Not if, but when…
Spring finally seems to have arrived! Since our last edition, we have had the Spring Budget and the Bank of England (BoE) rate announcement to name but a few important landmarks. This has kept us, like all of you I am sure, quite busy over the last month, especially with the tax year end almost here.
To the dismay, but not surprise of many, the BoE decided to stick rather than twist on interest rates in their 21st March announcement. The BoE continue to follow the lead of the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank which also decided to stay put.
It seems nobody is quite ready to throw caution to the wind and make the first move to lower rates, but the current feeling is definitely, not if, but when? You can find more commentary and expert opinion on the BoE announcement on page 38. As well as some specific reactions from those in the mortgage and property sector on page 47.
Fingers crossed we’ll be bringing you news of a rate drop rather than another rate stop in June!
AIM to plan
We’re all planners at heart and so James Rae at Charles Stanley carries out some myth-busting on ISAs before diving into the details of ISAs and AIM. He also brings us the low down on Charles Stanley’s specialist AIM IHT planning Solution – we know you love planning and solutions, so you’re bound to enjoy this one. Head to page 6!
Speaking of planning, we’ve got a treat for those who may be looking to take those daunting first steps to plan their exit from their business. Back in February our very own Alex Sullivan hosted a webinar, with four experts (Daniel Jones from Succession, Sophie Colloby from Dow Schofield Watts and Keith Brown and Kayleigh Fox from Wealth Holdings) who are all professionals within the Mergers and Acquisitions market.
On page 14 you can find the webinar highlights including how to get your business ready to be acquired, so you can leave behind the legacy you and your clients deserve. For the full content, grab a hot beverage and a biscuit and settle in to watch the webinar itself, it’s well worth it.
Don’t rock the boat
Chancellor Hunt, in a similar vein to the Autumn Statement, played it safe rather than pushed the boat out in the Spring Budget 2024.
We have waded through the 94-page Budget document to bring you purely the most important and relevant announcements that we think will impact you and your clients. Despite it being a fairly mainstream announcement, there were some nuances we have made sure to clear up. You can find our Budget summary combined with commentary from industry experts starting on page 18.
Let’s get cracking!
Before I let you hop away for (hopefully) your long Easter weekend ahead, I hope you’ve found everything you need in this edition of IFA Magazine. But if you find yourself wanting more, then head over to our website which is updated as and when things happen – and in financial services there are always things happening, https://ifamagazine.com.
We’ll hopefully see you all again for our next edition, thankfully on the other side of the new tax year!
Sue Whitbread
Editor, IFA Magazine
