Worldwide Financial Planning

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.

Despite the relaxed mood in markets, tariffs are having an effect. We’ve seen EU car makers report slowing sales in the US – particularly among luxury brands – while Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo has warned that US tariffs would drive up prices and hit sales in the US.

Try explaining to a bank that you’ve just started a freelance career, or that your income comes from a mixture of pensions, rental income, and part-time work. More often than not, you’ll be met with a polite version of “computer says no.”

There appear to be fewer concerns about the US government’s rapid increase in its deficit as Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was signed off by Congress. Official estimates show that the bill’s tax cuts and additional spending will increase borrowing by $3.4tn over the next 10 years, but the dollar and treasury yields were unmoved.

We don’t rip up our driving licence every time we hit a pothole. Some investors can react like this the moment markets get bumpy. They panic, bail out, and swear never to invest again, until the next boom, of course.