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2019 May Be A Testing Time

In these uncertain times, many savers and investors are holding large sums as cash within their bank accounts and investments. Yet they are invariably getting no interest on these deposits. So action is required if they want the potential to at least meet inflation, currently standing at over 2.5%.

The expectation is that performance of the financial markets in 2018 should be a reasonable guide to what lies ahead in 2019, with greater volatility playing a major role. The feeling is that Equities will lead the way in 2019, albeit via a bumpy road.

Investors should expect lower and more variable returns than those seen in 2017 and the sentiment is that buy and hold is the best strategy. But to weather the storms ahead investors need to hold a well-diversified portfolio that is actively managed. Management of volatility is key so Multi-asset funds should be of interest to investors.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

Expat Tax Planning in 2019

Calendar PlannerTax planning should be a New Year priority for any British citizen who has recently become an expat.

Just last year HM Revenue & Customs increased its efforts to ensure expats met their full tax obligations and has begun to successfully use EU laws that encourage co-operation between member states. “We will not hesitate to use all legal means to collect taxes that are owed,” commented an HMRC spokesperson. Despite this tough talking, the EU this year criticised the UK for its poor record of cross-border tax collection.

It is important to remember that although the HMRC’s new stricter approach remains at an early stage, it is already paying dividends for the government, which estimates that it lost £1.7bn in tax revenue in 2016-17, compared to £4bn in 2011-12. Furthermore, 1,006 requests for tax information were made to EU authorities in 2017. This resulted in the recovery of £5 million. In comparison, similar requests in 2013 yielded just £800,000.

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News Wrap – APP Scams Guidance

Phone ScamsThe Treasury Select Committee has called on financial services providers to reimburse individuals who have lost money as a result of authorised push payment (APP) fraud, with MPs telling banks that they must implement adequate fraud measures by March 2020 or face sanctions from the regulators.

For example, UK Finance, a trade association for the banking and financial services industry, reports that during the first half of 2019 close to £616 million was stolen from banking customers during financial transactions on payment cards, remote banking and cheque transactions in the UK, with £207.5 million of this defrauded through APP scams.*

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