Welcome to Concept Financial Solutions Limited
Company/Market update 30 - 25th April 2024
We hope you are all well, the new tax year 2024/25 has started. Easter has been and gone.
The office is open as normal during 2024. We are contactable via all normal available resources in the meantime.
We send out regular information to clients regarding their Investment/Pension portfolios. There are the quarterly Newsletters (Q1 issue available) and other tools available on this website in Online Services for more general information and access to services. Most of you have online access to provider platforms and product sites.
We have a new Buildings and Contents insurance option available to you on the website for 2024 to enable you to enter your own details into a Broker provider website for multiple quotes from well known insurance companies. See 'Get Quote' under Online Services. Please note you are dealing with the broker provider, The Source directly. We only provide you with access to them as an additional service as a user of our website. (Concept FS do not provide any advice or specific recommendation in relation to this service as we act only as an introducer via this website).
The office is staffed daily for the period between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm Monday to Friday(Normal). Post and telephone messages are monitored and answered, also we are contactable on our mobile numbers directly.
If phone calls are not answered please leave a message with your details. We will call you back. Please text or email if preferred. See the contacts page on this website for our telephone numbers and email.
We offer client meetings as home visits as well as meetings in the office (albeit limited due to space)
We have technology available to provide online visual/verbal contact - preferred medium being Teams or Zoom
We are still working remotely from home where possible, as well as from the office.
We are here for our existing clients as well as new potential clients looking for Financial Advice.
Investment outlook and current situation.
As previously stated, some unrest continues in the world, conflicts and environmental events still create anxiety with unfortunate consequences for humanity, our safety and financial well being. The main anxieties being created presently by the ongoing Israeli/ Palestinian conflict and Russia/Ukraine conflict. More locally UK inflation and interest rates look like they seem to be easing due to falling inflation. However there is the expected General Election on the horizon. The US elections are also imminent. Environmental issues are starting to show although not all governments are supporting action.
We look to keep up to date with these events and try to make sense of decisions made by politicians and financial officials that have major effects on markets, our personal and financial well-being. There is very little we can do once events take their course. Markets eventually settle and some level of order and understanding starts stabilisation. As a result things still look a little volatile in equity markets although showing a level of recovery especially in the more established Markets of the US, Europe and UK. There appears to be reduced inflation, although interest rates are still relatively high, which should aid Equities and Bonds into recovery and some stability. Annuities are looking attractive at present for income production through Pensions, giving good levels of guaranteed income. Although these are showing a recent reduction due to reducing interest rates caused by reducing inflation in the longer term.
UK Interest Rates potentially look set to stabilise making loans and mortgage rates potentially level out and reduce although not quickly. Making borrowing more affordable. Savings rates are a little more attractive although reducing.
We understand your concerns on seeing these events unfold and feeling the personal effects on your financial status. As we have said in the past, risk is a consequence of investing. We endeavor to seek assurances from fund managers to ensure they are working in the markets to eventually aid a speedy recovery when able to do so. Investments are researched, analysed and made with a view to long term future returns. Markets are showing recovery and good levels of growth again. Elections are starting to become news with the UK and US elections imminent.
If you require any sort of assurance or discussion about the current circumstances please do not hesitate to contact us either through the office or directly by phone, text or email. We are more than happy to meet and discuss your investments with you. At this time of year ISAs and Pensions become focused areas of investment to ensure annual allowances are utilised in the new year.
Investing is a long term commitment, as is our commitment to you as your Financial Advisers
Written by Ian Harby (Director) 25/4/2024
Russia/ Ukraine and Israel/ Palestine Conflict - April - 2024
First and foremost, we acknowledge these are primarily human crisis's with awful consequences for millions.
We are making ongoing efforts to obtain information and guidance from our providers of investment products and portfolios regarding the effects of the hostilities and the pressures placed on the economies by sanctions, provision of financial support and armaments by major countries and the mind set of the countries involved to prolong the potential devastation and suffering.
Having listened and spoken to several of our primary providers of investments, the general consensus is to retain the investments. Companies and Markets are understanding the effects of the conflicts and investing appropriately to reduce any negative effects of the conflicts and take opportunities that arise as a result.
Situations such as this require level headed, counter intuitive reactions to emotional and potentially stressful times. Financial markets and fund managers will work without emotion with regard to money, using the realities of the situation and analytical strategic actions within portfolios in the search for positive financial outcomes.
There is only hope these conflicts are short and resolved quickly to minimise suffering for all.
Ian Harby (Director) 25/04/2024
Inflation and Interest Rate Rises.
There are many events happening in the world of Global and UK Banking at present and are only added to by political strategies. This has caused financial unrest and worry for major financial institutions and investors worldwide. Things are easing. Our primary guidance, is as above to retain and stay invested as situations are starting to settle and recover. It can be worrying and we understand it is not 'a nice feeling' to see investment values fall. There appears to be a plateau of reasonable stability in the markets driven by lower inflation, which is leading an upturn in performance via a sustained period of stability and potential growth. However, if you need to contact us at any time to discuss your investments please do not hesitate to do so.
Ian Harby (Director) 25/04/2024
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We offer a comprehensive financial planning service for all your investment and protection needs:
-
Protection
How much cash would your family need to maintain their current lifestyle if you die prematurely? Would you require a regular income or a cash sum if you suffered a serious illness or disability? - Retirement
When do you want to retire and how much income will you need? - Investment
Are you making the best use of any spare capital? - Savings
Are you making the best use of any surplus income? - Mortgages
Do you want to reduce your current mortgage outlay or are you moving home?
We hope you find the site both useful and informative. Over time our aim is to expand the site to offer more services such as viewing your policies and portfolios securely on the site but we would welcome your feedback not only on the current content and presentation of the site but how you feel it could be improved or indeed what other services or information we could include to help you.
If you do have any suggestions please e-mail us or use one of our contact forms.
| Europe | ||||||
| London | ||||||
| Index | Value | Move | % | |||
| FTSE 100 | 8,139.83 | 60.97  | 0.75 | |||
| FTSE 250 | 19,824.20 | 222.18 | 1.13 | |||
| FTSE 350 | 4,470.09 | 35.75 | 0.81 | |||
| FTSE All Share | 4,423.59 | 35.65 | 0.81 | |||
| Americas | ||||||
| New York | ||||||
| Index | Value | Move | % | |||
| Dow Jones | 38,239.70 | 153.86 | 0.40 | |||
| Nasdaq | 15,927.90 | 316.14 | 2.03 | |||