loved one’s passing on top of the trauma of loss.

The trade deal between Japan and the US was welcomed by investors in Japanese equities. Japanese car makers were among the biggest beneficiaries, and a quick glance at recent earnings updates from global car makers shows why.

In 2017, the Residence Nil Rate Band (RNRB) was introduced with a lot of trumpeting and, predictably, a lot of confusion. It promised to help families pass on the family home without a massive tax bill. The small print, as always, tells the real story.

In the face of higher inflation, the Federal Reserve’s wait and see approach appears to be a sensible one as corporate earnings seem to be holding up. This hasn’t spared the Fed from more vitriol from Trump as he continues to call for rapid rate cuts.

A recent FT Adviser campaign is shedding much-needed light on this shadowy corner of the industry, calling for the severing of links between estate agents and their preferred financial services.