Worldwide Financial Planning

Nothing significant has changed since 2024. The pre-Christmas messaging from the Federal Reserve and Bank of England was noticeably cooler on the
prospect of rate cuts and inflation had already ticked up. Weak Chinese growth and Donald Trump’s view that tariffs are the solution to almost
everything have been apparent for some time. So, what has changed to bring about the pessimistic mood in bond markets?

If you’ve ever carried debt, you’ll know it’s not just numbers on a spreadsheet or a balance to clear. Debt can feel like a dark cloud looming over your daily life, pulling at your mind in ways you might not even notice.

2024 was a transformative year for global markets, driven by AI-fueled optimism in equities, central banks shifting from rate hikes to cuts, and major geopolitical and political upheavals reshaping economies and investor sentiment worldwide.

Financial success doesn’t come from grand gestures; it’s built on small, sticky habits which stack up over time. So, let’s cut through the noise and get you a plan - one that works for real life and is sticky.

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.