Category: Financial Advice

I was looking back through some emails and came across one about changing our Gas direct debit, as the previous one was ending and the price showing was cheaper.  

I then looked at the account where the debit comes from and scrolled back, and we were still paying the same amount from the previous agreement. 

As always trying to find a number to contact them, wasn’t easy, but once I did and got through the electronic questions to speak with someone, I was surprised that you had to change the debit amount, it wasn’t done automatically.  

I said, nowhere did it say on the agreement that you had to do that.   

You must keep an eye on these companies, even more so during the cost-of-living times. 

I wished my financial advisor and market expert a good new year and thanked for their help during 2025. 

This was part of the response I received back. 

“2025 was certainly a good year for equity investing as we saw inflation numbers falling back, allowing interest rates to be cut, while all the while the (US) economy and corporate earnings trundled on. The AI theme drove the likes of Nvidia (the chip maker of choice of AI learning) up a further 40% but even this wonder stock of the moment could not keep pace with the shiny yellow metal, GOLD up 64%! 

 The crystal ball gazers have been hard at work, trying to predict what will happen in 2026, and most have concluded that the right pieces are in place for another positive year for equities, even with the slightly stretched valuations we have. These are interesting times we live in, and I am sure the path upward will not be straight, with bumps occurring along the way. 

 If at any time you would like to discuss markets, please do not hesitate in contacting me. 

 I wish you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2026.” 

Keep my fingers cross and hope for another good year. 

I received an email this afternoon to confirm everything was OK regarding our property and nothing was done illegally against the address. 

As mentioned in previous blog postings, I would recommend registering for this government service for peace of mind, as I have read many articles where people have used addresses without the owners knowing. 

Final meeting of the year, they decided to lower the interest rate from 4% to 3.75%, but by a close vote of 5-4  

This meant the interest rate had been lowered 3 times this year, which is one more than they expected, going by the various financial institute at the start of the years. So even the experts don’t know what is going to happen in advance. 

From the meeting –  

Concerns about weak economic growth and rising unemployment outweighed worries about inflation, which is falling but remains above the Bank’s 2% target 

The Bank expects inflation to near 2% by the middle of next year, partially due to the government’s tax and spending policies announced in last month’s Budget 

Interest rates are likely to continue on a gradual downward path, Bank governor Andrew Bailey says, but he adds “with every cut we make, how much further we go becomes a closer call” 

The Bank’s next meeting to consider interest rates is schedule for 5 February. 

As this is the last meeting of the year, I will stop posting about this on my blog, has I been only doing this to see how good the experts are at looking in advance of the year. 

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Over the weekend, I received the quote for the car insurance and couldn’t believe the increase, as I had not read or seen anything about people complaining about an increase, compared to the previous years. 

Hastings Direct were asking for £1,070, up from the previous year £644.   

Crazy increase.  

So, I rang them and after going through everything, the lowest they could reduce the policy too, was £832.96. 

I had already looked around on the GoCompare website and even though there were cheaper rates, I went for AA platinum policy of £516.14.  

Just so annoying that every year you must deal with this; the day before I actually saw a television advert for Hastings that they were the cheapest car insurance around. Obviously not true and false advertisement.  

Today was the penultimate interest rates review and by a close vote of 5-4, the bank of England decided to make no change.  

They believe that inflation has peaked.  

The bank interest rate stays at 4%, with a 7 – 2 vote, the two people voted against, wanted the bank rate reduced to 3.75.  

In the minutes released, the committee judged that a gradual and careful approach to further rate cuts “remained appropriate”