Worldwide Financial Planning

Let's start with the motivation: any movement in you, no matter how small, towards improvement, is stronger than any storm you will face, as it’s an expression of hope, of desire and of your control. Tie your laces, carry on.

Although there was a rate cut from the Fed, warnings about fewer rate cuts in future were about as welcome as a plate of cold Brussels sprouts on Boxing Day. Although several members of the BoE’s Monetary Policy Committee pushed for a rate cut at its last meeting of 2024, in the end the bank decided against a late gift for markets.

Whilst I am writing to you about money, the power of consumerism is rooted in psychology with social media sites able to profile down to even knowing when someone is in their menstrual cycle. I find that disturbing and how profiling may push people into excessive spending, further fuelling a Neoliberalist stranglehold over society. There is nothing good can come from that. Nothing.

Meanwhile, China is doubling down on its efforts to turn its economy into one driven by domestic consumption. This is a long-standing objective of China’s government and this week saw promises of looser monetary policy and expanding the budget deficit to boost domestic demand “in all directions” as it attempts to tackle cooling economic growth.

A farm represents decades, even centuries, of family toil. Early mornings, calloused hands, and late nights aren’t clichés here; they’re a way of life. But for many families, the taxman may be about to sow some very unwelcome seeds.

Meanwhile, the number of companies listed in London is shrinking as a lack of new listings is compounded by the number of companies being bought. Other companies remain under pressure to cancel dual listings or move primary listings to exchanges seen as providing higher valuations.