Its was an interesting week in both politics and terror. Politics are not my normal sphere, except that the Budget is inevitably a Political issue.
A Government on a mission to balance the books must make choices and our Chancellor has made his. The result being that the higher earners get to keep more and the elderly and disabled get a bit less.
However, the Minister responsible for Welfare has resigned and the Government appears to be having second thoughts. So not a lot of clarity then.
In the financial sector, we are used to a situation where we must wait and see, in the meantime we will focus on finding solutions to individual client needs. Remind our clients to make the most of their pension annual allowance and/or top up their ISAs.
For those who are in need of social care, bearing in mind that much of the Care Act has yet to be implemented, waiting is not an option. The care sector operates despite politics and budgets.
For anyone who needs guidance and help with Self Funding, please take advice from an appropriate and qualified Independent Financial Adviser. It may save you money, it will certainly save you time.
Terrorism has hit the headlines today again, this time because one of the supposed ring leaders of the Paris attacks has been caught, after four months.
This is again my business, its my business because it directly impacts the investment market but also because it also has an indirect impact, as it changes how confident people feel to save money for the future.
This morning, whilst searching my book shelves I found “The Day That Shook the World, Understanding September 11th.
Written in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 by a group of journalists and published by the BBC. Its fifteenth and final chapter “A New World Order?” contributed by Allan Little, concludes
“We new well the shape of the world that came to an end in 1989. We understood its rules. The shape of the world that now replaces it – with its new set of rules – is forming before our eyes. In global terrorism, the West has an enemy again. It must learn how to fight that enemy without creating a new Cold War, a new bi-polar division of the world into two antagonistic blocs – the West versus Islam. It is not a war against Islam, but the perpetrators of the September 11th atrocities would like it to become one. The task for America and its allies is now to defeat terrorism without letting that happen”.
I cannot help speculating on whether its our politicians that are still getting it wrong by attempting to put the world and its financial system back to a broken model.
Madness is keep doing the same things and expecting a different outcome.